Quick facts
- Category: Affidavit / Sworn Statement
- Apostilled by the California Secretary of State (Sacramento or Los Angeles)
- Fee: $20 per document (mail) or $26 (walk-in) at the California Secretary of State
- Free document review before you pay any government fee
- Tracked outbound and return shipping included
What to know
Self-prepared — no issuing office. 1. Draft the affidavit. State the partners’ names, that you live together as a couple, the address and approximate period of cohabitation, and identity details. Attach supporting evidence (shared lease, bills) if the destination asks. 2. Personally appear before a California notary with satisfactory ID. The notary administers an oath/affirmation and completes a jurat; if both partners sign, each signature is its own $15 jurat. 3. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. Who can swear it. Both partners (commonly), or one partner with supporting evidence. Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15 per signature for the jurat (Gov. Code §8211(b)); usually same-day. Drafting is free. What the SOS needs to see: a California notary’s jurat for each affiant — current commission,.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly do I submit?
Your sworn Affidavit of Cohabitation, notarized with a jurat. The SOS apostilles the notary’s signature.
Is cohabitation the same as common-law marriage?
No — cohabitation is living together; common-law marriage is a marital status (and California doesn’t create one — see #216). Choose the document the destination asks for.
Both of us are signing — anything different?
Each swears their own jurat ($15 each); in person, each different signature adds $6 at the SOS.
Should we include evidence?
Many immigration authorities want supporting proof (shared lease/bills); provide it to the destination as required.
Common destinations
Countries this document is most often sent to (pulled from this page's own guidance). Every destination has its own rulebook — apostille (Hague) or full legalization (non-Hague).