Question 1

What is Notarization?

Accepted Answer

Notarization means a Notary Public, the public official commissioned by the State, serves as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official acts related to verifying the identities of the signers and their signing of important documents. Then the notary will sign and stamp the document with a seal. Documents that are notarized are usually used in the US.  Click 🔗here to learn how notaries complete the notary process, which is instructive for preparing your documents.

Question 2

Will you or the notary notarize my document if it is in a foreign language?

Accepted Answer

In some states, notaries are allowed to notarize foreign language documents once they can understand that foreign language and communicate smoothly with the clients, without the reliance on a third party who, intentionally or unintentionally, may interpret the conversation incorrectly. It's worth noting that although the document may be in another language, the notary’s statement, which usually refers to the notarial certificate, must be in English.   Please refer to 🔗 this table to confirm.

Question 3

How do I know if my document has been notarized correctly?

Accepted Answer

To avoid delays, please make sure that the notarized document includes the following seven items.  Notarial statement/wording The date of the notarial act The location of the notarial act in the city or county where notarization occurs The expiration date of the notary’s commission Notary’s signature Notary’s registration number Photographically reproducible notary seal/stamp  In practice, improper notarization may result in invalid documents or rejection of subsequent authentication requests. This will cost the applicant extra time and money.

Question 4

How to order a notarization service?

Accepted Answer

Question 5

Can a Notary Public notarize any type of document?

Accepted Answer

In most states, publicly recorded documents (vital records) can not be notarized by a notary public. These may include,  Birth certificates. Death certificate. Marriage certificates. Divorce decrees/certificates. Court documents. Corporate documents on file with the State Corporations Division. Federally issued documents.

Question 6

What is Apostille?

Accepted Answer

An Apostille (pronounced "ah-po-steel") is a form of authentication issued to documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961. Since October 15, 1981, the United States has been part of the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. About 60% of the countries in the world are currently parties to the Hague Certification Convention. There is a list of countries that accept apostilles.   If the country of intended use does not participate in the Hague Convention, documents being sent to that country can be "authenticated" or "certified".   Click here to learn about Apostille.

Question 7

What is an Authentication?

Accepted Answer

Authentication certifies the seals and signatures of public officials on the documents issued in the U.S. and will be sent to countries that don’t participate in the Hague Convention.  Authenticated documents can be recognized in those foreign countries.  Unlike the Apostille, the Authentication process requires a few extra steps, such as the authentication from the Secretary of State, authentication from the U.S. Department of State,  and legalization from the embassy of the destination country located in D.C.

Question 8

What is the difference between Apostille and Authentication?

Accepted Answer

An Apostille is a type of authentication. An apostille is for documents to be used in countries that participate in the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty. For these countries, apostille certificate itself is enough.  Authentication certificates are for documents to be used in countries that do NOT participate in the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty. The document needs several authentication certificates, including those from the Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State,  and the embassy of the destination country located in D.C.   Click 🔗 here to learn about Apostille.

Question 9

Why do I need to get documents apostilled/authenticated?

Accepted Answer

When you are going to send the documents issued in the US (Birth Certificate, Power-of-Attorneys, etc.) to another country, you need to get the documents apostilled or authenticated in the US first to make them recognized and acknowledged in foreign countries, without a doubt on the authenticity of the seal or signature on the documents.

Question 10

What kind of documents can be Apostilled/Authenticated?

Accepted Answer

Documents that may require apostille or authentication for use abroad include:   ➤ Personal Documents: Birth Certificate Death Certificate Marriage Certificate Divorce Certificate Court Document FBI – Background check Background check of the local police department U.S. Residence Certificate/Affidavit Name Change Certificate/Petition for Name Change Driver's License Certificate of Naturalization Translation of Any Document ​ ➤ Affidavits: Single Status Affidavit Affidavit of One and The Same Gift Affidavit Waiver of Inheritance ​ ➤ Powers-of-Attorneys: Power of Attorney of Real Estate Transaction Power of Attorney of Divorce Proceedings Other Power of Attorney ​ ➤ Study and Immigration related documents: Proof of Income Employment Verification Letter  Bank Statement Diploma Transcript Health Certificate/Medical Letter Family Circumstances Statement Child Adoption Documents   ➤ Notarization： Certifying “true copies” of documents Certifying affidavits or Jurat Certifying acknowledgments Verification of fact​  ➤ Business documents: Articles of Incorporation/Articles of Organization Amendment Company's Annual report (Statement of information) Bylaws (Operating Agreements) Good Standing Certificate Business License Meeting Minutes Board Resolutions Shareholders' Resolutions Corporate Stock Ledger Financial documents Bank documents Tax documents Contracts

Question 11

Who can issue an Apostille in the USA?

Accepted Answer

In the United States, all 50 states and the Federal Government (US Department of State – Office of Authentication) can issue an Apostille. It may vary by the issuing authority of the document.   The U.S. Department of State only issues apostilles for federal documents to use in countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention.       State-issued documents for use in countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention must be authenticated by the competent authority (mostly it's the Secretary of State Office) in the state where the document was executed.       A state-issued document with an apostille does not require additional certification by the U.S. Department of State or legalization by a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas to be recognized in a participating country. The U.S. Department of State will not issue an apostille for state-issued documents.   Click here to learn about Apostille.

Question 12

Does the Secretary of State Office provide expedited authentication service?

Accepted Answer

Most states do not offer expedited services. Several states provide expedited service based on additional fees. Contact us for details.  It usually takes 10-15 business days (excludes shipping time) to process the documents, but it may change depending on the resources available at the Secretary of State's Offices. Some states provide walk-in services (drop-off and pick-up services), which could be faster but not apply to everyone.

Question 13

What documents are needed for consular authentication/legalization?

Accepted Answer

★ Online Order or the Oder Form of our center 1. Completed Application Form of the embassy. 2. The original and photocopy of the completed documents to be authenticated. 
3. A photocopy of the applicant's valid passport (the page with photo) and a photocopy of the US driver's license or ID.
4. A photocopy of the applicant's legal identity document in the United States (such as a green card, work permit, I-20, H1B, I-797 receipt, etc.).
5. For the authentication of the company license, a photocopy of the passport or the driver's license of the company's legal representative is needed, and company documents that can prove the identity of the company's legal representative should also be submitted.
6. A photocopy of supporting materials related to documents to be authenticated.   * The requirements of embassies vary from country to country.

Question 14

Will there be a translation along with the US-issued documents after its apostille or authentication?

Accepted Answer

No.   In all authentication steps, no government authority will automatically translate your original English documents into a foreign language. The principle of their authentication is the authenticity of the document. They will not change, add or delete  (also translate) any information in the original documents you submitted.   However, you can attach translations to or ask us to provide a translation service (with an additional fee) for your documents at the very beginning if you need one.

Question 15

Will you apostille or authenticate my document if it is in a foreign language?

Accepted Answer

For Apostille and Authentication:  It varies by state and agency. Most states accept documents in different languages as long as the notarization is in English. However, some agencies, like the U.S. Department of State, have different requirements. They do not accept Non-English documents. All documents in a foreign language must be translated into English by a certified translator and notarized as a true translation.  💡Tips: If your documents need to be used in non-English speaking countries, and the documents are powers of attorney, declarations, agreements, wills, affidavits, etc. that can be prepared and drafted by yourself. In that case, we recommend that you draft them in both English and foreign language, in the format of "one paragraph in English + one paragraph in local language", and then complete notarization and certification successively. In this way, it can not only avoid the rejection of apostille or authentication in the United States, but also make the receiving party in foreign countries understand the documents without obstacles.  Please refer to 🔗 this table to confirm

Question 16

What are Vital Records?

Accepted Answer

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates. State government vital records offices issue these documents. To get a copy of a vital record, contact the vital records office in the state where the event occurred.  Notaries cannot notarize vital records.

Question 17

Must I provide the original vital records?

Accepted Answer

To get an apostille, a certified copy of your vital records is needed. A certified copy of your vital record usually carries:  A raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal The registrar’s signature The date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office  If your original document does not contain the above elements, it will not be accepted.   ⚠️ Please note: Certified copies of Birth or Death Certificates in New York City should bear a Letter of Exemplification.

Question 18

How to Get a Certified Copy of a Birth/Marriage/Divorce/Death Certificate?

Accepted Answer

Click 🔗 here for instructions on getting a copy of your Vital Records in all 50 States and DC.  Click 🔗 here for guidance if the record happens outside of the U.S.

Question 19

Which service should I order on your website?

Accepted Answer

Click 🔗 here for guidance.

Question 20

I am from another state rather than the DC area, can you provide Notarization/Authentication/Apostille/Legalization services for me?"

Accepted Answer

For documents that require notarization only, we suggest you 🔗 find a local notary public near you.    For notarization services for the documents that need to be authenticated/apostilled/legalized subsequently, we suggest you find a local notary public near you and have them notarized in a traditional way (paper and pen). Some government authorities cannot authenticate/apostille/legalize an electronic notarization.   For Authentication/Apostille/Legalization services, no matter which state you are from, we are happy to provide services for you. Just mail us the original notarized or certified documents that need to be authenticated. Then leave the subsequent process to us. It's quite simple!   Click 🔗 here to see the difference among traditional, electronic, and remote notarization.
Click 🔗 here to Order Online.

Question 21

What payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

We accept the following payment methods:
1.【Order Online / Pay Now】
Debit/Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
2.【Paypal】
Payable to: info@usnotarycenter.com 
3.【Cashier's Check】 
Money Order, Cashier's Check. 
Payable to: American Notary Service Center Inc. 
4.【E-mail Invoice】
The center will send an Invoice (request) to your email address, which can be directly clicked to complete the payment.

Question 22

What is the fee and processing time of your service?

Accepted Answer

Click 🔗 here for details.  * You may experience delays during COVID-19.

Question 23

Can you mail the documents to an address outside of the US?

Accepted Answer

Yes.  You can choose the shipping method at the checkout page, then enter the country name and postal code to view and pay for shipping fee if it's available. The shipping fee should be prepaid, and we’re not responsible for any loss or damage. The courier takes responsibility for that.

Question 24

What's your mailing address?

Accepted Answer

Mailing Address:  American Notary Service Center 7512 Diplomat Drive, Suite 101,  Manassas, VA 20109

Question 25

What is your Refund Policy?

Accepted Answer

If the authentication is rejected or returned, the Center provides a full refund, but no refund is available for the following  cases:   1. If the application is rejected or returned by the Secretary of State /the U.S. Department of State/Embassies or Consulates because of the inaccurate or inappropriate notarization at the very beginning, or the unsatisfied form of the document, and no refund is provided.   2. There is no refund for any shipping fee charged by the Mail Service Providers.   The Center will do its utmost to ensure that it is carefully reviewed when processing documents to avoid unnecessary rejections and returns. Therefore, we recommend you find an experienced notary public with extensive notary experience and be familiar with and abide by the state's notarization laws and regulations. Inappropriate notarization or documentation may result in subsequent authentication requests being rejected, and you will have to start over, costing your time and money.

Question 26

Any problems with your order

Accepted Answer

If you encounter any problems with your order, please contact our Customer Service Team via email. Your request will be attended to as soon as possible.

American Notary

Service Center Inc.

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Wyoming Apostille Service

Wisconsin Apostille Service

West Virginia Apostille Service

​American Notary

Service Center Inc.

FAQ

Wyoming Apostille Service

Wisconsin Apostille Service

West Virginia Apostille Service

American Notary