Quick facts
- Category: Financial / Real Estate
- 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
Bank-officer-signed. 1. Request the reference/comfort letter from your bank on its letterhead. 2. The signing bank officer personally appears before a California notary with satisfactory ID; the notary completes an acknowledgment (or jurat if the officer swears to its contents). 3. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. Who signs. An authorized bank officer. Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15 (Gov. Code §8211(a)/(b)); bank fees vary. Coordinate the officer’s notarization in advance. What the SOS needs to see: a California notary’s certificate on the bank officer’s signature — current commission, legible seal/signature, commission number and expiration shown. The SOS verifies the notary, then attaches the apostille. The bank officer’s signature is the one notarized. Notarial wording must be current.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets notarized?
The bank officer who signs the letter.
Reference letter or proof of funds?
A reference/comfort letter vouches for standing; a proof-of-funds letter (#264) confirms a specific balance. Use whichever the destination asks for.
Acknowledgment or jurat?
Acknowledgment for a signed letter; jurat if the officer swears to its contents.
Will my bank notarize it for an apostille?
Many will — arrange in advance; the officer must appear before a California notary.
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).