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. California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division. Order channels: - Online: bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov (certified copies / certificates available online — typically fastest). - Mail: Secretary of State, Certification and Records, P.O. Box 944260, Sacramento, CA 94244-2600. - Drop-off (in person): 1500 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 (priority over mail; special handling fee applies). Certified route (how to obtain a certified copy): 1. Identify the SURVIVING entity exactly — name as registered and the SOS entity (file) number (search free at bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov). 2. Order a CERTIFIED copy of the filed Certificate/Agreement of Merger — say “certified copy for apostille / international use.” Add a Certificate of Status for the survivor if the destination wants proof it’s active. 3. Pay the fees (below). Confirm the SOS certification stamp, signature, and.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly do I order?
A certified copy of the filed Certificate/Agreement of Merger from the California Secretary of State, under the surviving entity. Say “certified copy for apostille.”
Why apostille a merger?
To prove corporate succession abroad — that the surviving entity now holds the merged entity’s accounts, contracts, or IP.
Certificate of Merger or Agreement of Merger?
Depends on what the destination wants; the agreement has more detail. Order whichever (or both) they require.
Can I just print it from the state website?
No — a free image isn’t certified. The apostille authenticates the SOS certification on a paid certified copy.
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).