Almost every rejected apostille comes down to one of a handful of avoidable problems. The state office does not tell you what went wrong in useful detail, and the document comes back weeks later having achieved nothing. This page is the checklist we apply before anything leaves our hands.
The first question to answer is who issued your document, because it determines everything else. A state or county office means a state apostille from that state. A federal agency such as the FBI, IRS, USDA, USPTO, or a federal court means a federal apostille from the U.S. Department of State. Something you wrote and signed yourself is a private document and needs notarization before either can happen.
The second question is whether the destination country accepts apostilles at all. If it has not joined the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille is the wrong document and you need full embassy legalization instead.
At a glance
Requirements by document type
| Document | Notarization | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Birth, marriage, death certificate | Not required | Certified copy from the state or county vital records office. Not a hospital copy, not a photocopy. |
| Divorce decree, court order | Not required | Certified copy issued by the clerk of court, with the clerk’s seal. |
| FBI background check | Not required | The signed PDF from the FBI or an approved channeler, usually accepted as an upload. |
| Power of attorney, affidavit | Required | Printed and unsigned, plus valid photo ID. Sign only in front of the notary. |
| Diploma, transcript | Usually required | A notarized copy or registrar statement. Keep official transcripts sealed. |
| Corporate documents | Depends | Certified copies from the Secretary of State, or notarized if company-issued. |
| Translations | Required | The translator’s certificate of accuracy is notarized, not the original document. |
Before you send anything, check these
- The document is an original or certified copy, not a scan or photocopy, unless it is a federal PDF.
- The issuing state matches where you are sending it. A Texas record can only be apostilled by Texas.
- Any private document is printed and unsigned if it still needs notarizing.
- Your photo ID is current and the name matches the document exactly.
- The destination country accepts apostilles. If not, you need legalization.
- You know whether a translation is required, and whether it is needed before or after the apostille.
- The certified copy is recent enough for the issuing state’s rules, which vary.
The mistakes we see most often
Signing a power of attorney at home. This is the single most common one. A notary certifies that they watched you sign. If the signature is already there, they cannot notarize it, and the document has to be reprinted and signed again.
Using the decorative hospital birth certificate. The one with the footprints is a keepsake, not a government record. States reject it every time.
Opening a sealed transcript. Once the envelope is opened the transcript is no longer official, and the school usually has to issue another.
Sending a federal document to a state. An FBI check sent to a Secretary of State is returned unprocessed, and vice versa.
Assuming an apostille works everywhere. Roughly a third of countries are not part of the Hague Convention, and for those an apostille has no effect.
What You Need for an Apostille: common questions
How do I know if my document needs notarization?
Ask who created it. If a government office issued it, no. If you or a private organisation wrote and signed it, yes. Our booking flow asks this and routes you correctly, and the free review confirms it.
Can I use a photocopy?
Almost never for state apostilles. States apostille original certified documents or a notarized copy, not a plain photocopy. Federal documents delivered as signed PDFs are the main exception.
What ID is acceptable for notarization?
A current, non-expired, government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport, with a name matching the document. Expired ID cannot be accepted.
Do I need the translation before or after the apostille?
It depends on the destination. Some countries want the original apostilled and then the whole package translated. Others want a certified translation attached before legalization. Tell us the country and we will confirm the order of operations.
What if I am not sure about any of this?
Upload a scan through the free document review. A specialist confirms exactly what your document needs before you pay for anything, which is cheaper than a rejection.
Ready to get started?
Not sure your document qualifies? Send it through the free review first and we will tell you before you pay.
Related: Processing times · Country requirements · Apostille vs authentication · Free document review