Apostille Document Authentication

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Some countries require public documents from other countries, such as birth, death and marriage certificates, to be authenticated before they can be used there. An authentication can come in two forms: Apostilles and Certificates of Authentication.

Apostilles and Certificates of Authentication certify the signature, the capacity, and sometimes the seal of the official who has executed the document. Which form is necessary can depend on the country you want to use the document in.

The New York State Department of State issues Apostilles for documents that were issued in New York, including:

  • Birth certificates
  • Death certificates
  • Marriage certificates
  • Divorce certificates
  • Educational documents, such as school transcripts and diplomas

To be authenticated, the original document must have been signed by a State Official or a County Clerk. The process for getting an Apostille for a document issued in New York City depends on the type of record you want authenticated.

Learn more about Apostilles and get a request form.

There are three steps to get an Apostille for a birth or death record created in New York City.

Step 1. Order a certified copy of the birth or death record from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. You must also request a certified Letter of Exemplification when ordering the record.

Visit the Birth Certificate Order and/or Death Certificate Order pages to learn how to order a record with a Letter of Exemplification.

Step 2. Submit the record and Letter of Exemplification to the County Clerk of Manhattan so they can verify the signature on the record. There is a $3 fee. You can do this by mail or in person for priority request. If you are mailing your application, you must also include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Step 3. Submit the original documents, the verification, and a $10 fee to the New York State Department of State for authentication. You can do this by mail or in person for priority request. Be sure to specify the country where you are going to send the record.

NYS Department of State Addresses

In Person

Local Office:

  • Agency: New York State Department of State
  • Division: New York State Department of State Local Office
  • Address: 123 William Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY, 10038-3804
  • Phone Number: (518) 474-4429
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 3:30 PM
  • Press 4 to be connected.

By Mail

To ensure prompt delivery of your mail, it is important that you utilize the following mailing address:

NYS Department of State
Division of Licensing Services
P.O. Box 22001
Albany, NY 12201-2001

Please note: If you utilize express services or next day ground services such as UPS, Federal Express, DHL, etc. you should use the physical address of the building. The physical address of the Albany location is:

NYS Department of State
Division of Licensing Services
1 Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor 
Albany, NY 12231

State Office Phone Number: (518) 474-4429

There are three steps to get an Apostille for a marriage or divorce record created in New York City.

Step 1. For a Marriage Record, order a certified copy from the City's Marriage Bureau that has an original signature of the City Clerk. For a Divorce Record, order a certified copy from the County Clerk that has an original signature of the County Clerk or a State official.

Step 2. Submit the record to the County Clerk in Manhattan so they can verify the signature on the record. There is a $3 fee. You can do this by mail or in person. If you are mailing your application, you must also include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Step 3. Submit the original documents, the verification, and a $10 fee to the New York State Department of State for authentication. You can do this by mail or in person for priority request. Be sure to specify the country where you are going to send the record.

NYS Department of State Addresses

In Person

Local Office:

  • Agency: New York State Department of State
  • Division: New York State Department of State Local Office
  • Address: 123 William Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY, 10038-3804
  • Phone Number: (518) 474-4429
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 3:30 PM
  • Press 4 to be connected.

By Mail

To ensure prompt delivery of your mail, it is important that you utilize the following mailing address:

NYS Department of State
Division of Licensing Services
P.O. Box 22001
Albany, NY 12201-2001

Please note: If you utilize express services or next day ground services such as UPS, Federal Express, DHL, etc. you should use the physical address of the building. The physical address of the Albany location is:

NYS Department of State
Division of Licensing Services
1 Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor 
Albany, NY 12231

State Office Phone Number: (518) 474-4429

You can get an Apostille for records created in New York City other than birth, death, marriage, or divorce records. For example, you can request authentication of educational documents, such as school transcripts or diplomas.

There are three steps to get an Apostille.

Step 1. Notarize a copy of the document you want to use abroad. If you need an education-based document, an official from the school, college, or university must certify that the document is an official record. Their signature also has to be notarized.

Step 2. Submit the notarized document for authentication to the County Clerk so it can verify the notary’s signature. You must submit the document to the County Clerk of the county where the notary is qualified. If you are mailing your application, you must also include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Step 3. Submit the original documents, the verification, and a $10 fee to the New York State Department of State for authentication. You can do this by mail or in person for priority request. Be sure to specify the country where you are going to send the record.

NYS Department of State Addresses

In Person

Local Office:

  • Agency: New York State Department of State
  • Division: New York State Department of State Local Office
  • Address: 123 William Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY, 10038-3804
  • Phone Number: (518) 474-4429
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 3:30 PM
  • Press 4 to be connected.

By Mail

To ensure prompt delivery of your mail, it is important that you utilize the following mailing address:

NYS Department of State
Division of Licensing Services
P.O. Box 22001
Albany, NY 12201-2001

Please note: If you utilize express services or next day ground services such as UPS, Federal Express, DHL, etc. you should use the physical address of the building. The physical address of the Albany location is:

NYS Department of State
Division of Licensing Services
1 Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor 
Albany, NY 12231

State Office Phone Number: (518) 474-4429

County Clerk Offices

  • Bronx County Clerk: Fees may be paid by cash (in person only) or by money order made payable to the Bronx County Clerk.
  • Kings County Clerk (Brooklyn): Fees may be paid by cash (in person only), certified/Attorney's check, bank or postal money order made payable to the Kings County Clerk.
  • New York County Clerk (Manhattan): Fees may be paid by cash (in person only), credit card (in person only), money order or business check made payable to the New York County Clerk.
  • Queens County Clerk: Fees may be paid by cash (in person only), certified/business/Attorney's checks, or U.S. postal money order made payable to the Queens County Clerk.
  • Richmond County Clerk (Staten Island): Fees may be paid in cash (in person only), or money order made payable to the Richmond County Clerk.

Personal checks are not accepted at County Clerk offices.

New York State Department of State (NYS DOS)

Paying in Person at NYS DOS Local Office in Manhattan:

You must pay by check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank. The check or money order must be made payable to NYS Department of State.

Cash and credit cards are not accepted at the NYS DOS Local Office.

Paying by Mail to NYS DOS Office in Albany:

If you are sending payment by mail to NYS DOS, you can pay by check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank. The check or money order must be made payable to NYS Department of State.

Credit card payments (MasterCard, Visa, American Express) are also accepted by mail. You must fill out the required information on the NYS DOS Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request form.

Bronx County Clerk
Supreme Court
851 Grand Concourse
Bronx, NY 10451

Brooklyn County Clerk
Supreme Court
360 Adams Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Manhattan County Clerk
Supreme Court
60 Centre Street
New York, NY 10007

Queens County Clerk
Supreme Court
88-11 Sutphin Boulevard
Jamaica, NY 11435

Staten Island County Clerk
Supreme Court
130 Stuyvesant Place
Staten Island, NY 10301

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