Certifications: Apostilles and
Authentications
The Secretary of State's
Office certifies documents that are issued in Montana for use in a foreign
country. This certification can take one of two forms — an apostille or an
authentication — depending on the country in which the document is to be
used.
A state certification
verifies that a notary public, county clerk and recorder, county clerk of
district court, or the clerk of the Montana Vital Records Bureau is authorized
to provide the services in question and that he or she has done so according to
state law.
Some examples of Montana
documents that may need to be certified for use in a foreign country are foreign
adoption papers, marriage licenses, birth certificates, school transcripts,
diplomas, and paperwork needed to do business in a foreign country.
Not all documents for
foreign use require certification, and the Montana Secretary of State's office
can only certify documents issued or notarized in Montana. If you need
certification of a document that was issued or notarized in another state or
country, you will need to contact the appropriate agency in that state or
country. Certification at the individual county level is not required in
Montana.
A Certificate of
Apostille is required by countries that belong to the Hague Convention,
while a Certificate of Authentication is required by countries that do
not belong to the Hague Convention.
To order a certificate of
apostille or authentication from the Secretary of State's Office, you must
submit:
A cover letter that
states which type of certification you require. The Secretary of State's
Office cannot determine the type of certification based solely on the name of
the country for which the certification is needed.
-
The original document,
properly certified within the last five years, OR notarized, that requires certification.
A self-addressed return
envelope with appropriate postage.
A $10 processing fee for
each document. Checks should be made payable to the Montana Secretary of
State. The Secretary of State's Office is unable to accept credit cards.
Send your request for
certification to:
Office of the Secretary of State
Notary/Certification
Section
P.O. Box 202801
Helena MT 59620-2801
If you desire priority
courier service, send your request to:
Office of the Secretary of State
Notary/Certification
Section
1301 Sixth Avenue
Helena MT 59601
If you need further assistance or have questions about Correct Certifications, call (406) 444-1877.
Notary Training Schedule
What Is a Notary Public? | Powers of a Notary | How to Become a Notary
Ways to Notarize | Correct Certifications | Notary Fees | Resources
|
