Four steps, one point of contact
How it works
You never deal with a state office, a federal office, or an embassy directly. You mail documents to us once and get them back once.
Request a quote
Tell us the document type, the state that issued it, the destination country, and your deadline. A photo of the document helps. We reply within two business hours with an exact total: our fee, the government fee, and shipping, each on its own line.
Approve and mail
If the number works, we send a secure payment link and a one-page checklist of exactly what to include. You mail the documents to 1901 E. 21st St N, Wichita, KS 67214 by any tracked service. We confirm the day they arrive.
We process
We check the document for anything a state would reject, prepare the request, and submit it to the right office: the Secretary of State for state documents, the US Department of State for federal ones, or the full legalization chain for non-Hague countries. You get an update at each stage.
It comes back
By the return shipping you chose, tracked, to any address in the US or abroad. You get the tracking number the day it ships.
What to send
It depends on the document. The general rule: the state has to be able to verify the signature and seal on it, which means it must be either an original with a real signature or a certified copy issued by the government office that holds the record.
- Birth, marriage, death certificates — a certified copy from the state vital records office or the county. Not a hospital certificate, not a photocopy. If you are unsure whether yours qualifies, send us a photo.
- Court documents (divorce decrees, judgments, adoption orders) — a certified copy from the clerk of the court, with the clerk's signature and seal.
- Diplomas and transcripts — usually need to be notarized first, either by the school registrar or by a notary certifying the copy. Some states require the school's signature to be on file. We check this for your state.
- Powers of attorney, affidavits, contracts — the signed original, notarized. The notary's commission must be current and on file with that state.
- FBI background checks — the PDF you received from the FBI, printed, or the paper copy. These go federal, not state. Details.
- Corporate documents — certified copies from the Secretary of State (articles, good standing) or notarized originals (resolutions, bylaws).
Full document-by-document guidance is on each document page.
What we check before submitting
Most rejections are avoidable and happen for the same handful of reasons. We look for all of them before anything leaves our office.
- Is this a certified copy or an original, not a photocopy?
- Is the notary's commission current, and is the notarial certificate complete (venue, date, signature, seal)?
- Is the document going to a state that can apostille it, or does it belong to the federal government?
- Is the destination country in the Hague Convention, or does this need embassy legalization instead?
- Does the name on the document match the name the destination country will be checking against?
- Does the destination country require a translation, and if so, of what?
If something will not pass, we tell you before you pay. There is no charge for the review.
Where the time goes
Our part is measured in days. The government's part is measured in whatever their queue is that month.
| Stage | Who controls it | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Quote | Us | Within 2 business hours |
| Your documents reach us | You and the carrier | 1–3 days |
| Review and submission | Us | Standard: within 2 business days · Rush: 5–7 · Expedited: 1–3 |
| State processing | Secretary of State | Days to weeks, varies by state |
| Federal processing | US Dept of State | Published on travel.state.gov; we quote the current figure |
| Return shipping | You choose | 1–3 days domestic |
If you have a hard date, say so in the quote request. We check the current state processing time that day and tell you plainly whether it is achievable.
Tracking and updates
You get an email when your documents arrive, when they are submitted, when the government office returns them, and when they ship back to you with the tracking number. If anything unexpected happens, you hear about it the same day, from a person.
Get your exact price, all fees included
Two business hours to a written total. Nothing to pay and nothing to mail until you have it.
Start My ApostilleFrequently asked questions
Can I email or upload my document instead of mailing it?
For the quote, yes. A photo or scan is enough for us to tell you the exact price and whether the document will be accepted. For the apostille itself, no. The Secretary of State must see the physical original or certified copy, so it has to be mailed.
How should I ship my documents to you?
Any tracked service. USPS Priority Mail with tracking is the most common. If you are on a deadline, overnight. Do not use regular untracked mail for an original document. We confirm receipt the day it arrives.
What if my document needs to be notarized first?
Some documents (powers of attorney, affidavits, business documents, copies of passports) must be notarized before they can be apostilled. If yours is one of them and it is not yet notarized, we tell you in the quote. You can have it notarized locally, or if you are in the Wichita area our affiliated company can do it.
Can you send the finished documents directly overseas?
Yes. International return shipping is available and quoted as its own line. Many clients have us send the finished apostille straight to a family member, lawyer, or school abroad.