Alabama Apostille FAQs

Alabama Apostilles can be obtained from the Secretary of State in 1 - 2 business days (Urgent service)

Alabama Apostille Stamps can be obtained to authenticate documents with the official signature and seal of a currently commissioned Alabama notary public, probate judge, or the current Alabama State Registrar:

• Alabama birth and death certificates (must be signed by the current Alabama State Registrar)
• Alabama marriage and divorce certificates
• Notarized school certificates and university diplomas
• Ceritifcates of Existence, Certificates of Formation and certified copies of other company document filed with the Secretary of State
• Alabama Background Checks
• Other documents notarized by an Alabama notary public, including powers of attorney and affidavits

If documents are required for submission to the authorities or consulate of a signatory country of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille stamp affixed by the Secretary of State of Alabama will generally be recognized directly as confirming authenticity, although a certified translation may also be required if presenting to a country that does not have English as an official language.

If documents are required for presentation in a country that is not a signatory to the apostille convention (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Taiwan, Vietnam), then an apostille stamp is not valid. Documents will need to be authenticated at State level in Alabama, then by the State Department Authentication Division, and finally by the embassy or consulate of the destination country in the United States. A Certified Translation may also be required.

For further information about Alabama apostilles and authentications, see: Alabama Handbook for Authentications (PDF)

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Apostilles and Certifications (Authentication) essentially service the same purpose of certifying the authenticity of a public Alabama document for use abroad. Whether you need an Apostilles and Certification depends on the country where the Alabama document will be submitted. Both are issued by the Alabama Secretary of State.

• An Alabama Apostille Stamp is required when Alabama documents are needed for a country which is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention (e.g. Spain, France, Saudi Arabia). An Apostille will be accepted directly in by the authorities of the recipient country.

  A Certification is required for documents that are to be submitted in other countries (which are not members of the Apostille Convention, such as the Thailand, UAE, Qatar, Taiwan. Generally, this Certification will not be accepted directly by the foreign recipient authority, but must be legalized by the U.S. Department of State and then by the embassy of the recipient country.

See Counties that accept Apostilles

Alabama birth and death certificates must be signed by the current Alabama State Registrar to be valid for an Apostille. Certificates can be ordered online through VitalChek or by mail from the Alabama Center for Health Statistics.

Alabama birth and death records are restricted. Only the person named on the certificate or a close relative may apply for a copy.

• VitalChek - Order Alabama vital records online
• Birth Certificates - Alabama Public Health
• Death Certificates - Alabama Public Health
• ID Requirements

Alabama marriage certificates can be ordered online from VitalChek or by mail from the Center for Health Statistics.

• VitalChek - Order Alabama vital records online

A Certificate of Existence, certifying that an Alabama company is currently registered (not dissolved) and currently compliant with State requirements, can be obtained from the Alabama Secretary of State and then authenticated with an Alabama Apostille.
Order an Alabama Certificates of Existence

Apostilles on Alabama Background Checks can be obtained from the Alabama Secretary of State.

For information on obtaining your Alabama Background Checks, see:
Alabama Background Checks

Note, however, that many countries will require an FBI background check as evidence of a lack of criminal record for immigration or visa purposes, see:
FBI Background Checks

Alabama academic certificates and course transcripts must be notarized by an Alabama Notary Public before they can be certified with an apostille stamp. If the document requires Certification for presentation in non-apostille country (for example, United Arab Emirates or Qatar), the notarized document will also need certification by an Alabama probate judge. The notary will certify the signature of the school official signing the certificate, and you should contact the issuing institution to arrange this.

Alternatively, apostilles can be applied to notarized copies made from scans in Washington DC. See: US Education Apostilles

Alabama university degree certificates, course transcripts and high school diplomas can also be authenticated as notarized copies. A true copy is certified by a notary (this can often be done from a scan without having to submit the original) and then authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Washington DC Secretary of State. Authenticated documents can also be attested by the embassies of Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

For further information, see:
University Degrees and School Records

Documents certified by an Alabama Notary Public can be certified by apostille or authentication (depending on whether the country of destination is a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention). If the document requires Certification for presentation in non-apostille country, the notarized document needs certification by an Alabama probate judge before submission to the Secretary of State.

Alabama Apostilles can be obtained for documents that are not written in English, but must be accompanied by a notarized English translation.