Quick facts
- Category: Medical / Health
- 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
Provider/custodian-attested. 1. Request your dental records from the provider/office (you authorize the release). 2. Have the dental provider or records custodian attest the records are true and complete (a signed custodian-of-records statement). 3. The signer personally appears before a California notary with satisfactory ID; the notary completes an acknowledgment (or jurat if sworn to accuracy). 4. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. Who signs. The treating dental provider or the office’s records custodian. Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15 (Gov. Code §8211(a)/(b)); provider fees vary. Notarization usually same-day once the signer is available. What the SOS needs to see: a California notary’s certificate on the provider/custodian’s signature — current commission, legible seal/signature,.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets notarized?
The dental provider or records custodian attesting the records (or you, via a true-copy affidavit of your own records).
Can I include X-rays/images?
Yes — keep the package together and properly attached so nothing detaches at the SOS.
Federal records?
Federal-official signers route to the U.S. Department of State.
Acknowledgment or jurat?
Acknowledgment for a signed attestation; jurat if sworn to accuracy.
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).