Who signed your document decides where it goes
Route 1: straight to the Secretary of State
Signed by a Maryland official such as the state registrar or a court clerk. One stop in Annapolis, $5 per document.
- Certified copySigned and sealed by a Maryland official
- Maryland Secretary of State16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 · $5 per document
- Apostille attachedValid in every Hague Convention country
Route 2: notary, county clerk, then the state
Signed in front of a Maryland notary. The Clerk of the Circuit Court in the notary's county must authenticate the notary before Annapolis will issue the apostille.
- Sign before a Maryland notaryThe notary's stamp names their county.
- Clerk of the Circuit Court (notary’s county)Authenticates the notary · about $1 per document
- Maryland Secretary of State16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 · $5 per document
- Apostille attachedValid in every Hague Convention country
Find the Clerk of the Circuit Court for your notary
Each clerk only authenticates notaries commissioned in its own county. Addresses and phone numbers for all 24 offices.
Central Maryland
Capital Region
Southern Maryland
Western Maryland
Eastern Shore
Open the full clerk directory with hours and mailing addresses
Do it yourself, or hand it to us
Birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates you mail yourself. Add $1 for the clerk if notarized.
Free guideAny Maryland document. Notarized documents add the $1 clerk fee; we make the trip.
OrderFBI background checks and federal agency documents.
DetailsAccepted in 140 countries and territories
A Maryland apostille replaces embassy legalization in every member of the Hague Apostille Convention.
Common questions
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.