Apostilles, Certifications & Authentication
What is an Apostille?
An “apostille” is a form of authentication issued to documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961. An Apostille is issued as an attachment and will validate the authenticity of your document to the foreign entity you are required to present your document to. Modern Notary Services, LLC offers standard and expedited apostille and legalization services.
Submission of Documents
Our process is simple:
Step 1- Fill out the Apostille Contact Us form(We will email you back a completed PDF copy to be included with the shipments of your documents).
Step 2- Include all original or certified copy of document(s).
Step 3- Include payment in form of a check, money order, or cashier’s check if not paying by credit card or PayPal(We will email you an invoice).
Step 4- Include a return, pre-paid envelope or carrier label (such as FedEx, UPS, DHL or USPS) unless you want us to bill a shipment back to you.
Documents may be forwarded to a third party as a convenience. Please include this third-party information on the order form and address the pre-paid envelope to the third party with your return address.
We will mail apostilled and authenticated documents internationally with prior arrangements.
Step 5- Send everything to:
Modern Notary Services, LLC
P O Box 252
Thompson Station, TN 37174
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us to discuss matters in advance of your shipment.
Can you apostille photocopies of my documents?
Yes! We can apostille a scanned copy of any personal, business, or U.S. State-issued document including vital records such as birth, death, and marriage certificates. It takes minutes to submit a request with us online. Just email us a clear, color scan of the document you’d like to have authenticated and we’ll ship back the copy to any domestic or international address with an original apostille attachment. Please note that this method, while widely accepted in most cases, does have limitations depending on the authority you’re presenting it to and country of use.
Link to the Federal Apostille page Link to the Secretary of State page Link to the HCCH MEMBERS
If your document is rejected by the Secretary of State for certification for any reason, Texas Apostille fees are non-refundable and later trips for corrected documents are charged at the original rate. If the Secretary of State office is closed during normal business hours, due to Holidays or any emergencies such as weather, the delivery will be delayed accordingly.
**All jobs ship after full payment is received**
We process documents from all 50 U.S. States!!
What is an Apostille?
An Apostille (pronounced “ah-po-steel”) is a certificate issued by the Secretary of State that proves the authenticity of a public official signature and seal.
The Apostille is more than just a seal. It is a full page 8.5″ x 11″ certificate which is typically attached to document destined for use in a foreign country which abides by the Hague Convention.
The document is provided as proof that the notary or public official who witnessed the signer’s signature is in good standing with the state government. The Apostille is usually permanently attached to the processed documents and removing the staples is forbidden.
Processing an Apostille via mail can take as long as two weeks in most states. With our expedited personal presentment service, we can get an Apostille back to you or to any worldwide destination within as little as 1 or 2 business days. Call us to discuss your specific situation.
Who issues Apostilles and Authentications?
The Tennessee Department of State, Business Services Division, issues an Apostille or an Authentication under the authority of the Tennessee Secretary of State with respect to documents executed, issued or certified by Tennessee County Clerks, the Tennessee State Registrar, and the Tennessee Secretary of State.
If a document needs an Authentication, the United States Department of State must also certify the Tennessee Secretary of State’s signature on the Authentication. This step is not necessary for an Apostille.
EMBASSY AUTHENTICATION & LEGALIZATION
Embassy legalization, authentication and certification is required when the country of destination is not a member of the Hague Convention. Documents destined for non-member nations first require notarization along with authentication of the notary public’s signature at the local county level and subsequently presentment to the Secretary of State for certification.
Depending on type and destination these documents may need to be presented to the respective country’s consulate and then on to the US Department of State’s Authentication Office in Washington, D.C. for certification of the originating state official’s signature. From there they would be presented to the non-member country’s Embassy.
If the document is issued from a federal institution the process may be reduced by a few steps since the public official signing the document does not need to have their signature notarized.