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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.

More information on federal apostilles and authentications is available through the U.S. State Department Office of Authentication or by phone (202) 647-5002

Apostille/Authentication Requirements

  • All documents must have correct certification and/or notarization before submitting or we will not be able to process your request.

  • All seals and signatures MUST be originals.
    • We are unable to accept copies unless they are "true certified copies" from a notary public.
    • Please note that birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees and court documents CANNOT be certified by a notary public as "true copies." These documents MUST be certified by the issuing agency.
  • Requirements vary based on the type of document submitted. Review the type of documents below to learn more.
    • *Note* Documents issued by other states or the federal government cannot be authenticated by our office.
State and Local Documents Other Documents
Examples of state and local documents include:
  • Birth Certificates
  • Marriage Certificates
  • Death Certificates
  • Divorce Decrees
  • Judgments
  • Official Business Documents filed in the Secretary of State's Office
Requirements for state and local documents include:
  • Original or certified document must include the raised and/or stamped seal of the court or department of vital records.
  • If the document is a vital records document (birth certificate, marriage license, etc), you may contact any county Register of Deeds OR South Dakota Department of Health - Vital Records and request a certified copy of that document.
 Examples of other documents include:
  • Affidavits
  • Agreements
  • Copy of U.S. Passport
  • Diplomas
  • Adoption Home Study
  • Income Verification
  • Powers-of-Attorney
  • Transcripts
Requirements for other documents include:

To assist you with a proper notarization, you may use this sample certified copy template if the documents indicated above do not have a notary block on them Sample Certified Copy Template

Request Requirements

    All Requests MUST include:

  • Properly certified and/or notarized document (see above for requirements).
  • Apostille/Authentication Request Form - make sure to include:
    • The name of the country where the documents will be sent.
      • The document(s) cannot be certified without this information.
      • "USA" is not a valid response to this answer as our office only processes documents for foreign countries.
    • 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.
      • *Note* Our office cannot accept nor send documents via DHL.
  • Appropriate Processing Fees (see below for specific filings fees).

How to Request an Apostille

Click on the request method below to expand.

BY MAIL


All original documents must be mailed, our office CANNOT process documents that are emailed or faxed.

Your mailed request will be processed within 2 business days from the date we receive it.

Reminders:

  • Review the certificate requirements (above) for each document being sent to ensure your documents are fully prepped for processing.
  • We recommend utilizing a trackable method of mailing your document(s). Our office is not responsible for documents lost in the mail.

What to include:

  • A completed Apostille/Authentication Request Form.
  • The certified document(s) requiring apostille/authentication services.
  • Processing fee of $25.00 per document. Please make the check or money order payable to the Secretary of State. We also accept cash and all major credit cards. All checks and/or credit cards MUST be written on a US bank.
  • Prepaid, self-addressed envelope/label for return of your document.
    • *Note* Our office cannot accept nor send documents via DHL.
    • Our office will send document(s) back via standard USPS mail (not trackable) if a prepaid, self-addressed envelope/label is not included.

Mail to:

    South Dakota Secretary of State
    Attn: Apostille Office
    500 E. Capitol Ave.
    Pierre, SD 57501

BY DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP


Our office provides Drop-off and Pick-up services Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

  • All documents MUST have complete certification and/or notarization.
  • Dropped off documents will be worked on in the order they are received.
  • Most orders are completed within 1-2 business days.
    • Our office will notify you via phone once your documents are ready to be picked up.
    • If you are unable to pick-up your completed documents, we will mail them to you.

What to bring:

  • A completed Apostille/Authentication Request Form.
  • The certified document(s) requiring apostille/authentication services.
  • Processing fee of $25.00 per document. Please make the check or money order payable to the Secretary of State. We also accept cash and all major credit cards. All checks and/or credit cards MUST be written on a US bank.
  • If the document is to be mailed back, please include a prepaid, self-addressed envelope/label for return of your document.
    • *Note* Our office cannot accept nor send documents via DHL.
    • Our office will send document(s) back via standard USPS mail (not trackable) if a prepaid, self-addressed envelope/label is not included.

Address for Drop-Off Services:

    South Dakota Secretary of State
    500 East Capitol Avenue, Suite 204
    (Second Floor of the Capitol Building)
    Pierre, SD 57501

BY APPOINTMENT (only for expedited cases)


Our office offers Expedited Service Appointments Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

  • There is a limit of 10 (ten) documents per expedited request.
  • All documents MUST have complete certification and/or notarization.
  • We will try to process your document(s) while you wait, but under certain circumstances it may take longer. You may be asked to come back to our office to retrieve your document(s).
  • An expedited fee of $50 may be added to the processing fee.

Additional Appointment Info:

  • There are a limited number of appointments available each day, and appointments are dependent on staff being available to process the request.
  • We DO NOT accept walk-in appointments. Appointments must be made prior to arrival to ensure staff availability.
  • Please be courteous to our staff and other customers and ensure you arrive on time for your appointment. Late arrivals may be required to drop-off their documents for later processing.

To Schedule an Appointment:

What to bring:

  • A completed Apostille/Authentication Request Form.
  • The certified document(s) requiring apostille/authentication services.
  • Processing fee of $25.00 per document and the $50 expedite fee. Please make the check or money order payable to the Secretary of State. We also accept cash and all major credit cards. All checks and/or credit cards MUST be written on a US bank.

Address for Appointments:

    South Dakota Secretary of State
    500 East Capitol Avenue, Suite 204
    (Second Floor of the Capitol Building)
    Pierre, SD 57501

Please contact the Secretary of State Apostille Office at: [email protected] or (605)773-5008 with additional questions.