Apostille Pop-Up Coming To Santa Rosa: What To Know

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — The Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor's Office is preparing to host officials from the California Secretary of State’s Office this week for an Apostille Pop-Up Shop.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at the clerk-recorder-assessors office, Room 103, 585 Fiscal Dr. in Santa Rosa.

An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the signature of a California public official or notary public on a document for use in another country. These documents can include court orders, contracts, vital records such as birth or marriage certificates, educational diplomas and more.

An Apostille certifies the authenticity of the signature of the public official who signed the document, the capacity in which that public official acted, and when appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp, such as a notary public seal, placed on the document.

The Apostille does not validate the contents of a document.

Apostilles were historically obtained only at the state office in Sacramento or Los Angeles. However, the Secretary of State team has partnered with local county offices throughout the year to bring in-person Apostille services closer to residents.

People interested in attending the event should arrive early and bring an original-signed document, a completed Apostille Pop-Up Shop Request Cover Sheet, and payment of $20 per Apostille, plus an additional $6 Special Handling fee for each different public official signature to be authenticated. Cash is not accepted at the pop-up. Accepted forms of payment include Visa, Mastercard, check or money order made payable to the Secretary of State.

If you miss this pop-up but still need the service, two more are planned in the Bay Area in the coming months: Dec. 9 at the San Francisco County Clerk's Office and Jan. 21 at the Alameda County Auditor-Controller/Clerk-Recorder's Office in Dublin.

See the state's Apostille website for more information.