Pennsylvania apostilles are issued by the Department of State in Harrisburg, through its Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation. Pennsylvania is a Commonwealth rather than a state, and while that makes no practical difference to the process, it does change the office name on the paperwork.
If your document was issued in Pennsylvania, or notarized by a Pennsylvania-commissioned notary, Pennsylvania certifies it wherever you live now. A birth certificate from Philadelphia goes to Harrisburg even if you moved away decades ago.
Pennsylvania vital records come from the Department of Health, Division of Vital Records in New Castle, not from the county or the city. That catches out Philadelphia residents in particular, who reasonably expect a city record office to hold their birth certificate. It does not.
Philadelphia generates a particular mix of work: academic documents from the city’s universities and medical schools, corporate records, and dual citizenship files, especially Italian and Irish, drawing on generations of records held here.
At a glance
Our addresses in Pennsylvania
- 100 North 18th Street Center City, Suite 300, Philadelphia, PA 19103
- 918 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130
- 325-41 Chestnut Street Old City, Unit 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106
- 1650 Market Street Center City West, Suite 3600, Philadelphia, PA 19103
- 170 S Independence Mall W, Philadelphia, PA 19106
- 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
- 123 S Broad Street, 15th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19109
- 1624-1628 Locust Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Please don’t post documents to these addresses. Mail-in orders go to the address in your booking confirmation, and we’ll confirm it before you send anything.
Pennsylvania documents we apostille most often
| Document | Where it comes from | Notarization |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | PA Division of Vital Records, New Castle | Not required |
| Marriage certificate | County orphans’ court or register of wills | Not required |
| Death certificate | PA Division of Vital Records, New Castle | Not required |
| Divorce decree | County prothonotary | Not required, needs court seal |
| Power of attorney | You | Required, Pennsylvania notary |
| Diploma or transcript | Your school | Usually required |
| Corporate records | PA Bureau of Corporations | Depends on the document |
| FBI background check | FBI | Federal, goes to the U.S. Dept. of State |
Pennsylvania-specific things worth knowing
- Vital records come from New Castle, not your county. Pennsylvania centralised birth and death records, so a request to a Philadelphia city office will not produce an apostillable copy.
- Marriage records are held at county level, usually by the orphans’ court or register of wills, which is a different office from the one holding birth records.
- Court records come from the county prothonotary, Pennsylvania’s name for the civil court clerk, and need that office’s certification before the state will apostille them.
- The notary must be Pennsylvania-commissioned. A document notarized across the line in New Jersey or Delaware goes to that state instead.
- Genealogy records for citizenship claims often predate centralised record-keeping and may sit with a county, a church, or the state archives. We can help work out which before you order.
How it works
Step 1
Send us the document
Post the original in, or book a mobile notary who travels to you anywhere in Pennsylvania. We can also retrieve a certified copy.
Step 2
We check it first
We confirm the copy came from the right office, is correctly sealed, and is notarized where needed, before any fee is paid.
Step 3
Department of State apostille
We submit to Harrisburg and pay the 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.
Pennsylvania Apostille: common questions
Who issues apostilles in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg, through the Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation.
Where do I get a Philadelphia birth certificate?
From the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records in New Castle, not from a Philadelphia city office. Pennsylvania holds birth and death records at state level, which surprises most people. We can retrieve one for you as part of the order.
Do you have an office I can visit in Philadelphia?
We hold several addresses in the city, but we are not taking documents in person at them yet. Post your document in or book a mobile notary who comes to you.
I need records for an Italian citizenship claim. Can you help?
Yes. Pennsylvania holds a great many of the records these claims rest on. Multi-generation sets are usually apostilled together, and most need translation as well. See apostille for Italy.
How long does a Pennsylvania apostille take?
Typically four to seven business days once we have a correct document, plus shipping. Retrieving a certified copy first adds to that. See processing times.
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.
Pennsylvania Department of State, apostilles · Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records
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Book online for an exact price, including the Pennsylvania state fee.
Related: Apostille for Italy · New York apostille · Birth certificate · Processing times