Apostilles and Authentications
The Oklahoma Secretary of State (SOS) is the designated authority responsible for issuing Apostilles and Authentications for documents executed by Oklahoma public officials for use in foreign countries.
An Apostille/Authentication certifies that the public official who signed the document was authorized to do so at the time the signature was executed. It does not authenticate or verify the contents of the document.
How do I know if I need an Apostille or Authentication?
A listing of the countries which are a party to the Conference is available at http://www.hcch.net
A listing of the countries which are a party to the Conference is available at www.hcch.net.
* Please note all authentication requests require a complete English translation if the original document is not already in English.
Hours of Operation
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday, from 8:00 A.M. – 5 P.M. Please note that all documents must be submitted by 4:30 P.M. in order to be processed.
Submission Information
No appointment is required to submit your documents in office for processing. We offer walk-in service and will process your documents while you wait. Our typical processing time is approximately 15 minutes per document, but please understand this time frame can vary depending on how busy we are upon your arrival.
We will provide you with a cover page to complete upon arrival, or if you would like to have it prepared in advance you can click here , to use our cover letter template.
You will need to bring the document that requires an apostille or authentication with you to the office. Please see the list of documents eligible for Apostille/Authentication below for guidelines.
Please see the “Payment Information” section for more information.
Our address is as follows:
Oklahoma Secretary of State
421 NW 13th St., Suite 210
Oklahoma City, OK 73103
To obtain an Apostille/Authentication by mail you will need to submit the following:
You can use our cover letter template by clicking here , or you can draft up your own if it has the required information. The required information is as follows: the country requiring the document(s), your name (for your receipt), your return address, your email address, and your phone number in case we need to reach out with any questions.
You will need to submit your form of payment along with your documents. Please see the “Payment Information” section for more information.
Our mailing address is as follows:
Oklahoma Secretary of State
Attn: Certification Department
421 NW 13th St., Suite 210
Oklahoma City, OK 73103.
Payment Information
The statutory fee for an Apostille is $25.00 per notarial act or certified document. If the Apostille is requested for use in proceedings related to an international adoption, the fee is $10.00 per Apostille.
The statutory fee for an Authentication is $20.00 per notarial act, certified document, or international adoption proceedings.
Payments made in person must be in the form of cash, cashier's check, money order, credit card, or business check.
Payments made by mail with documents must be in the form of certified cashier's check, money order, or business check made payable to: Oklahoma Secretary of State.
Documents eligible for Apostille or Authentication certification through the Oklahoma Secretary of State generally include documents signed, notarized, or issued by Oklahoma public officials, such as:
We require a certified copy or the original Oklahoma birth or death certificate issued by the Oklahoma State Department of Health for processing.
To obtain a certified copy of an Oklahoma birth/death certificate, please contact the Oklahoma State Department of Health. (405) 426-8880.
Any marriage license, divorce decree, and any court certified document must be dated within the past year. To obtain a current certified copy of a court issued document, please contact the County Court Clerk's office in which the document was issued.
*Please note that our office can only process documents that were issued in Oklahoma.
Any marriage license, divorce decree, and any court certified document must be dated within the past year. To obtain a current certified copy of a court issued document, please contact the County Court Clerk's office in which the document was issued.
* Please note that our office can only process documents that were issued in Oklahoma.
All school records must be notarized by an Oklahoma notary public before our office can issue an Apostille/Authentication. Please note that our office is unable to notarize documents, so be sure this step is completed before submitting your records for Apostille/Authentication processing.
All power of attorney documents must be notarized by an Oklahoma notary public before our office can issue an Apostille/Authentication. Please note that our office is unable to notarize documents, so be sure this step is completed before submitting your records for Apostille/Authentication processing.
* Please note all Authentication requests require a complete English translation if the original document is not already in English.
All affidavits and documents requiring notarization must be notarized by an Oklahoma notary public before our office can issue an Apostille/Authentication. Please note that our office is unable to notarize documents, so be sure this step is completed before submitting your records for Apostille/Authentication processing.
* Please note all Authentication requests require a complete English translation if the original document is not already in English.
Business records filed with the Oklahoma Secretary of State will need to be replicated in a certified format at the time the Apostille/Authentication is issued. Our office is the only authorized party to issue certified copies of records filed with the Oklahoma Secretary of State.
If you need an Apostille/Authentication on a business record that is not filed with our office, e.g. your operating agreement, you must get the document notarized by an Oklahoma notary public before our office can issue an Apostille/Authentication. Our office is not authorized to issue an Apostille/Authentication for business records filed in another state or country. Please note that our office is unable to notarize documents, so be sure this step is completed before submitting your records for Apostille/Authentication processing.
* Please note all Authentication requests require a complete English translation if the original document is not already in English.
Adoption documents can vary. Please review the list of documents provided to see if it falls into one of the categories listed.
All background checks, state and/or federal, must be notarized by an Oklahoma notary public before our office can issue an Apostille/Authentication. Please note that our office is unable to notarize documents, so be sure this step is completed before submitting your records for Apostille/Authentication processing.
* Please note all Authentication requests require a complete English translation if the original document is not already in English.
If you do not see a category that your document falls under, please contact the Certification Department at (405) 521-4211 to inquire if we are able to affix an Apostille/Authentication on the document.
