Frequently Asked Questions

An apostille is an official certificate or authentication of a document, issued by a designated government authority (such as the California Secretary of State or US Department of State), to verify its legitimacy for legal use in another country.

It ensures that documents (such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, corporate articles, powers of attorney, or academic diplomas) are recognized in foreign nations that are parties to the Hague Convention of 1961.

We provide full-service document authentication and legalization solutions, including:

• Standard & Priority California Apostilles: Direct hand-processing and expedited state submissions in Sacramento and Los Angeles.
• 50-State & Federal Authentication: Apostilles for all US states and federal agencies (FBI background checks, FDA certificates, USPTO patents).
• Non-Hague Embassy Legalization: Complete multi-step consular authentication for countries not party to the Hague treaty.
• Certified Translation Services: Professional legal translations in over 50 languages to accompany your apostilled documents.
• Document Retrieval & County Clerk Authentication: Assistance obtaining fresh certified vital records and pre-authentications.

We offer support by chat, email, and scheduled phone calls:

• chat
  Live Chat & AI Assistant: Our AI Virtual Assistant is available 24/7 at the bottom right of any page. Live human chat support is available 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM PST daily on business days.
• mail
  Email: Email our dedicated team anytime at cs@calapostille.com. Typical response time is 24–48 hours.
• call
  Phone Consultation: If you have questions that cannot be resolved via chat or email, request a telephone call through our Help Center Callback Form.

Most documents bearing the official signature and seal of a recognized government official or commissioned notary public can be apostilled:

• Vital Records: Certified state or county birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates (e.g., issued by California CDPH or county recorder).
• Notarized Private Documents: Powers of attorney, affidavits, deeds, trust agreements, and notarized copies of passports or driver’s licenses.
• Court & Legal Records: Certified court judgments, divorce decrees, name change orders, and letters of testamentary signed by a judge or court clerk.
• Educational Records: Official university or high school diplomas and transcripts (notarized by school registrars).
• Background Checks: California DOJ Live Scan background checks and FBI CJIS reports.

In the USA, documents issued by a municipal or county-level agency (such as a local health department or municipal clerk) often must first be authenticated by that specific County Clerk before the Secretary of State will accept them for state apostilling.

For example, if your California birth certificate was signed by a local health officer rather than the County Recorder or California Department of Public Health (CDPH), a county clerk certificate is required first.

Please contact our team before mailing if your document was not issued directly by a state or federal department so we can verify its signature authority.

You may submit documents either by physical mail or electronically, depending on the document requirements:

• Physical Mail: Required for vital records, original wet-ink signatures, and court decrees with raised seals. We accept postal mail (USPS) and private couriers (FedEx, UPS, DHL).
• Electronic Upload: Allowed for electronically notarized documents (RON) or digital records where the destination country accepts digital e-Apostilles.

Important: If you choose to submit electronically, verify with the foreign receiving authority first that they accept electronic/digital apostilles rather than physical certificates.

Processing times are measured in business days (excluding weekends and government holidays) and begin once we physically receive your original document or confirmed electronic upload:

Note: Actual timing depends on government agency workload and contractor appointments.

With our Priority Processing option (formerly Express Processing), we can obtain your apostille from the state in as little as 24 to 72 hours once we receive your physical document.

Please note: Processing turnaround measures the state filing time and does not include shipping transit. Total turnaround depends on your chosen shipping method:

• Priority Processing + UPS Air 2-Day Return: Estimated to arrive back at your address within 3–5 business days of our team receiving your document.
• Standard Processing: Varies from 24 hours to 14 business days depending on state government office closures and queues.

Accuracy Guarantee: We guarantee that the apostille received will be accurate — meaning it will be routed to the correct authorized government agency for processing. If an error occurs on our part, we will reprocess it completely free of charge, or if reprocessing is unfeasible, issue you a full refund.

We strive to ensure every customer is completely satisfied with their order. If we don’t process your order in a timely fashion or you aren’t satisfied with our handling, we want to make it right for you.

Please reach out immediately via chat or email. For satisfaction-related claims, at our sole discretion, we may also issue an additional courtesy store credit to you for future services.

Additional charges apply in specific scenarios and are mandatory to cover specialized operational and government filing costs:

You can choose to pay your invoice immediately or select Pay Later when placing your order:

• Pay Now (Online Checkout): We accept major domestic and international credit, debit, and prepaid cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), PayPal, Amazon Pay, and direct bank debit via PayPal ACH or Amazon ACH.
• Pay Later: You can submit your order and complete payment via Zelle, manual bank ACH transfer, physical USPS money order, or cash. You can also return to your invoice link at any time to pay electronically by card or e-check.

When you submit payment via Check, e-check, manual ACH, Zelle, or physical money order, your payment is processed as an instant purchase of a CalApostille store Gift Card that is automatically redeemed as an immediate credit towards your invoice.

Contact support at cs@calapostille.com or via live chat to obtain current Zelle and bank transfer routing details.

Yes, Cash by Mail is accepted if necessary. However, please note:

• No transit insurance: If you choose to send cash through the mail, no insurance is provided for loss or theft while in transit.
• Security recommendation: We strongly urge purchasing a USPS Postal Money Order instead of mailing cash.
• Refunds: If a cash-paid order warrants a refund, due to safety reasons physical cash cannot be mailed back; refunds are issued electronically (see Refund Policy).

Our cancellation policy depends on the current stage of your order:

• Before Processing Has Begun: If you prepaid for your order but we have not yet started processing your documents, you can contact us to request a cancellation with zero charge (excluding certain non-refundable add-on items).
• During Active Processing: If our team or courier has already begun processing your order with state agencies, a cancellation fee up to the total order amount may be assessed. Any physical documents already mailed to us will require a paid return shipping label to be sent back at your expense.
• After Completion: Once an apostille or authentication is completed and issued, services and invoice payments are strictly non-refundable and non-returnable.

If you ordered multiple items or services (e.g. an apostille plus certified translation or county clerk authentication), and a specific service cannot be completed due to eligibility constraints or state rejection, you will be refunded for the specific service that could not be completed, while the completed portions remain valid.

When an overpayment credit exists or CalApostille determines a refund is warranted, refunds are processed according to the original payment channel:

You will see the exact mailing address and document packing checklist in your order confirmation email immediately after submitting your order.

If your document originates from the continental USA and qualifies for a complimentary label, you will receive that prepaid label in a separate email within minutes of placing your order.

• Domestic Customers: By default, we return completed documents via complimentary USPS First-Class Mail with tracking, unless you choose an expedited shipping upgrade (such as UPS 2-Day or Overnight) or enclose your own prepaid label.
• International Customers: Must add international courier shipping (DHL or FedEx) at checkout, or provide their own pre-printed international airway bill.

You can check on your order status through multiple quick channels:

• Self-Service Portal: Visit Manage My Order with your Order ID and email to see live workflow tracking and shipping details.
• 24/7 AI Chatbot: Ask our chatbot at the bottom right corner of the website. Simply provide your Order ID and billing email.
• Email Notifications: You will receive automated status notifications when your documents are delivered to our facility, submitted to the Secretary of State, and dispatched with carrier tracking.