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. Identify the document and the exact error, state the correct information, and explain how you know. Attach copies of the affected document(s) if the destination asks. 2. Personally appear before a California notary with satisfactory ID. The notary administers an oath and completes a jurat; you sign in the notary’s presence. 3. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. If an official amendment is required instead: amend the source record — amended birth/death certificate (#6/#14, CDPH-VR or county), court correction, or Certificate of Amendment for a business filing (#72) — and apostille that via the certified route. Who can swear it. The person to whom the record pertains (or an authorized party). Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15 for the jurat.
Frequently asked questions
Does this fix my birth certificate?
No — to correct a vital record you need an amended certificate (#6/#14) from CDPH-VR or the county. The affidavit only attests to the correct information.
What exactly do I submit?
Your sworn Affidavit of Correction, notarized with a jurat. The SOS apostilles the notary’s signature.
When is an affidavit enough?
When the destination accepts a sworn correction/explanation rather than an amended record — confirm with the receiving authority.
Acknowledgment or jurat?
Jurat — it’s sworn.
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).