Quick facts
- Category: Power of Attorney / Authorization
- 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 — no issuing office. 1. Draft the consent. Include the child’s full name and date of birth, the parents’/guardians’ names and contact info, the accompanying adult (if any), destinations, and travel dates; add a clear statement of consent. Attach a copy of the child’s birth certificate or passport if the destination asks. 2. Sign before a California notary. Each signing parent/guardian personally appears with satisfactory ID; the notary completes an acknowledgment (or a jurat if the letter is sworn). Each signature is its own $15 notarization. 3. Confirm the notary’s seal, signature, commission number, and expiration are present and legible. Who can create it. A parent or legal guardian with authority over the child. Cost + timeline for THIS step (verified June 2026): notary $15 per signature (Gov. Code §8211(a)/(b)); usually same-day. Drafting is free. What the SOS needs.
Frequently asked questions
Do both parents need to sign?
Where both share custody, yes — and each signature is separately notarized.
Acknowledgment or jurat?
Usually an acknowledgment (you acknowledge signing the consent); a jurat if the letter is drafted as a sworn statement. Either way the SOS authenticates the notary.
Is this guardianship?
No — it authorizes travel only. For caregiving authority see the child-care POA (#232); for legal guardianship, the court (#41/#43).
What should it include?
Child’s name/DOB, parents’ details and contact, accompanying adult, destinations, and travel dates.
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).