US apostille statistics (2026)
Based on 55 US jurisdictions, 60 destination countries, and 21 document types verified against official sources. Data last verified July 13, 2026; page published August 21, 2026.
US apostille fees span a 40× range for the identical certificate, from $1 in Michigan to $40 in Connecticut (verified July 13, 2026).
30 of the 60 destination countries tracked accept a US apostille, and 30 still require full embassy legalization (verified July 13, 2026).
Every figure on this page is computed at build time from our published dataset, not written by hand, so it changes when the data does. Republish any of it with a link to this page (how to cite).
Key statistics
What an apostille costs
- $10
The median official US apostille fee is $10 per document across the 51 US jurisdictions that publish a fee, with a mean of $10.86 (verified July 13, 2026).
# - $1
Michigan charges $1 per document, the lowest official apostille fee among the 51 US jurisdictions that publish one (verified July 13, 2026).
# - $40
Connecticut charges $40 per document, the highest official apostille fee among the 51 US jurisdictions that publish one (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 40×
US apostille fees span a 40× range for the identical certificate, from $1 in Michigan to $40 in Connecticut (verified July 13, 2026).
# - $20
The US Department of State charges $20 per document to authenticate a federal record, 2× the $10 median state fee (verified July 13, 2026).
#
How long it takes, and where you can walk in
- 10 business days
The median mail turnaround quoted by US apostille offices is 10 business days at the top of the published range and 5 at the bottom, across the 51 states and Washington, D.C. (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 1–3 days
Georgia and Tennessee quote the fastest mail turnaround in the country, 1–3 business days (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 12–20 days
New Jersey quotes the slowest mail turnaround among the 51 states and Washington, D.C., 12–20 business days (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 4 of 51
4 of the 51 states and Washington, D.C. offer no walk-in apostille counter at all (Connecticut, New Jersey, South Dakota, and Virginia), while 27 offer same-day counter service (verified July 13, 2026).
#
How the offices actually work
- 8 of 51
In 8 of the 51 states and Washington, D.C., apostilles are not issued by the Secretary of State: Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, Utah, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 28 of 51
28 of the 51 state and DC apostille offices accept a credit card, while all 51 accept a check or money order (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 2 of 51
Only 2 of the 51 states and Washington, D.C. can require county-level pre-certification before the state will apostille a notarized document: Massachusetts and New York (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 4 of 55
4 of the 55 US jurisdictions in the dataset publish no central apostille fee (Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa), so they are excluded from every average on this page instead of estimated (verified July 13, 2026).
#
Where US documents are going
- 30 of 60
30 of the 60 destination countries tracked accept a US apostille, and 30 still require full embassy legalization (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 4–5 steps
Embassy legalization runs 4 to 5 sequential steps for the 30 destinations that require it, against a single certificate for Hague members (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 5 countries
5 of the destinations tracked have switched from embassy legalization to the apostille since 2022: Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China, and Canada (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 2 pending
2 tracked destinations have acceded to the Apostille Convention but have not switched yet: Viet Nam on September 11, 2026 and Thailand on February 28, 2027 (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 6 of 28
Only 6 of the 28 non-member embassies covered publish a legalization fee, from $25 (Haiti) to $90 (Ethiopia); the other 22 are left blank rather than estimated (verified July 13, 2026).
#
Documents and dataset
- 8 of 21
8 of the 21 document types tracked can never be apostilled by a state, because federal records go only to the US Department of State (verified July 13, 2026).
# - 136 rows
Every statistic on this page is computed from 136 verified rows: 55 US jurisdictions, 60 destination countries, and 21 document types, each checked against its official source, most recently on July 13, 2026.
#
The fee spread, charted
Government fee only — excludes the certified copy and return shipping. Federal documents are $20 at the US Department of State.
Chart: ApostilleCheck. Free to reuse, in print or online, with a link to this page.
Every US jurisdiction
Sorted by official fee, highest first. 4 territory rows publish no central fee and are marked "not published" rather than estimated.
| Jurisdiction | Fee (USD) | Competent authority | Secretary of State? | Mail turnaround | Counter service | Card accepted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $40 | Connecticut Secretary of the State | yes | 7–14 days | none | no |
| Delaware | $30 | Delaware Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | appointment | yes |
| New Jersey | $25 | NJ Treasury, Division of Revenue & Enterprise Services | no | 12–20 days | none | yes |
| Oklahoma | $25 | Oklahoma Secretary of State, Certification Department | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | yes |
| South Dakota | $25 | South Dakota Secretary of State, Apostille Office | yes | 5–10 days | none | no |
| California | $20 | California Secretary of State | yes | 10–15 days | same-day | yes |
| Louisiana | $20 | Louisiana Secretary of State, Commissions Division | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | yes |
| Nevada | $20 | Nevada Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | appointment | yes |
| Wyoming | $20 | Wyoming Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | appointment | no |
| Utah | $19 | Utah Office of the Lieutenant Governor | no | 5–10 days | appointment | yes |
| Pennsylvania | $15 | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Commissions | yes | 5–10 days | appointment | no |
| Texas | $15 | Texas Secretary of State, Authentications Unit | yes | 10–15 days | same-day | yes |
| Washington | $15 | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities | yes | 5–10 days | dropoff | yes |
| Washington, D.C. | $15 | D.C. Office of Notary Commissions & Authentications | no | 5–10 days | same-day | yes |
| Arkansas | $10 | Arkansas Secretary of State, Business & Commercial Services | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | no |
| Florida | $10 | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | yes | 3–7 days | same-day | yes |
| Idaho | $10 | Idaho Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | appointment | no |
| Kansas | $10 | Kansas Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | dropoff | no |
| Maine | $10 | Maine Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | dropoff | no |
| Missouri | $10 | Missouri Secretary of State, Commissions Division | yes | 5–10 days | dropoff | no |
| Montana | $10 | Montana Secretary of State, Notary & Certifications | yes | 5–10 days | appointment | no |
| Nebraska | $10 | Nebraska Secretary of State, Notary Division | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | no |
| New Hampshire | $10 | New Hampshire Secretary of State | yes | 3–7 days | same-day | no |
| New York | $10 | New York Department of State, Apostille & Authentication Unit | yes | 3–7 days | same-day | yes |
| North Carolina | $10 | North Carolina Secretary of State, Authentication Office | yes | 3–7 days | same-day | yes |
| North Dakota | $10 | North Dakota Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | appointment | no |
| Oregon | $10 | Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division | yes | 3–7 days | same-day | yes |
| Vermont | $10 | Vermont State Archives & Records Administration | no | 5–10 days | dropoff | no |
| Virginia | $10 | Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth | yes | 5–10 days | none | no |
| West Virginia | $10 | West Virginia Secretary of State, Business Division | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | yes |
| Wisconsin | $10 | Wisconsin Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | no |
| Massachusetts | $6 | Secretary of the Commonwealth, Commissions Section | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | no |
| Alabama | $5 | Alabama Secretary of State, Authentication Division | yes | 3–7 days | same-day | yes |
| Alaska | $5 | Office of the Lieutenant Governor | no | 5–10 days | appointment | no |
| Colorado | $5 | Colorado Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | dropoff | yes |
| Iowa | $5 | Iowa Secretary of State | yes | 3–7 days | same-day | yes |
| Kentucky | $5 | Kentucky Secretary of State | yes | 3–7 days | same-day | no |
| Maryland | $5 | Maryland Secretary of State | yes | 3–7 days | same-day | yes |
| Minnesota | $5 | Minnesota Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | appointment | yes |
| Mississippi | $5 | Mississippi Secretary of State, Notary Division | yes | 5–10 days | dropoff | no |
| Ohio | $5 | Ohio Secretary of State | yes | 3–7 days | appointment | yes |
| Rhode Island | $5 | Rhode Island Department of State | yes | 3–7 days | same-day | yes |
| South Carolina | $5 | South Carolina Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | yes |
| Arizona | $3 | Arizona Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | yes |
| Georgia | $3 | Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) | no | 1–3 days | same-day | yes |
| Hawaii | $3 | Office of the Lieutenant Governor | no | 7–10 days | dropoff | no |
| New Mexico | $3 | New Mexico Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | yes |
| Illinois | $2 | Illinois Secretary of State, Index Department | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | no |
| Indiana | $2 | Indiana Secretary of State | yes | 5–10 days | same-day | yes |
| Tennessee | $2 | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services | yes | 1–3 days | same-day | yes |
| Michigan | $1 | Michigan Office of the Great Seal | no | 5–10 days | appointment | no |
| American Samoa | not published | Territorial Registrar / Office of the Governor of American Samoa | no | 15–30 days | appointment | no |
| Guam | not published | Office of the Governor of Guam / Department of Administration | no | 10–20 days | appointment | no |
| Puerto Rico | not published | Puerto Rico Department of State | yes | 10–20 days | appointment | no |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | not published | Office of the Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands | no | 10–20 days | appointment | no |
Every destination tracked
Alphabetical. "Acceding" means the country has joined the Apostille Convention but the treaty has not entered into force for it yet, so the embassy chain still applies until the effective date.
| Destination | Route from the US | Convention in force | Steps required | Embassy fee (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Angola | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Argentina | Apostille | February 18, 1988 | 1 | — |
| Australia | Apostille | March 16, 1995 | 1 | — |
| Brazil | Apostille | August 14, 2016 | 1 | — |
| Cambodia | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Cameroon | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Canada | Apostille | January 11, 2024 | 1 | — |
| China | Apostille | November 7, 2023 | 1 | — |
| Colombia | Apostille | January 30, 2001 | 1 | — |
| Cuba | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Dominican Republic | Apostille | August 30, 2009 | 1 | — |
| Ecuador | Apostille | April 2, 2005 | 1 | — |
| Egypt | Legalization | — | 5 | $47 |
| Ethiopia | Legalization | — | 4 | $90 |
| France | Apostille | January 24, 1965 | 1 | — |
| Germany | Apostille | February 13, 1966 | 1 | — |
| Ghana | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Greece | Apostille | May 18, 1985 | 1 | — |
| Haiti | Legalization | — | 4 | $25 |
| India | Apostille | July 14, 2005 | 1 | — |
| Indonesia | Apostille | June 4, 2022 | 1 | — |
| Iraq | Legalization | — | 5 | not published |
| Israel | Apostille | August 14, 1978 | 1 | — |
| Italy | Apostille | February 11, 1978 | 1 | — |
| Japan | Apostille | July 27, 1970 | 1 | — |
| Jordan | Legalization | — | 5 | not published |
| Kenya | Legalization | — | 4 | $50 |
| Kuwait | Legalization | — | 5 | not published |
| Laos | Legalization | — | 5 | not published |
| Lebanon | Legalization | — | 5 | not published |
| Libya | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Mexico | Apostille | August 14, 1995 | 1 | — |
| Morocco | Apostille | August 14, 2016 | 1 | — |
| Mozambique | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Myanmar | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Nepal | Legalization | — | 5 | not published |
| Netherlands | Apostille | October 8, 1965 | 1 | — |
| Nigeria | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Pakistan | Apostille | March 9, 2023 | 1 | — |
| Peru | Apostille | September 30, 2010 | 1 | — |
| Philippines | Apostille | May 14, 2019 | 1 | — |
| Poland | Apostille | August 14, 2005 | 1 | — |
| Portugal | Apostille | February 4, 1969 | 1 | — |
| Qatar | Legalization | — | 5 | not published |
| Saudi Arabia | Apostille | December 7, 2022 | 1 | — |
| South Korea | Apostille | July 14, 2007 | 1 | — |
| Spain | Apostille | September 25, 1978 | 1 | — |
| Sri Lanka | Legalization | — | 4 | $60 |
| Sudan | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Taiwan | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Tanzania | Legalization | — | 4 | not published |
| Thailand | Acceding | February 28, 2027 | 5 | $15 |
| Türkiye | Apostille | September 29, 1985 | 1 | — |
| Uganda | Legalization | — | 4 | $50 |
| Ukraine | Apostille | December 22, 2003 | 1 | — |
| United Arab Emirates | Legalization | — | 5 | not published |
| United Kingdom | Apostille | January 24, 1965 | 1 | — |
| Viet Nam | Acceding | September 11, 2026 | 4 | not published |
What the numbers say
An apostille is a fixed certificate. The wording and the legal effect come from the same convention text no matter which office prints it, which makes the price differences hard to explain on anything except habit. The cheapest state charges about what a stamp costs. The most expensive charges more than a passport photo, for a document a clerk prepares in minutes. Nothing about the certificate changes across that range. What changes is whether the legislature treats authentication as a service it owes residents or as a small revenue line nobody has bothered to revisit.
Turnaround splits the same way. A couple of states quote same-week service by mail; the slowest quotes several weeks for the identical task, and the gap does not track population or budget in any way we can see in the data. Counter access is a separate variable again. About half the offices will hand you a finished apostille the same day you walk in, and a few will not let you walk in at all, which turns an urgent request into a shipping problem. If you are working to a deadline, that field matters more than the fee. It is also the one people find out about last.
Then there is the question of who issues the thing. Most people assume the Secretary of State does it everywhere, and mail addressed on that assumption is a common reason a package comes back. In a handful of jurisdictions the authority is a different office with its own address and its own form. Payment is the quieter trap. A large minority of offices still will not take a card, which means a check or money order in the envelope, and an order that fails on payment fails only after the mailing time has already been spent.
The destination side is the part that actually moves. Roughly half the countries we track now accept an apostille from a US authority. The rest still need the full chain: the issuing state, then the Department of State, then the destination's own embassy. Four or five sequential steps, each with its own queue. That is the difference between a document that ships in a week and one that takes a month or more. Every accession moves a country across that line, and the recent movers read like a map of where US paperwork is going right now, which is mostly study, work, marriage, and business.
The convention flips on a fixed date, not on the day the news breaks, and that catches people out. A country that has acceded but has not reached its effective date still requires embassy legalization, and an apostille sent early gets rejected. Two destinations sit in that window as this page is published. It is why we hold the effective date as data instead of writing it into prose, and why the checker changes its answer on the right morning without anyone editing a page.
The blanks in these tables are worth as much as the figures. Most embassies of non-member countries do not publish a legalization fee, and the US territories do not publish a central apostille fee either. Those cells stay empty here instead of being filled with something plausible. That narrows a few of the averages, which we accept: we would rather explain a narrow average than defend an invented number. Anyone quoting a page like this one has no way to tell a sourced figure from a tidy guess, so we do not put them in the position of having to.
Status changes on record
Every Apostille Convention change in the tracked set, by the date the convention entered or enters into force for that country.
- June 4, 2022Indonesiaapostille in force
- December 7, 2022Saudi Arabiaapostille in force
- March 9, 2023Pakistanapostille in force
- November 7, 2023Chinaapostille in force
- January 11, 2024Canadaapostille in force
- September 11, 2026Viet Namembassy legalization until this date
- February 28, 2027Thailandembassy legalization until this date
2 tracked destinations have acceded to the Apostille Convention but have not switched yet: Viet Nam on September 11, 2026 and Thailand on February 28, 2027 (verified July 13, 2026).
How to cite this page
Citation:
"ApostilleCheck, US Apostille Statistics 2026, https://apostillecheck.com/statistics/, accessed [date]."
All statistics on this page are licensedCC BY 4.0 — free to republish with a link to this page as attribution. No permission request needed, no email required. If you need a figure we have not published, or a cut of the data we hold,ask us and we will compute it or tell you plainly that we cannot source it.
Machine-readable extracts:state-fees.v1.json · hague-status.v1.json
How these statistics are derived
Each figure is computed at build time from the same typed dataset that powers every state, country, and federal page on this site. Values come only from official sources: each jurisdiction's own competent authority, the US Department of State for the federal channel, the HCCH status table for convention membership and entry-into-force dates, and each destination's own embassy for legalization chains.
Where a jurisdiction or embassy does not publish a value, we exclude that row from the aggregate and say so in the sentence rather than estimating it. Rows are re-verified on a published cadence, and the verification date on this page is the most recent date across the whole dataset. Full detail on sourcing, cadence, and corrections is on the methodology page.
Frequently asked questions
＋How much does an apostille cost in the US?
The median official US apostille fee is $10 per document across the 51 US jurisdictions that publish a fee, with a mean of $10.86 (verified July 13, 2026).
＋Which US state has the cheapest apostille, and which is the most expensive?
US apostille fees span a 40× range for the identical certificate, from $1 in Michigan to $40 in Connecticut (verified July 13, 2026).
＋How long does a US apostille take by mail?
The median mail turnaround quoted by US apostille offices is 10 business days at the top of the published range and 5 at the bottom, across the 51 states and Washington, D.C. (verified July 13, 2026).
＋How many countries accept a US apostille?
30 of the 60 destination countries tracked accept a US apostille, and 30 still require full embassy legalization (verified July 13, 2026).
Sources
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor
Last verified: July 13, 2026 against each jurisdiction's official authentications page, the US Department of State, and the HCCH Apostille Convention status table. See how we verify and how often on ourmethodology page.
This is informational, not legal advice. The receiving authority sets the final requirements — confirm with them and the office named above before you send anything.