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
Issuing office: None — privately prepared; a California notary public notarizes the secretary’s signature. CA SOS Notary Public Section: (916) 653-3595. Notarized route (steps): Prepare the certificate listing current directors/officers, titles, and (if required) specimen signatures, as of a stated date. The corporate secretary (or authorized officer) signs in the physical presence of a California notary, with acceptable ID. The notary completes a current California acknowledgment, attaches it, and affixes the seal. Confirm legibility and that the commission number/expiration appear. Who can sign it: An officer authorized to attest corporate records — typically the secretary (who may, in turn, have another officer attest the secretary’s own incumbency). Required forms: None statewide — the company’s own certificate plus California notary acknowledgment wording. Cost + timeline for THIS.
Frequently asked questions
What is this certificate for?
To prove to a foreign bank or counterparty who the company’s current officers/directors are and that they have authority to sign.
Is it the same as a Certificate of Good Standing?
No. Good Standing/Status is a state-filed SOS document (certified route); the incumbency certificate is a private document the secretary attests (notarized route).
Who signs it?
Usually the corporate secretary; the signature is notarized.
Acknowledgment or jurat?
Usually an acknowledgment; confirm if the destination wants a sworn jurat.
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).