Quick facts
- Exemplification is frequently required for intercountry use — confirm with the destination/origin-country authority before ordering ($50 + pages, §70628).
- Never notarize the order — a court record is authenticated by the clerk's certification.
- General condition rules: no lamination · no post-notarization alterations · no tape · staple multipage · legible signatures/seals.
- Submitting the FOREIGN adoption decree to the CA SOS — California can only apostille the California court order; the foreign decree is authenticated by its own country.
- Submitting federal immigration documents (Certificate of Citizenship, IH-3/IR-3, CRBA) to the CA SOS — those are federal/out of scope.
What to know
Issuing office. The Superior Court clerk (family law / adoption records) in the county where the California (re)adoption order was entered. County-specific access forms may apply (e.g., Orange County L-1310). Certified route (how to obtain a certified copy): 1. Confirm requester status: adoptive parent or adoptee → request directly; anyone else → §9200 petition first. 2. Gather the adoption case number, the child's adopted name, adoptive parents' names, and finalization date; bring government-issued ID. 3. Decide what to order: a certified copy of the ADOPT-215 (re)adoption order, or a §9200(c) Certificate of Adoption. For intercountry use, confirm whether the destination wants the full order and whether it requires exemplification. 4. Request "for apostille / international use" so the clerk applies the correct certification/seal. 5. Pay the fees; confirm the clerk's seal/signature are.
Frequently asked questions
The adoption was finalized abroad — what do I apostille?
The California court order from the readoption process (ADOPT-215). California can't apostille a foreign decree; that's authenticated by the origin country.
Do I need a California order if it was finalized overseas?
California requires a readoption order under Fam. Code §§8912/8919 (file within 60 days of U.S. entry or the child's 16th birthday). That California order is the apostillable document.
Can I just order a certified copy?
If you're an adoptive parent or the adoptee, yes. Otherwise a §9200 court-order release is needed.
How much is the certified copy?
$40 (Gov. Code §70626(a)(4)). The $15 divorce rate does not apply.
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).