Certifications and Authentication

The Secretary of State's Certification Desk is open for walk-in service until 1 pm daily.

Certifications/Apostilles are $5.00 each. For more information, please call the Certification Desk at 410-974-5521.

Please Note: Walk-ins, there is a limit of 15 documents per customer daily.

Hours of Operation: 9 am to 1 pm

Monday through Friday

Certification and Apostille of Documents: Key Information

Federal Documents:

Direct Certification:

Federal documents can be submitted directly to the U.S. State Department for certification/apostille.
Ex. FBI Background checks, USCIS documents, Born abroad birth certificates, etc.

Notarization Restrictions:

Naturalization and immigration documents cannot be notarized, whether originals or copies.

Further Assistance:

For help with federal document certifications, contact the U.S. State Department at 202-485-8000.

Maryland Secretary of State Certifications:

Services Offered:

Certifies:

Appointments and elected officials.
Portions of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
Common documents such as birth/death certificates, marriage/divorce records, police records, and corporate good-standing certificates.

Common uses:

Adoptions, dual citizenship, business activities, school record transfers.

International Acceptance:

Notarized Document Certification: Take the notarized document to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the notary was commissioned. Then, submit it to the Office of the Secretary of State in Annapolis for certification.
Documents for countries a part of the Hague Convention get an Apostille. Documents for countries not a part of the Hague should be sent to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentication after the MD SOS certificate.
For both types of documents, call 410-974-5521 to confirm authenticity if needed.
Documents may require an apostille certification if used in countries that signed the Hague Treaty.
Non-Hague countries require a standard certification.
Visit the U.S. State Department’s website for more details about the Hague Convention.

Timeline for Application Processing

FedEx and UPS are around a 1-2 day turn around
USPS Priority Mail is max 3-4 day processing time
Regular mail is max 1 week processing time.

Important Notes:

Once notarized, follow the Maryland Secretary of State’s instructions for certification.

The Maryland Secretary of State cannot guarantee the acceptance of documents by international countries.

Legal Basis: Certification authority is under State Government Article, §7-106.

Certification Desk Closures on State Holidays

Please note that our Certification Desk is closed on all Maryland state holidays. For a complete and official list of state holidays, please refer to the Maryland State Holidays page.

Open Status Information

In the event that our building is closed or the Certification Desk is otherwise unavailable (outside of the scheduled state holidays), updated open status information will be provided on our website. We encourage you to check the site frequently or call the Certification Desk at 410-974-5521 for the latest updates regarding availability.

12/7/22 Notary Town Hall Recording: Apostilles

 Frequently Asked Questions

How do I have documents certified?

Certifications may be completed by mail or in person. The cost is $5 per document. Please pay by U.S. check or U.S. money order made out to the Secretary of State, if paying by mail. You can also use a credit or debit card if you appear in person at the office. If you are having certifications done by mail, be certain to include:

your check or money order
a note stating in which country the documents will be used, and how to contact you if a small question should arise concerning your documents.
a stamped, self-addressed envelope or prepaid express delivery service, such as: Fedex or UPS

Which countries require apostilles and which require a standard certification?

Countries which signed the Hague Treaty require apostilles. All others require standard certifications, will need to be authenticated by the US State Department before being taken to the country's embassy. The U.S. State Department maintains a current list of those requiring apostilles.

What are the steps in the certification process?

Standard Certification

When Having a Notarized Document Certified
Notarized document must be taken to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for certification, in the county where the notary was commissioned. (The county will be imprinted on the notary's seal.) If your document is certified by a clerk of the Circuit Court other than the current clerk of the Circuit Court, please call our office at 410-974-5521 to confirm that we can authenticate the document. The document is then taken to the Office of the Secretary of State, in Annapolis for certification.
Document is taken to the State Department in Washington, DC for certification. Document is ready for use.

When having a State or County Issued Document Certified

The State/County document, (birth or death certificate, motor vehicle ownership certification, certification of status of criminal records, marriage certificates, divorce decree, etc.) with the seal and authorized signature of the department issuing the document, is taken to the Office of the Secretary of State, in Annapolis for certification. If you do not have a current copy, please call our office at 410-974-5521 to confirm that we can authenticate your document.
Document is taken to the State Department in Washington DC for certification. Document is ready for use.

Apostille

When Having a Notarized Document Certified
Notarized document must be taken to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for certification, in the county where the notary was commissioned. (The county will be imprinted on the notary's seal.) If your document is certified by a clerk of the Circuit Court other than the current clerk of the Circuit Court, please call our office at 410-974-5521 to confirm that we can authenticate the document. The document is taken to the Office of the Secretary of State, in Annapolis for certification.
Document is ready for use. The document does not need to be taken to the U.S. State Department for certification.

When having a State or County issued Document Certified
The State/County document, (birth or death certificate, motor vehicle ownership certification, certification of status of criminal records, marriage certificates, divorce decree, etc.) with the seal and authorized signature of the department issuing the document, is taken to the Office of the Secretary of State, in Annapolis for certification. If you do not have a current copy, please call our office at 410-974-5521 to confirm that we can authenticate your document.
The document is ready for use. The document does not need to be taken to the U.S. State Department for certification.

What must I do to have my school records certified?

To have any of your school records, transcripts, grades, or diplomas certified by the Maryland Secretary Of State you will need to follow the same procedures as any other non-state documents. Contact the school to get the needed documents. Often they will send them to you in a sealed envelope stating not to open the envelope. You will take the sealed envelope to a notary. The notary will open the envelope and notarize the school record. You will then take that document to the circuit court where the notary is commissioned and have it certified by The Clerk of the Court that the notary is in good standing. The record is now ready to be authenticated by The Secretary of States' Office.

What are the addresses of the Office of the Secretary of State and the US Department of State?

Office of the Secretary of State

Walk in address:
16 Francis Street, Wineland Building, Annapolis, MD 21401

Mailing Address:
16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401

Hours:
9:00 - 1:00

Telephone:
(410) 974-5521

Email: DLCertifications_SOS@Maryland.gov

U.S. State Department

Address:
600 19th Street NW Washington DC 20006

Telephone:
(202) 485-8000 between 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Hours:
Walk in: Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

How do I get to the Office of the Secretary of State?

From Route 50 take exit 24 (Rowe Boulevard) to downtown Annapolis
At the light, keep straight onto Northwest Street (do not continue right onto Calvert Street)
Northwest Street ends at Church Circle.
Go around Church Circle about 1/4 of the way to Duke of Gloucester Street and turn right.
From Duke of Gloucester Street turn left onto Green Street
From Green Street turn left onto Main Street
From Main Street, bear right onto Francis Street

Where in Annapolis can I park?

There are parking meters on Francis Street
There is free parking on State Circle beyond Francis Street
The Noah Hillman Parking Garage has entrances off of Duke of Gloucester Street (turn left into garage) and off of Main Street (turn left onto Gorman Street)

Are there other types of certifications?

Other certifications are used for State bond sales. These certifications are to the membership of various Authorities or Commissions. Also used in State bond sales are certification of manual signature filings. We certify that a person has his/her manual signature on file so that he/she can use a facsimile signature at the bond closing. We also provide referendum/no referendum (for House/Senate Bills) certificates as requested.