California Birth Certificate Apostille.
A certified California birth certificate can be apostilled for use in another country that's part of the Hague Apostille Convention. We confirm the certified copy is the correct, current format and route it to the right California process.
The document, explained.
What is this document?
A birth certificate is a vital record issued by a California county recorder or the state registrar. For apostille, it must be a certified copy bearing the signature of the issuing public official — not a photocopy or an informational copy.
Does it need notarization or certification first?
A certified birth certificate does not usually need notarization. It already bears the signature of a California public official (the county registrar or state registrar), which is what the California Secretary of State authenticates. What it does need is to be a current, certified copy in the format California accepts for apostille.
What needs to be ready first.
Obtain a certified copy from the county recorder or California state registrar — not a photocopy.
Confirm the certified copy is a current-format document accepted for apostille.
Tell us the country where the birth certificate will be used; some destinations need extra steps.
If the destination is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, a longer legalization process may apply.
Step by step.
Tell us about the document
Confirm it's a certified California birth certificate and tell us the destination country.
We check the requirements
We verify the certified copy is the correct format and that no extra steps are needed for the destination.
Document preparation
If anything is missing — for example an outdated certified copy — we tell you what to order before proceeding.
Apostille processing
We submit the eligible certified birth certificate to the California Secretary of State.
Track & return
Completed documents return via the domestic or international delivery method you select.
Processing times depend on the California Secretary of State, the issuing authority, and the document type. We don't imply guaranteed timelines. Rush options exist for eligible documents when availability allows. See the full process →
What it costs.
Starting service fee · one eligible document
Our standard California apostille package includes professional document review and processing, the $20 California Secretary of State apostille fee, and tracked shipping to and from the Secretary of State for one eligible document. Shipping your documents to Inkcredible and final delivery of completed documents to you are additional. We'll confirm your complete price before you proceed. Additional documents, rush processing, and specialized services are quoted separately.
California Secretary of State fees
$20 per apostille. $6 special-handling fee per public official for in-person submissions. Government fees are subject to change and separate from Inkcredible's service fee.
Questions, answered.
Apostille your birth certificate.
Tell us what you have, where it was issued and where it's going. We'll tell you what needs to happen next — no sensitive information required up front.