How to Apostille your Documents in LA

California Secretary of State has two offices that provide authentication of public official signatures on documents to be used outside the country. The process of Apostille in Los Angeles is a must to learn and know before you opt for one. The Secretary of State authenticates signatures only on documents issued in Los Angeles signed by a notary public or one of the following public officials or their deputies:

• County Clerks or Recorders
• Court Administrators of the Superior Court
• Executive Clerks of the Superior Court
• Officers whose authority is not limited to any particular county
• Executive Officers of the Superior Court
• Judges of the Superior Court
• State Officials

The process of Apostille in Los Angeles depends on the type of document and specific requirements of the destination country. Here are the three categories of documents broadly outlined, and their respective procedures required for authentication:

• General documents are the documents or certificates which are not issued by a Federal, State or Local govt. entity. This is the largest catch-all category. The Embassy legalization process for this type of documents includes processing the documents with a local notary, certification by the appropriate Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State Authentications Division in Washington, D.C., and the Embassy of the destination country.

• Government documents are any documents or certificates issued by a Federal, State or Local govt. entity. The Embassy legalization process for this kind of documents includes processing your documents with the US Department of State Authentications Division in Washington, D.C and the Embassy of the destination country. For personal documents like birth, marriage, death and divorce certificates, it is must to legalize your documents with the Secretary of State in the region your document was issued.

• Commercial or Shipping Documents are the documents used for shipping products out. The legalization/authentication process for Commercial or Shipping Documents vary widely based on the destination country. The main reason for this is because some Apostille/Hague Convention countries require that you follow a separate legalization process with your shipping/documents. On the other hand, for many countries, the legalization of documents is not required.

AA Document Services specializes in handling both the Embassy Legalization as well as Apostille in Los Angeles with efficiency and speed. Contact them on www.aadocumentservices.com or at 725-333-2335 for details.