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
Self-prepared (sworn copy) or plan-attested. 1. Obtain the statement from your plan/administrator. Then either prepare a true-copy affidavit (you swear it’s a true copy), or have a plan officer attest/sign it. 2. Personally appear before a California notary with satisfactory ID — you (jurat) or the plan officer (acknowledgment). The notary completes the certificate and staples the statement. 3. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. Who signs. The account holder (sworn copy) or a plan officer (attestation). Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15 (Gov. Code §8211(a)/(b)); plan fees vary. Notarization usually same-day. What the SOS needs to see: a California notary’s certificate (jurat or acknowledgment) — current commission, legible seal/signature, commission number and expiration shown. The SOS verifies.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Social Security retirement letter the same?
No — a federal SSA document routes to the U.S. Department of State. This page is a private/employer plan statement.
Who gets notarized?
Either you (true-copy affidavit) or a plan officer (attestation).
Can the notary certify the copy?
No — CA notaries can’t copy-certify a statement. Use a sworn affidavit or plan attestation.
Jurat or acknowledgment?
Jurat for your sworn copy; acknowledgment for a plan officer’s signed attestation.
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).