Last verified: October 23, 2026
Apostille for a US diploma or transcript: the notary step most people miss
Diplomas and transcripts get rejected for apostille all the time, usually for one reason: the school's seal and the registrar's signature aren't enough on their own. In most states, a school official has to sign the document (or a statement about it) in front of a notary first. Then the apostille goes on the notary's signature, from the state where the school is. [1][2][3][4]
| Which office | The apostille authority (usually the Secretary of State) of the state where the school is, not the state you live in. A school diploma or transcript is a state-level document, not a federal one. [1][3][4] |
|---|---|
| Which copy | Depends on the state. Many states need a school official to sign and have it notarized before they will apostille it. Some states accept public-school transcripts as issued. Check the state's page, and ask the receiving country whether it wants the original diploma or a copy. [2][3][4][5][6] |
| Fee and timing | Set by each state and they vary. Check the state's apostille page before you mail anything. (Examples: Minnesota lists $5 per apostille [3]; Washington lists $15 per document for standard service [4].) |
Step 1: Ask the receiving country what it wants
Before you call the school, find out exactly what the university, employer, or visa office abroad will accept: the original diploma, a copy, a transcript, or all of them. Minnesota tells applicants to check with the receiving country whether an original or a photocopy of the diploma is needed. [3] Oregon tells schools to check with an official of the destination country. [5] Some countries are strict. Brazil's consulate in Atlanta says only the original apostilled document is guaranteed to be accepted, and apostilled certified copies may not be. [7]
Step 2: Get the school to sign it in front of a notary
This is the step that trips people up. Examples from state apostille offices:
- Minnesota: transcripts and diplomas with only a school official's signature and seal "are not acceptable." They must be notarized by a Minnesota notary. Minnesota doesn't accept remote or electronic notarizations for apostilles, and it will open a sealed transcript envelope. [3]
- Oregon: the registrar signs a statement certifying that the document is authentic and has it notarized. Oregon's school-notarization page gives sample wording and says the school official certifies the document in the notary's presence. [2][5]
- Texas: a copy of a transcript or diploma can be notarized by a Texas notary, with a notarized statement from the issuer or signer summarizing what the document is. [6]
- Washington: public school transcripts with an original stamp and signature can be apostilled as issued. Private school documents must be notarized by a Washington notary. College transcripts must be signed by the registrar and diplomas by the president, both with the school seal. [4]
Call the registrar's office and say you need the document "notarized for an apostille." Many registrars do this regularly and have a notary on staff. If the school is closed, ask the state's apostille office what it accepts instead.
Step 3: Send it to the state where the school is
The U.S. Department of State says state documents must be certified by the state that issued them. [1] For a diploma or transcript, that means the state where the school is located. Minnesota says documents from schools in other states must go to the state that issued them. [3] Washington will only apostille out-of-state school documents if the copies were notarized by a Washington notary. [4] Send the notarized document with the state's request form, its fee, and a return envelope if it asks for one. Name the destination country: that decides whether you get an apostille or a certificate of authentication. [1]
Already know the state? See our state guide: California. More states are being added; see the state index.
Step 4: Non-Hague country? There's one more stop
If the destination country isn't in the Hague Apostille Convention, the state issues a certificate of authentication instead. Texas notes that documents for non-Hague countries also need the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications. [6] The country's embassy or consulate may add its own legalization step after that, so ask them. See apostille vs. authentication and check the HCCH status table for the country's membership. [8]
Common situations
- Teaching abroad or a work visa: many packets also ask for an FBI background check. That one is federal and goes to the U.S. Department of State, not your state: FBI background check apostille. [1]
- Studying abroad or marrying abroad: a birth certificate often goes in the same packet. It goes to the state where you were born, which may be a different state from your school: birth certificate apostille.
- Several documents, one country: Minnesota notes that a single apostille is valid in every Hague country. [3] Each document still needs its own apostille.
Each state sets its own rules, fees, forms, and processing times, and they change. Always confirm them on the official apostille page of the state where the school is. Not legal advice.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: Preparing a Document for an Apostille Certificate ("State documents: … get it certified by the state that issued the document")
- Oregon Secretary of State: How to Get an Authentication or Apostille
- Minnesota Secretary of State: Apostille/Authentication
- Washington Secretary of State: Apostilles Services Information
- Oregon Secretary of State: School Notarization of Transcripts and Diplomas
- Texas Secretary of State: Authentication/Apostille information
- Consulate General of Brazil in Atlanta: Autenticação de documentos escolares (in Portuguese)
- HCCH: Status table of the Apostille Convention