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 ID card. 2. Prepare a “true copy” affidavit stating the attached photocopy is a true and correct copy of your original ID. 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 ID holder (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 apostille..
Frequently asked questions
Can a notary just stamp my ID copy as “certified”?
No — CA notaries can’t copy-certify an ID. You swear a true-copy affidavit and the notary completes a jurat.
What gets apostilled?
The notary’s jurat on your affidavit (copy stapled). The apostille authenticates the notary, not the ID.
I don’t drive — is a state ID copy fine?
Yes — the route is identical to a license copy; just use your state ID card.
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).