A California birth certificate can be apostilled when the certified copy is signed by a county clerk, county recorder, or State Registrar. Health officer signatures may need county certification first.
Last reviewed: October 1, 2026
Key facts
| Issuing office | California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section |
|---|---|
| State fee | $20.00 per apostille by mail. One certificate at the counter is $26.00 ($20.00 plus $6.00 special handling). |
| State processing time | In person: typically within 30 minutes. By mail: as of October 1, 2026, Sacramento was processing requests received September 17, 2026. |
| Where issued | Sacramento (mail and counter) and Los Angeles (counter only) |
| Form | Apostille Mail Request Cover Sheet (Rev. 04/2025) |
| Payment | Mail: check or money order only. Counters also take cards. Cash in Sacramento only. |
| Signatures accepted directly | County clerk, county recorder, their deputies, and the State Registrar |
State government fees and times, verified October 1, 2026. They are not AI Fingerprinting’s fee or turnaround.
Whose signature must be on a California birth certificate?
The Secretary of State can apostille a birth certificate signed by a county clerk, a county recorder, one of their deputies, or the State Registrar. Those signatures go straight to the state.
Look at the certification block on your copy, usually near the seal. The title printed under the signature tells you which path you are on. The same rule applies to California death certificates, per the state apostille FAQs.
What if my birth certificate is signed by a health officer?
A certificate signed by a county health officer or local registrar may need the county clerk to certify that signature first. Your other option is to order a new certified copy.
The state names two sources for a new copy: the county recorder, or the California Department of Public Health. A copy from either one carries a signature the Secretary of State can certify directly. Since January 1, 2023, under AB 2324, health officers file their oaths with the Secretary of State. The state FAQ still says these certificates may need county clerk certification, so check before you mail anything.
How much does county signature certification cost?
Counties set their own fee for certifying a health officer’s signature, and it is paid to the county, not the state. Two published examples are $7.00 and $15.00.
Ventura County charges $7.00 to verify the County Health Officer’s signature. It also confirms that certificates issued by its Clerk-Recorder go straight to the state. Santa Cruz County charges $15 per document for the same verification. Other counties may differ, so ask the clerk in the county that issued your certificate.
What does the state charge to apostille a birth certificate?
California charges $20.00 for the apostille. At a counter, one birth certificate costs $26.00 because of the $6.00 special handling fee per signing official.
The $6.00 fee is per official, not per page. Two siblings’ certificates signed by the same county recorder cost $46 in person and $40 by mail. These are government fees only. Request a quote for our service.
Does the age of the certified copy matter?
The Secretary of State’s pages do not state an age limit for certified copies. What the state checks is the official’s signature, not the issue date.
One county office, Santa Cruz, says the certification date “should be within five years”. That is a county statement and it is not repeated on the state site. The country receiving your document may also set its own limit on how recent the copy must be. Ask that authority before you order.
Can I send a photocopy or scan of my birth certificate?
No. California does not accept photocopies. You need a certified copy with an original official signature and seal.
The state certifies the official’s signature, and a scan carries none.
How do I get a California birth certificate apostilled?
The process is five steps when the signature is acceptable, and six when a health officer signed the copy.
- Read the signer’s title on your certified copy.
- If a health officer or local registrar signed it, ask the county clerk to certify the signature, or order a new copy from the county recorder or the California Department of Public Health.
- Fill in the Apostille Mail Request Cover Sheet and write the destination country.
- Add a $20 check or money order for each apostille.
- Send everything to the Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001.
- Check the returned apostille online at apostille-search.sos.ca.gov.
What a California apostille looks like
The apostille is a separate page fastened to your birth certificate. It is titled “APOSTILLE (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)” and has ten numbered fields.
For a birth certificate, the field to read is number 3, the capacity of the signer. On the sample we reviewed it reads “County Clerk Recorder”, and field 4 names the seal of the county. That is exactly the kind of signature California certifies without an extra step. A red ink “Office of the Secretary of State” stamp crosses the right edge, and the form number NP-40 SAC appears at the bottom left.
Common reasons for rejection
Most California birth certificate problems trace back to the copy itself, not the request form.
- The copy is signed by a health officer or local registrar and has no county clerk certification.
- A photocopy or scan was sent instead of a certified copy.
- The birth was recorded in another state. California only certifies California officials.
- The destination country is missing from the cover sheet.
- Payment by mail was not a check or money order.
How AI Fingerprinting helps
AI Fingerprinting is a private document service at 201 NE Park Plaza Dr #221, Vancouver, WA 98684. We are not a government agency and not a law firm. We accept mail-in requests from anywhere in the United States.
Tell us the title printed under the signature on your certificate, or send us a photo of that block. We tell you which path applies before you spend money on county or state fees. Then you mail us the certified copy, and we prepare the cover sheet and send the request to Sacramento. If you were born in California and now live elsewhere, you never need to go back in person.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apostille a California birth certificate issued by the Department of Public Health?
Yes. The state names the California Department of Public Health as a source for a certified copy, and the Secretary of State can certify the State Registrar’s signature.
Do I need to notarize my birth certificate first?
No. A certified birth certificate is apostilled on the strength of the public official’s signature. Notarizing a photocopy does not replace a certified copy.
Which county clerk certifies a health officer’s signature?
The county clerk in the county that issued the certificate. Fees vary. Ventura County publishes $7.00 and Santa Cruz County publishes $15 per document.
Is the rule the same for a California death certificate?
Yes. The state applies the same signature rule to birth and death certificates: county clerk, county recorder, their deputies, or the State Registrar.
Can I get the apostille at the Los Angeles office?
Yes, in person. Los Angeles is a counter only, with no appointments and no cash. Mail requests go to Sacramento.
Will a California apostille on my birth certificate work in every country?
It works as an apostille in countries that are party to the Hague Convention. For other countries, the certificate says it should be presented to that country’s consular section.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm document requirements with the authority in the country that will receive your document.
Ready to get your apostille?
Tell us what document you have and where it is going. We will reply with a quote.