A marriage certificate is one of the documents foreign offices ask for most often, and one of the easiest to start with the wrong copy. The apostille is the simple part. The trouble is usually the paper you hand to the apostille office.
The keepsake certificate is not the official record
Many couples receive a decorative certificate from the officiant or the venue. It is nice to frame, but it is generally not the public record of the marriage. An apostille confirms that the signature or seal on a public document is genuine, so it needs an official signature it can check.
The copy you want is a certified copy of the marriage record from the government office that holds it. Depending on the state, that is a county clerk, county recorder, or a state vital records office. It carries an official signature and seal.
Order it from where the marriage was recorded
The license is recorded where it was issued and filed, not where you live now. If you married in Nevada and live in Florida, you order the certified copy from the Nevada office that holds the record. The apostille then comes from Nevada as well, since the state that issued the document is the state that apostilles it.
Do not notarize or alter it
A certified marriage record is already a public document, so it normally does not need a notary. Notarizing a photocopy, laminating the original, or removing staples can all cause a rejection. Keep the copy as issued.
Questions to settle before you order
Requirements differ by state and by destination. Two questions save the most time:
- Can the state apostille office verify the signature of the official on your copy? Check the state’s apostille page, or ask the office, before ordering.
- Does the receiving authority abroad want a recently issued copy, a full-form version, or a translation? Ask them, because they set these rules, not the apostille office.
If the record was amended
If a name was corrected or the record was changed after the marriage, ask the issuing office for a current certified copy that reflects it, and make sure the foreign authority wants that version. Do not assume an older copy will match your other documents.
A short checklist
- Skip the decorative certificate; order a certified copy of the record
- Order from the office in the state where the marriage was recorded
- Do not photocopy, laminate or notarize it
- Confirm the apostille office can verify that official’s signature
- Ask the receiving authority about copy age and translation
Not sure the copy you already have will qualify? Our free document review can check it before you pay for an apostille you cannot use.