Quick facts
- Category: Professional License
- 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
Source. Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Educators can view and print their credential record through their CTC online educator account; the public can verify a credential free via the CTC educator search at ctc.ca.gov. Notarized route (what you actually do): 1. Assemble the underlying copy. Print your CTC credential document and/or a CTC online verification showing your name, credential type, document number, and validity dates. 2. Sign a copy-certification by affidavit before a California notary — a sworn statement that “the attached is a true and correct copy of my California teaching credential, document #____.” The notary takes your acknowledgment (or administers a jurat) and authenticates your signature. 3. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. Who can request it. You (the credential holder). Anyone may then.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly do I submit?
A notarized copy-certification affidavit with a copy of your CTC teaching credential (or CTC verification) attached. The SOS apostilles the California notary’s signature.
Is this the same as apostilling my degree?
No — your university diploma is a separate document. Apostille whichever the destination requires; many ministries want the CTC credential.
Can I apostille just the CTC online verification?
Not alone — it carries no California signature to authenticate. Notarize a sworn copy affidavit over it first.
Can a notary certify the copy of my credential?
No — a California notary may copy-certify only a power of attorney. You sign a sworn statement and the notary notarizes your signature.
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).