The Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, revolutionized how documents are recognized between member countries. Before this treaty, using a document outside the United States often involved a tedious, multi-step "chain" of authentications .
The Convention established the apostille system. An apostille is a standardized certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document. It confirms that the document was issued by a legitimate authority and bears an authentic signature and seal. It does not authenticate the content of the document itself.
Member countries agree to accept apostilled documents from other member countries without further legalization. This saves time, money, and frustration. Today, more than 120 countries participate in the Hague Convention, including most of Europe, the Americas, and many Asian nations.
For documents in North Carolina, the competent authority to issue apostilles is the Secretary of State's office . TLG Notary Services helps clients in Greensboro and surrounding counties determine whether their destination country is a Convention member and what steps are necessary. We provide guidance that saves you from costly mistakes.
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