Quick facts
- Category: Affidavit / Sworn Statement
- 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
General sworn-affidavit route (self-prepared — no issuing office): 1. Draft the affidavit. Identify the surviving owner, the deceased co-owner, the date of death, and the jointly held asset; attach a death certificate copy (registry #11) if required. 2. Personally appear before a California notary with satisfactory ID. The notary administers an oath and completes a jurat; you sign in the notary’s presence. 3. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. CA real-property route: prepare an Affidavit – Death of Joint Tenant, attach a certified death certificate, and record it with the County Recorder where the property sits; then obtain a certified recorded copy and apostille it via the Certified route (see deeds, #269–272). Who can swear it. The surviving joint owner (or authorized representative). Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified.
Frequently asked questions
Real estate or general asset?
For CA real property, use the recorded Affidavit – Death of Joint Tenant (certified recorded copy → certified route). For other assets/overseas use, a sworn affidavit works (notarized route).
Do I attach a death certificate?
Usually yes — and the recorded real-property version requires a certified death certificate.
What exactly do I submit (affidavit route)?
Your sworn survivorship affidavit, notarized with a jurat. The SOS apostilles the notary’s signature.
Acknowledgment or jurat?
Jurat — it’s sworn.
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).