Illinois Apostille Services
Illinois documents intended for use abroad may require an apostille or Certificate of Authority before they can be accepted by a foreign government, school, court, employer, or other receiving institution.
The Illinois Secretary of State authenticates qualifying Illinois public records and documents properly notarized by an Illinois notary.
Global Apostille Group can review your Illinois document, identify the correct authentication route, and coordinate processing through completion.
Request a QuoteHow Illinois Documents Are Prepared
The correct authentication route depends on who issued the document and whose signature appears on it.
Certified Public Documents
Birth certificates, marriage records, divorce decrees, and other official records generally must be certified by the government office that maintains or originally filed the record.
Illinois-Notarized Records
Powers of attorney, affidavits, statements, translations, and similar private documents may qualify when properly notarized by a commissioned Illinois notary public.
Diplomas & Transcripts
An authorized school official must certify and sign the diploma or transcript in the presence of a notary, who then notarizes the school official’s statement.
Preparing an Illinois Document for Authentication
Illinois requires the submitted document to contain an eligible Illinois official signature or proper Illinois notarization. Certain records must come directly from the authority that maintains the original.
Submit the Original Qualifying Document
Illinois requires the document being authenticated to be an original qualifying record, certified document, or properly notarized original rather than an ordinary photocopy.
Use the Proper Illinois Certifying Official
Public records must bear the signature of an eligible Illinois official, such as a county clerk, local registrar, circuit clerk, or other authorized record custodian.
Properly Notarize Private Documents
Documents that are not certified public records may need to be properly notarized by a commissioned Illinois notary before authentication.
Identify the Destination Country
The destination determines whether Illinois issues an Apostille for a Hague Convention country or a Certificate of Authority for a non-Hague country.
An Illinois Apostille or Certificate confirms the authenticity and authority of the qualifying official or notary signature. It does not certify that the statements contained in the underlying document are true.
Have an Illinois Document for Use Abroad?
Send us the document type, issuing authority, and destination country. We can review the record and identify any certification or notarization requirements before processing.