Hawaii documents are apostilled by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Honolulu. If your document was issued in Hawaii, or notarized by a notary commissioned in Hawaii, that is the only office that can certify it, wherever you live now.
Hawaii apostilles come from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, which acts as Hawaii’s Secretary of State. Before it will certify a notarized document, the notary’s signature has to be certified by the circuit court where that notary is registered: the First Circuit in Honolulu, the Second in Wailuku, the Third on Hawai’i Island, or the Fifth in Lihu’e.
Vital records have their own rule. A birth, marriage or death certificate issued by the Department of Health before 1 January 2025 has to be replaced with a newly issued copy before it can be apostilled.
We handle Hawaii orders by mail from anywhere in the country, and a mobile notary can come to you anywhere in Hawaii when a document needs signing first. The state fee is already inside our price, along with the county certification.
At a glance
Hawaii documents we apostille most often
| Document | Where it comes from | Notarization |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | The Hawaii Department of Health | Not required, certified copy |
| Marriage certificate | The Hawaii Department of Health | Not required, certified copy |
| Death certificate | The Hawaii Department of Health | Not required, certified copy |
| Divorce decree | Clerk of the court that granted it | Not required, needs court seal |
| Power of attorney, affidavit | You | Required, then county certification |
| Diploma or transcript | Your school | Usually required |
| Company documents | HI Lieutenant Governor | Certified copies, or notarized if company-issued |
| FBI check, IRS, USCIS | Federal agency | Federal, goes to the U.S. Dept. of State |
Not sure which you have? Send it through the free review and we will tell you before you pay. No usable copy? We can order a certified copy.
Hawaii-specific things worth knowing
- County step: Circuit court Legal Documents Office where the notary is registered certifies the notary before the state will apostille a notarized document. We take it there first.
- Circuit court first, then the Lieutenant Governor. The court must be the one where the notary is registered, not the one nearest you.
- Certificates issued before 2025 must be reordered. An older Department of Health copy is not accepted, however clean it is. We can order the new one.
- Inter-island post adds time. A notary on Maui or Kaua’i means a different circuit court from one in Honolulu.
- The notary must be commissioned in Hawaii. A document notarized across a state line goes to that state instead.
- Federal documents never go to HI Lieutenant Governor. An FBI background check, IRS letter or naturalization certificate is apostilled by the U.S. Department of State. See federal apostille.
How it works
Step 1
Send us the document
Post the original in, book a mobile notary who comes to you anywhere in Hawaii, or have us retrieve a certified copy.
Step 2
County certification
We take notarized documents to the circuit court legal documents office where the notary is registered for the certification Hawaii requires, after checking the document is right.
Step 3
Apostille from HI Lieutenant Governor
We submit to Honolulu and pay the $3 state fee, which is already included in your price.
Step 4
Back to you
Shipped tracked and insured, or scanned and emailed as soon as it is issued.
Hawaii Apostille: common questions
Who issues apostilles in Hawaii?
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor, in Honolulu. Documents issued in Hawaii, or notarized by a Hawaii notary, go there.
How much does a Hawaii apostille cost?
The state charges $3. Our price starts at $99 per document and already includes that fee, so there is nothing extra to pay the state. See pricing.
Does Hawaii need a county certification first?
Yes, for notarized documents. The circuit court legal documents office where the notary is registered has to certify the notary before the state will issue the apostille. We handle that step as part of the order.
My document is federal. Can Hawaii apostille it?
No. An FBI background check, IRS letter, USCIS document or federal court record carries a federal signature, so it goes to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., whichever state you live in. See federal apostille.
I live outside Hawaii. Can I still get a Hawaii apostille?
Yes. The state that issued the document decides the office, not where you live. Post it to us from anywhere and we submit it in Honolulu.
My Hawaii birth certificate is from 2019. Can it be apostilled?
Not as it is. Hawaii only apostilles Department of Health certificates issued on or after 1 January 2025, so you need a newly issued copy first. We can order it for you as part of the same job. See certified copies.
How long does a Hawaii apostille take?
It depends on the state’s current queue plus shipping. See processing times for what we are seeing now, and ask about rush if you have a deadline.
Official sources
Requirements, fees and processing times are set by the authorities below and can change without notice. Verify anything time-critical directly with them.
Office of the Lieutenant Governor, apostilles · CDC: Where to Write for Vital Records
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Related: Apostille by state · California apostille · Alaska apostille · Washington apostille · Federal apostille