Quick facts
- Category: Financial / Real Estate
- 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
Notarized route (unrecorded): 1. The signer(s) personally appear before a California notary with satisfactory ID and acknowledge their signatures. 2. Confirm the notary’s seal/signature/commission data are present and legible. Certified route (recorded): 1. Confirm the mortgage is recorded with the County Recorder. 2. Request a certified copy: $1.00 certification (§27364) + per-page copy fee (county-set, §27366). Who signs/issues. The parties (notarized) or the County Recorder (certified). Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15/signature (§8211(a)) — or recorder $1 + county per-page (§27364/§27366). Usually same-day either way. Notarized route: a California notary’s acknowledgment on the signer’s signature. Certified route: a County Recorder-certified copy with the Recorder’s certification/signature/seal. The SOS verifies the relevant official’s signature, then.
Frequently asked questions
Is mine recorded or not?
Recorded → certified County Recorder copy; unrecorded → notarized acknowledgment. Check with the Recorder if unsure.
Mortgage or deed of trust?
California usually uses a deed of trust (#271) as the recorded security instrument; confirm which you hold.
Can I notarize a copy of a recorded mortgage?
No — get a County Recorder-certified copy.
Acknowledgment or jurat?
Acknowledgment (notarized route) — a signed instrument is acknowledged.
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).