Apostille Global Services
Apostille Global ServicesNationwide · All 50 States
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Monitored daily. We track Secretary of State, USCIS, embassy, and Hague Conference rule changes every day — plus updates to our California document packages and DIY apostille guidance — so your filing meets the latest requirements.

Apostille Global Services is a private apostille service. We are not a government agency.

Rules monitored daily

We track Secretary of State, USCIS, embassy, and Hague Conference updates every day.

All 50 states + DC

Hague apostille and non-Hague embassy authentication, routed to the correct authority.

Verified for 2026

Every page fact-checked against current Secretary of State, USCIS, and Hague Conference rules, re-checked quarterly.

Standards we follow

Compliant with the rules that actually get documents accepted

Hague Apostille Convention (1961)

Apostilles issued for member countries; embassy legalization routed for non-member destinations.

State Secretary of State rules

Each filing follows the issuing state's current fee schedule, form requirements, and accepted document formats.

Vital records sourced from the state

CA birth, marriage, and death certificates come from CDPH — never the county recorder — so they're accepted for apostille on the first submission.

Notary-compliant document prep

Notarizable forms are sent blank, per state law — you fill in the facts and sign in front of a notary, then we handle the apostille.

California apostille
California · Document guideVerified for 2026 Regulations · Last checked June 2026

California Certificate of Free Sale Apostille

Registering and selling food, supplements, cosmetics, drugs, medical devices, or dairy products abroad; clearing foreign customs and regulatory approval; and tenders requiring proof the product is freely sold in the U.S. Common destinations: UAE, China, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Mexico, Indonesia (the CDPH program’s top export markets).

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Your documents stay yours. We handle your documents and personal information only to complete your apostille — never sold, shared, or used for marketing by third parties.

Issuing authority
California Secretary of State (Sacramento or Los Angeles)
State / federal fee
$20 per document (California Secretary of State) plus any issuing office or notary fee
Processing
1–5 business days at the California Secretary of State once the underlying document is prepared, plus shipping each way

Quick facts

  • Category: Business / Corporate
  • 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

CDPH-FDB route: You must first hold a CDPH license/registration number (call (916) 650-6500, Processed Food Registration, if you don’t). Apply via the FDB Export Document Program (form CDPH 8582), attach product labels, and pay $54 per Free Sale certificate. Request notarization (the FDB notarizes for the $15 notary fee) so the certificate can be apostilled. Contact: FDBExports@cdph.ca.gov, (800) 495-3232 / (916) 650-6500. CDFA dairy route: Complete form SO-72-271, email to MDFSCert@cdfa.ca.gov with product labels; $86 per certificate; minimum ~5 working days. Notarized self-certification route: Prepare the company’s own CFS; an authorized officer signs before a California notary (acknowledgment, $15). Who can request it: The licensed/registered manufacturer or distributor (CDPH/CDFA), or the company itself (self-certified). Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): CDPH.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues a Certificate of Free Sale in California?

CDPH Food & Drug Branch (food/drug/device/cosmetic), CDFA (milk/dairy), a chamber of commerce, or the manufacturer itself — depending on the product and what the importer requires.

Is the CA Secretary of State the issuer?

No — the SOS apostilles it. The certificate comes from CDPH/CDFA or is self-certified, then notarized.

How much is the CDPH certificate?

$54 per Free Sale certificate (as of July 1, 2025), plus the $15 notary fee and the $20/$26 apostille.

My product is dairy — different office?

Yes — CDFA’s Milk & Dairy Food Safety Branch issues the Certificate of Free Sale and Sanitary Origin ($86/cert).

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).

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