Quick facts
- Category: Medical / Health
- 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
Physician-signed. 1. Obtain the letter from your physician on letterhead, stating the relevant facts/opinion. 2. The physician personally appears before a California notary with satisfactory ID; the notary completes an acknowledgment (or jurat if the physician swears to accuracy). 3. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. Who signs. The physician. Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15 (Gov. Code §8211(a)/(b)); physician fees vary. Notarization usually same-day once the physician is available. What the SOS needs to see: a California notary’s certificate on the physician’s signature — current commission, legible seal/signature, commission number and expiration shown. The SOS verifies the notary, then attaches the apostille. The physician’s signature is the one notarized. Notarial wording must be current.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets notarized?
The physician who signs the letter.
Acknowledgment or jurat?
Acknowledgment for a signed letter; jurat if the physician swears to accuracy.
Does the apostille verify the medical opinion?
No — it authenticates the notary, not the content.
VA / federal physician?
Federal-official signers route to the U.S. Department of State.
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).