Quick facts
- Many foreign uses require an EXEMPLIFIED copy ($50 + pages, §70628) — confirm before ordering.
- Include all pages of the will plus any codicils admitted with it.
- Never notarize the court-certified will — it's authenticated by the clerk's certification. (A pre-death notarized copy of a will is a different, non-probate document.)
- General condition rules: no lamination · no post-notarization alterations · no tape · staple multipage · legible signatures/seals.
- Submitting an unprobated will or a private/notarized copy instead of the court-certified admitted will.
What to know
Issuing office. The probate clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the will was admitted. Certified route (how to obtain a certified copy): 1. Confirm the will has been admitted to probate (Order for Probate, DE-140, signed). 2. Request a CERTIFIED copy of the admitted will (and the DE-140, if the destination wants proof of admission) from the probate clerk — "for apostille / international use." 3. If a foreign jurisdiction requires it, request an EXEMPLIFIED (triple-certified) copy instead. 4. Pay the fees (see below). Confirm the clerk's seal and signature are legible. Who can request it. Once admitted, the will is generally part of the public probate record; the personal representative and interested parties can request certified copies. Confirm any access nuances with the court. Required forms. The court's records/copy request form, if any. Order the certified admitted will.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly do I order?
A certified copy of the will AS ADMITTED to probate (and often the Order for Probate, DE-140) from the probate court.
Can I apostille my own copy of the will?
No — it must be the court-certified admitted will. An unprobated/notarized copy follows a different route (#287).
How much is the certified copy?
$40 (Gov. Code §70626(a)(4)).
Do I need the Order for Probate too?
If the destination wants proof the will was admitted, yes ($40 more).
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).