Which Maryland documents need the county clerk before the apostille?
Every document notarized by a Maryland notary public. That includes powers of attorney, affidavits, travel consent letters, notarized diploma and transcript copies, and company resolutions. The Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the notary is commissioned authenticates the notary first.
Which documents can I take to the Secretary of State myself?
Certified copies signed by Maryland officials: birth and death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court records, SDAT records and Maryland criminal record certifications. They go directly to the Secretary of State with a $5 fee per document.
How do I know which county clerk to use?
Look at the notary's stamp or the notarial certificate. It names the county where the notary is commissioned. That county's clerk is the only one that can authenticate the notary, even if you signed somewhere else in Maryland.
How much do the government offices charge?
Clerks of the Circuit Court generally charge $1 per notarized document to authenticate a notary. The Maryland Secretary of State charges $5 per document for the apostille. The US Department of State charges $20 per document for federal documents.
How long does it take if I mail it myself?
The Secretary of State says documents returned by FedEx, UPS or USPS Priority Mail take about 3 to 4 days, and regular mail 7 to 14 business days. Add time for the county clerk step if your document is notarized.
What does your service add?
We check your document before it is filed, take it to the right county clerk, file it at the Secretary of State in Annapolis, and ship it back with tracking. It saves trips, return envelopes and rejected documents.
Can you apostille a document from Virginia, DC or another state?
Not through Maryland. Each state only apostilles documents issued or notarized in that state.
Are you a government office?
No. MD Apostille is a private document service and is not affiliated with the Maryland Secretary of State, the Maryland Judiciary or any government agency. The do-it-yourself guides on this site are free.