Posted by Marion Fisher on 7/28/08 9:00pm
Msg #257398

can a notary do this? what is a "APOSTILLE"

Please tell me if you can put an apostille on a certified petition for name change.
thank you. (someone sent me an email stating the previous)

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 7/28/08 9:05pm
Msg #257399

Apostille is your SOS's authentication of your authority and good standing as a notary public ... you can't do this...you notarize their signature on the petition per your laws then they take the document and send it to the SOS for authentication (apostille) - there's a separate fee involved for that payable to the SOS...check your SOS website for the procedure they must follow.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 7/28/08 9:15pm
Msg #257401

Try this link

www.sos.ca.gov/business/notary/notary_authentication.htm

Reply by JanetK_CA on 7/28/08 11:18pm
Msg #257416

or call...

If you call the SOS number, one of the menu options gives a complete explanation of how someone goes about acquiring an apostille.

Reply by ZeeCA on 7/28/08 9:56pm
Msg #257410

what test are you taking? n/m

Reply by SharonMN on 7/29/08 10:11am
Msg #257454

You can notarize the signature. Then, in order to use the document in a foreign country that is a member of the Hague Convention, someone has to take/mail the document to the Secretary of State to get the Apostille. The Apostille is basically a stamp certifying that you're a real notary, because some guy in France or whatever may not know what a US notarization looks like. It helps prevent fraud.

You could offer the service of getting the Apostille if you felt like it - just find out what the SOS's fee and timeline is, and add an appropriate charge for your time. Legal couriers offer this service. But it's probably easier to just tell the signer to do it themselves.

One note about notarizations for foreign documents - in many countries, a notary is more like a lawyer or the Secretary of State, so make sure whatever you're doing in allowed under your state's notary laws.

FYI - If you ever need something signed for a country that's not a member of the Hague Convention, and you actually need to get the thing CONSULARIZED (sent to that country's consulate for authentication), that can be a real pain - they often have weird rules they won't tell you about (like "we don't accept UPS or FedEx packages) and it can be hard to figure out the procedure.