Apostilles & Authentications

The Office of the Secretary of State provides authentication and apostille service to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals on all documents that will be used overseas. Types of documents include corporate documents such as company bylaws and articles of incorporation, power of attorney, patent applications and trademarks, diplomas, transcripts, letters relating to degrees, marital status, references and job certifications, home studies, deeds of assignments, distributorship agreements, papers for adoption purposes, etc.

All Requests Must Include

• Apostille/Authentication Request Form or Cover Letter which includes the following information:
  • The name of the country where the documents will be sent. (Countries require different certifications and the document cannot be certified without this information.)
  • A daytime phone number or email address for possible questions.
  • Information on where the documents should be mailed after processing. We will only send the documents back by standard mail to an address within the United States.  If you want to track your documents, want them mailed in a different manner, and/or need them mailed to a foreign address, you must enclose a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope for that service.
• $25.00 per document (or a flat fee of $250 for 10 or more documents). Please make the check or money order payable to the Secretary of State. We also accept cash, American Express, Visa, Discover and Mastercard.

All Documents Must Include

• An original South Dakota Notary Public notarization that includes:
  • An original signature of the person executing the document, signed in front of the Notary Public
  • The date that person signed the document
  • The Notary Public's original signature
  • The Notary Public's seal/stamp as filed with the Secretary of State's Office.
  • The words "My Commission Expires", along with the complete commission expiration date of the Notary Public's commission, including month, day and year.
OR
• Be an Original Certified Copy of a document certified by the SD Department of Health, SD County Register of Deeds, SD County Clerk of Courts or other South Dakota State Agency.

If the document is a vital records document (birth certificate, marriage license, etc), you may contact any county Register of Deeds office or the State Department of Health (605-773-4961) and request a certified copy of that document; then submit the certified copy to the Office of the Secretary of State with the filing fee and request form.

Most documents will be processed and mailed on the day they are received. You may also visit the Office of the Secretary of State to have the documents processed. However, please contact the Apostille Administrator, (email address: apostille@state.sd.us) to make an appointment, so that help is available when you arrive. You may call 605-773-2797.

Apostille Office Contact Information

More information on apostilles and authentications is available through the U.S. State Department Office of Authentication by phone (202) 647-5002 or website (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-considerations/judicial/authentication-of-documents.html ).