One of the most common questions we receive is the difference between an apostille and authentication. This distinction is crucial when you need to use documents outside the United States. Let's clear up the confusion.
An apostille is a certificate issued by the North Carolina Secretary of State that authenticates the origin of a public document. It applies to documents being sent to countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961 . More than 120 countries are members of this convention, which simplified the document legalization process for international use.
Authentication, on the other hand, is a more involved process for documents going to non-Hague Convention countries. It typically involves multiple steps: notarization, state-level certification, and then certification by the U.S. Department of State or the embassy of the destination country.
For North Carolina documents, the apostille process involves submitting your original or certified document with a cover letter and fee to the Secretary of State's office. TLG Notary Services can guide you through this process, ensuring your documents are correctly prepared. We serve counties throughout the Piedmont Triad region.
Add comment
Comments