California Trademark Registration Apostille

Proving California trademark rights abroad — supporting foreign trademark filings or priority claims, licensing and distribution agreements overseas, anti-counterfeiting/enforcement, and due diligence for cross-border deals. Common destinations: wherever the brand is licensed, sold, or protected.

Your documents stay yours. We handle your documents and personal information only to complete your apostille — never sold, shared, or used for marketing by third parties.

Quick facts

Category: Business / Corporate
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

Issuing office. California Secretary of State, Trademarks & Service Marks Unit. Order channels: - Mail: Secretary of State, Trademark Unit, P.O. Box 942870, Sacramento, CA 94277-2870 (written request for reproduction/certification). - Drop-off (in person): SOS Sacramento office (special handling fee applies). - Free (uncertified) PDF images are viewable via the California Trademark Search (TMbizfile.sos.ca.gov) — useful to identify the record, but NOT apostille-usable. Certified route (how to obtain a certified copy): 1. Identify the mark exactly — registrant name and the trademark registration number (search at TMbizfile.sos.ca.gov). 2. Submit a written/in-person request to the Trademark Unit for a CERTIFIED copy of the filed registration — say “certified copy for apostille / international use.” 3. Pay the fees (below). Confirm the SOS certification stamp, signature, and State Seal are.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly do I order?

A certified copy of the filed California trademark registration from the SOS Trademark Unit. Say “certified copy for apostille.”

Is the free Trademark Search PDF enough?

No — it’s not certified. The apostille authenticates the SOS certification on a paid certified copy.

Is this my federal (USPTO) trademark?

No — this is the California state registration. A USPTO trademark is federal and handled by the U.S. Department of State.

How much is the certified copy?

$5 certification plus copy fees ($1 first page, $0.50 each additional). (Separate from the $70/classification filing fee.)

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).

Compliant with the rules that actually get documents accepted