Quick facts
- Category: Identity / Copy Certification
- 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
Self-prepared — no issuing office. 1. Make a clear photocopy of the front (and back, if asked) of the green card. 2. Prepare a “true copy” affidavit stating the attached photocopy is a true and correct copy of your original card. 3. Personally appear before a California notary with satisfactory ID; swear and sign in the notary’s presence; the notary completes the jurat and staples the copy to the affidavit. 4. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. Who can swear it. The cardholder (the affiant). Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15 for the jurat (Gov. Code §8211(b)); usually same-day. What the SOS needs to see: a California notary’s jurat on the true-copy affidavit — current commission, legible seal/signature, commission number and expiration shown. The SOS verifies the notary, then attaches the.
Frequently asked questions
Can a notary just stamp my green-card copy as “certified”?
No — CA notaries can’t copy-certify a green card. You swear a true-copy affidavit and the notary completes a jurat.
Is this federal because the green card is federal?
The copy affidavit is notarized by a California notary, so the California SOS authenticates it. The apostille covers the notary, not USCIS or the card.
What gets apostilled?
The notary’s jurat on your affidavit (copy stapled).
Acknowledgment or jurat?
Jurat — the copy is sworn true.
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).