An apostille is a certificate verifying the authenticity of the signature on a document. It is designed to enable public documents signed in one country to be recognized in another. There are three primary types of documents that require authentications: private (individual or corporate) documents; state/county-issued documents; and federally-issued documents. Learn more about the process for these types of documents on the US State Department website.

How to Apostille U.S. Court Documents for International Use

When your Suffolk County Court documents need to be used in a foreign jurisdiction, it is important that you follow the correct authentication process. Failure to do so may result in your documents being rejected by the foreign authority. If you have questions about the process for your specific situation, please contact the appropriate office or see our article about apostille for court documents.

The process for authenticating a document varies depending on the type of document and the foreign country in which it is to be used. The first step in the process is obtaining a notarization or certification of the signature on your document from an authorized official. This includes notaries, district attorneys, clerks of courts, clerks & recorders, and Vital Records Administrators.

After a document has been notarized or certified, it must be submitted to the Suffolk County Clerk for an apostille. If the document is to be used in a country that has joined the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, an apostille is required. For countries that are not part of the treaty, a certification will be issued and may require further Embassy Legalization before it can be used in a foreign jurisdiction.