The authorities of Arizona (USA) have updated the guidelines for apostilling documents. The relevant changes are posted on the official website of the Arizona Secretary of State.
Apostille in the United States
The United States of America joined the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (the Apostille Convention) on December 24, 1980. Less than a year later, on October 15, 1981, the Convention came into effect in the USA.
Since then, instead of a lengthy, complicated, and costly consular legalization process, it has become possible to certify American documents for use abroad — and foreign documents for submission to US authorities — through a simplified procedure called an apostille.
It is important to note that apostilles are only valid if both countries are members of the Hague Convention. In other cases, consular legalization is required. The US does not have a single centralized authority responsible for apostilling all types of documents. The powers are distributed among various bodies depending on the document’s origin.
If the document is issued by a federal authority, it is apostilled by the Authentication Office of the US Department of State. Federal court clerks are authorized to legalize documents originating from federal courts.
Most documents, including common ones such as civil status certificates, diplomas, school certificates, and medical certificates, are apostilled by state authorities. Typically, the authorized official is the Secretary of State or the Lieutenant Governor of the state. These powers may be delegated to certain departments within the office of the respective official.
Apostille in Arizona
In Arizona, documents are apostilled by the Secretary of State. The office can legalize birth, death, and marriage certificates, notarized documents, school diplomas, university degrees, medical certificates, and other documents issued at the local level.
The Apostille Department of the Secretary of State’s office handles this matter directly at the following address::
- 1700 W. Washington Street, Fl. 7 Phoenix, AZ 85007-2808
The fee for apostilling each document is $3. Payment can be made by check or money order payable to the Arizona Secretary of State.
The standard processing time for documents sent by mail is 10 days. There is also an expedited legalization service without prior appointment, which costs $25.
No more than six documents can be submitted for apostilling at the same time. Applicants may submit either the original document or a notarized copy (in which case the apostille certifies the notary’s signature and seal). Other types of copies are not accepted for apostille.
As of July 2025, electronic apostille (e-Apostille) is not available in Arizona.
The application form for apostilling documents in Arizona is standardized and includes the following fields:
- Type of document;
- Country of destination;
- Applicant’s details (last name, first name, email address, home address, city, state, ZIP code, phone number, signature, date);
- Submission details (method of sending, number of documents, fee, payment method).
The Apostille Department asks applicants to be careful not to send documents issued in other states.
What updates have been made to the apostille procedure?
The Apostille Department recently issued several important notes regarding the document submission process for apostille services.
The Arizona Secretary of State’s official portal emphasizes that the office accepts documents but does not provide legal advice or interpret laws. If applicants have questions during document preparation, they are advised to review the relevant regulations or consult a lawyer.
If an applicant’s payment is insufficient (for example, if a check bounces), the office will not only return the documents but also charge a $25 fee (penalty).
All post requests must include prepaid return shipping for the apostilled documents. All return shipping labels (FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.) must clearly display both the sender’s and recipient’s post addresses.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
