An Apostille is a certificate issued by the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office that verifies the origin of a public document for use in a country that is part of the Hague Apostille Convention. If the country is not a Hague member, it acts as a Certificate of Authentication.

Utah uses a single certificate to cover both scenarios:

• If the destination country is a Hague member, it acts as an Apostille.
• If the country is not a Hague member, it acts as a Certificate of Authentication.
• Documents used inside the United States do not require an Apostille or Authentication.
• These certificates verify the origin of documents (such as birth, marriage, and death certificates, court judgments, and notarized documents). They do not confirm or validate the contents of the document—only its official origin.

An Apostille does not expire under the Hague Convention.

• Standard processing: Typically 3-5 business days once documents are received by our office (does not include mailing transit time).

Please note that documents are not processed on weekends or state holidays.

Yes, expedited processing options are available for an additional fee:

• Same Day Service: Processed within 2 hours. Available for in-person drop-off or mailed delivery (if a prepaid FedEx return envelope is included).
• Next Day Service: Processed by the next business day

To ensure the fastest service and guarantee your time, we highly recommend scheduling an appointment. If booking in advance isn’t possible for you, we also accommodate walk-ins during our open hours between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM daily.

Most delays are caused by improperly prepared documents. Check your documents carefully before submitting them. All USPS mail is delayed because it must be processed by the Utah State Mail Agency first. To ensure timely delivery, consider using a commercial carrier like FedEx or UPS (please schedule a pickup for UPS).

Yes. If someone else is picking up your documents, please ensure they know the name on the request form or the receipt number so we can provide them with the correct files.

Cash, check, and all major credit cards are accepted. Please make checks or money orders payable to: State of Utah.

The authorities in the destination country receiving the documents must specify which documents require an Apostille or Authentication. Our office cannot determine this for you.

Please make sure that the notarized document includes:

• The original document with original signature(s) (not photocopied).
• A complete and compliant notarial certificate.

If you need a notary, you can search for a Utah Notary here.

No. However, with over 20,000 notaries public in the state, you should be able to easily find someone who can notarize the document prior to submission.

No. We cannot authenticate documents produced by other states, nor documents notarized by an out-of-state notary. You will need to contact the Secretary of State or Lieutenant Governor’s office in the state where the document was issued or notarized.

No. FBI background checks and certified documents from Federal Agencies must go to the U.S. Department of State. Federal court documents should be authenticated by the Federal Court that issued them.

No. The Lieutenant Governor’s office does not translate documents, nor do we require documents to be translated into English to be processed.

Yes, but only if the notary does not attest to the contents of the document (unless completed by a notary who is also a licensed attorney).

The U.S. Department of State concurs with Competent Authorities’ decisions not to provide Apostilles for notarial acts that go beyond the authorities granted to notaries within their respective states.

• Utah’s Public Verification Tool
• The ABC’s of Apostilles (PDF)