How do I get a document Apostilled in New York City? Here is the quick and efficient answer, and by far the least expensive solution – do you it yourself!
The requirement to have a document apostilled is normally required when a local document is going to be used in a foreign country.
The process is often thought to the complicated and expensive, requiring an outsourced solution such as the UPS Store on Nassau Street https://locations.theupsstore.com/ny/new-york/82-nassau-st/apostille The UPS store downtown will professionally handle the process from end to end successfully and fairly quickly, but do to the numerous steps in the process, the UPS Store will charge a significant amount of money for their services.
For complex situations it may be appropriate to hire a professional firm, but in almost all cases the process can be handled without outside assistance.
The steps are as follows:
Step One – Get the document notarized
- The document has to be notarized with all of the proper endorsements from a New York registered notary.
- Where the notary is based is critically important for the next step (Having the County Clerk of Courts Authenticate the notary signature). Please note which county the notary is registered in, because you will need to go to the notaries home county court for authentication.
- The next step is going to the county court to get the notary signature verified
Step Two – Get the notary stamp/signature authenticated at the County Court
- The document and notary signature need to be verified by the County Clerk in the county where the notary is registered.
- Important – If the notary is not registered in the county where the court is located, the clerk will not verify the signature.
- Tip: The easiest way to complete the notarization and verification process is to bring the document directly to the Manhattan Court House at 60 Centre Street in Manhattan to the Manhattan County Clerks Office. The Manhattan County Clerks Office will both notarize and verify the notarization all in one step. THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY TO COMPLETE STEP ONE AND STEP TWO. IF TWO PEOPLE NEED TO SIGN, BOTH PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO THE CLERKS OFFICE TOGETHER.
- Payment at the county clerks office can be made via cash, credit or debit card, so no need to obtain money orders.
- Please note you can obtain the verification at other courts, but given the Manhattan County Clerks proximity to the Department of State, the Manhattan County Clerk at 60 Centre Street is by far the easiest option.
Step Three – Get the Document Apostilled at the New York Department of State (123 Williams Street Manhattan)
- Normally states only apostille documents in the state capital, but given the demand for apostilled documents in New York City, the New York Department of State has a location dedicated to Apostilling documents at 123 Williams Street in Manhattan. (the location closes at 3:30 – so plan on getting there by 2:30 if you want same day service)
- Each document requires payment of a $10 fee. The fee must be paid via a money order, so make sure you have the exact correct form of payment before heading to the Department of State. YOU CAN NOT PAY WITH CASH OR CREDIT CARDS