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
Self-prepared (sworn copy) or bank-attested. 1. Obtain the statement from your bank. Then either: prepare a true-copy affidavit (you swear it’s a true copy), or have a bank officer attest/sign it. 2. Personally appear before a California notary with satisfactory ID — you (jurat) or the bank officer (acknowledgment). The notary completes the certificate and staples the statement. 3. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. Who signs. The account holder (sworn copy) or a bank officer (attestation). Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15 (Gov. Code §8211(a)/(b)); bank fees vary. Notarization usually same-day. What the SOS needs to see: a California notary’s certificate (jurat or acknowledgment) — current commission, legible seal/signature, commission number and expiration shown. The SOS verifies the notary,.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets notarized?
Either you (swearing a true-copy affidavit) or a bank officer (attesting and appearing before the notary).
Can the notary just certify the copy?
No — CA notaries can’t copy-certify a statement. Use a sworn affidavit or bank attestation.
Jurat or acknowledgment?
Jurat for your sworn copy; acknowledgment for a bank-officer’s signed attestation.
Do I have to appear in person?
Yes — the signer appears with valid ID.
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).