Do it yourself

In the State of Ohio, apostilles are issued by the Client Service Center in Columbus.

Documents submitted for apostille need to comply with the following guidelines:

  • They must be notarized by a currently commissioned Ohio notary public.
  • If the notary public is an attorney with a commission that does not expire, you don’t need to obtain a certificate from the County Clerk and the document can be apostilled directly at the SOS.
  • Because the Secretary of State now has all the notary signatures on record for verification, it no longer requires signatures to be certified by the County Clerk.
  • For apostille on virtual records such as birth and death certificates you need certified copies issued and signed by the Registrar from the Ohio Department of Health with a raised/embossed seal.
  • To apostille marriage licenses or certificates you need certified copies signed by the judge and bearing the seal of the probate court.
  • To obtain apostille for school records issued by universities and other educational institutions in Ohio, you need notarized documents including an affidavit signed by a school official, principal or University registrar before a notary public.
  • To apostille divorce decrees and judgments you need certified copies bearing the seal of the county clerk.

New copies of:

  • Birth or death certificates or other vital records can be obtain at the Ohio Department of Health (phone 614-466-2531), or the Department of Health or Vital Statistics in the county of birth.
  • Marriage records and considerations for single status can be obtained from the county probate court where the marriage was celebrated.
  • Divorce documents can be obtained from the Clerk of Court’s office in the county where the divorce was executed.

Apostille Ohio contacts:

Visit in person or mail documents to:
Ohio Secretary of State
Records and Client Services
180 E. Broad St., Suite 103
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone (614)728-9200

Website: http://www.sos.state.oh.us/recordsIndexes/authentication.aspx
Email: records@OhioSecretaryofState.gov

Price and processing time:
Price is $5 per apostille with payment to the “Ohio Secretary of State”.
Processing time is same-day counter service or 3 days for mailed orders.