Apostilles and Certifications in Pennsylvania

The Secretary of the Commonwealth provides authentication of Pennsylvania public officials’ signatures on documents that will be used outside the United States. For documents intended for use in foreign countries, the country of destination determines whether the authentication is an Apostille or Certification. Apostilles and Certifications are not issued for documents that will be used within the United States. List of countries that are members of the Hague Convention.

When a Pennsylvania notary public notarizes a document that will be filed in another state or country, the notary may be asked for proof of his or her appointment. This verification is called a Certificate of Good Standing for Notary Public and may be obtained from the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The individual for whom the notarization was completed should check with the state or country for its requirements.

  • For documents that are submitted by mail, typically, allow about two (2) to three (3) weeks.  Processing time does not include mailing time. 
  • We are now accepting appointments for authenticating documents for use out of the USA. You can schedule an appointment for certification of documents. Be sure to arrive on time or you will run the risk of being rescheduled. You will need to tell us the number of documents (not pages) to be processed and the country that it is requiring them. The payment is expected upon completion the certification.
  • If using a GPS device for driving directions, please use 401 North Street Harrisburg, PA 17120 for the street address. Once you get to the North Office Building, come upstairs to room 201.
  • The cost is $15.00 per document. 
    Starting on Monday, November 25, 2024, we will no longer accept cash for walk-in services.  We will accept checks, money orders and credit card payments. 
  • Do not remove the staple from any document that has been processed.
  • To mail requests, submit the following to:

Pennsylvania Department of State
Apostilles & Certifications
North Office Building, Room 201
401 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0029

  1. Original document(s)
  2. Include a cover letter or you may use our Request for Legalization of Documents form (Chinese/中国人) ( Spanish/Español). Identify the country where the documents will be used, as well as the requestor’s name, contact phone, email, and full mailing address.
  3. Enclose a personal check, money order, or cashier’s check made payable to “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” in the amount of $15 per document (not per page).  Checks and money orders must be issued by a U.S. institution or, if issued by a foreign bank, must be in U.S. dollars and contain a routing number.  Cash cannot be accepted by mail or drop-box.
  4. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of your documents.  If you wish the order to be returned by a courier service, you must enclose a prepaid air bill with your order.  Effective October 1, 2009, the Department no longer accepts FedEx or DHL for the return shipment of documents.  NOTE: If requesting your documents to be returned via UPS (United Parcel Service), please list yourself as the sender and recipient on the air bill that you will be providing.  Otherwise, the air bill will be changed accordingly.  We recommend purchasing tracking services for both the original envelope and the return envelope, and keep a record of your tracking numbers.

For Certificates of Good Standing for Notaries Public, write a letter requesting a Certificate of Good Standing and providing the full notary name and commission ID, if known, your name and full mailing address and payment in the amount of $15 per certificate.