Notarials and Legal Assistance
U.S. state issued documents to be used in Hague Convention countries
A document that originated from the United States and is to be used in a country that IS party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, October 5, should follow the steps below:
Documents Executed before a U.S. Notary Public
1. A document that has been signed by a U.S. notary public should be presented to the clerk of the county court where the notary is licensed for a "notarial certificate" to be attached.
2. The document with the notarial certificate attached should then be presented to the Secretary of State in which the county clerk is located to request certification of the seal and signature of the county clerk by means of an Apostille.
For Documents Signed before a D.C. Notary
The document should be forwarded to the Office of the Secretary, DC, Notary Commissions and Authentication’s Section, 717 14th Street, NW, Suite 230, Washington, DC 20005, telephone 001-202-727-3117 to obtain the notarial certificate followed by step 2 above.
Documents issued by State Agencies - birth, death and marriage certificates
Generally, a document issued under the seal of a state agency or state court can be certified by the Secretary of State of the state in which the agency is located.
Colleges, Universities and other Post-Secondary Institutions
1. Obtain from the registrar of the university an official true copy of the credentials, a statement attesting to the accuracy of the credentials, executed by the registrar, and have the statement notarized before a notary public in the registrar’s office, business office or elsewhere in the university.
2. Take the document to the clerk of the court of the county wherein the notary was licensed or commissioned to obtain a notarial certificate suitable for use abroad.
3. Send the document to the Secretary of State of the state in which the clerk of the county court is located to request the Apostille.
Please consult the link http://travel.state.gov/law/info/info_606.html for further information on authentication of American academic credentials for use abroad.