🇺🇸 United States·1961 Hague Convention·Code: AZ · Seat: Phoenix
Arizona Document Apostilles for Mexico
If your document was issued or signed in Arizona, the apostille comes from Arizona Secretary of State. We prepare the submission, follow it up and arrange the translation by a perito so you can file it in Mexico without leaving the country.
Authority that issues the apostille
Arizona Secretary of State
Business Services Division - Apostilles & Authentications
This is the office’s own timeline; international shipping and translation are on top of it.
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What to know about Arizona
Details about this authority that prevent rejections and wasted trips:
Point 1
Arizona borders Sonora: many families have roots on both sides, and many Arizonans own homes in Puerto Peñasco, San Carlos or Álamos.
Point 2
In Mexico’s restricted zone (the coastal and border strip) a foreigner buys through a bank trust (fideicomiso) or a Mexican company. If you cannot travel for the signing, a power of attorney signed in Arizona, apostilled and translated, lets someone sign for you in Sonora.
Point 3
For dual nationality, a child born in Arizona to a Mexican parent can be registered at a Mexican consulate in the state or entered at a Registro Civil in Sonora, which asks for the birth certificate apostilled and translated.
Point 4
In Arizona, marriage licenses and certificates are issued by the county Clerk of the Superior Court, not the health department.
Point 5
The state fee is $3 per apostille. With the optional expedite fee you are served at the counter in Phoenix or Tucson.
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Vital records (AZ)
Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Bureau of Vital Records
Location: 1818 W Adams St, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Note: Births and deaths: certified copy from ADHS or the county vital records office (e.g. Maricopa or Pima). Marriages are not kept here: order them from the Clerk of the Superior Court.
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Notaries public (AZ)
Requirements for powers of attorney, affidavits and certified copies signed in Arizona:
Arizona notaries cannot certify copies of birth or death certificates; the copy must come from ADHS or the county.
A power of attorney to buy, sell or manage property in Sonora should be drafted with the receiving Mexican notario in mind; ask them to review the wording before you sign in Arizona.
The Arizona Secretary of State only apostilles signatures of notaries commissioned in Arizona; a notary from another state is apostilled in that state.
Documents
Arizona documents often apostilled for Mexico
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Birth certificate from ADHS or the county
Apostille: Arizona Secretary of State
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Marriage certificate from the Clerk of the Superior Court
Apostille: Arizona Secretary of State
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Divorce decree certified by the Superior Court
Apostille: Arizona Secretary of State
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Powers of attorney for bank trusts and property sales in Sonora
Apostille: Arizona Secretary of State
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Death certificates for estates with property in Mexico
Apostille: Arizona Secretary of State
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Diplomas and transcripts from Arizona institutions
Apostille: Arizona Secretary of State
How we do it
Your Arizona paperwork, step by step
You do not have to queue or ship documents to another country on your own. We tell you which copy you need, send it to the authority, receive the apostille and arrange the translation for the Mexican office.
1
Get the source document
A birth certificate from ADHS or the county, a marriage certificate from the Clerk of the Superior Court, or a power of attorney signed before an Arizona notary.
2
For a power of attorney, check it with Mexico first
Send the draft to the notario or trustee bank in Sonora so they can confirm the wording works before you sign.
3
Apostille in Phoenix or Tucson
The Arizona Secretary of State issues it by mail or at the counter with the optional expedite fee.
4
Certified translation
A perito traductor translates the document and the apostille; in Sonora, check whether a translator approved by the state court is required.
5
Signing or registration in Mexico
The notario, bank or Registro Civil adds the document to its file; a power of attorney is usually formalized (protocolizado) by the notario.
Shall we start with your document?
We handle shipping to Arizona Secretary of State, the government fees and the translation by a perito.
🔒 Orders are placed securely on our main booking site: fbibackgroundcheck.co.uk
🏛️ Offices in Mexico where Arizona documents are filed
With the apostille and a translation by a perito, Arizona documents are usually filed with:
Notarios públicos in Sonora and other states: sales, bank trusts and estatesTrustee banks: setting up or changing beneficiaries of restricted-zone trustsRegistro Civil in Sonora: entering births and marriagesSonora’s Education Department or SEP: recognition of studiesCourts: probate when the owner of property in Mexico dies in Arizona
Frequently asked questions
Questions about Arizona apostilles
What people ask us about documents from Arizona:
Can I apostille an Arizona record in Nogales, Sonora?
No. No Mexican office can apostille an Arizona document. Only the Arizona Secretary of State issues the apostille, in Phoenix or Tucson.
I am buying a house in Puerto Peñasco. Which Arizona documents need an apostille?
If you sign in person in Mexico, you are usually asked for your passport and, depending on the case, immigration documents, not apostilled records. If someone will sign for you, you need a power of attorney signed before an Arizona notary, apostilled and translated. If you are married and your spouse is involved, the notario may also ask for an apostilled marriage certificate.
Where do I order a marriage certificate in Arizona?
From the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where you got the license, not ADHS. That certified copy is the one that gets apostilled.
How much does an Arizona apostille cost and how long does it take?
The state fee is $3 per document; by mail it takes 3–5 business days, and at the counter, with the optional $25 expedite fee, it is ready the same day. Our quote lists official fees separately from our service.
Is your document from a state or province that is not listed? We handle it too. Write to us →
Working to a deadline?
Free review of your Arizona document
We check that your document is the right version, tell you if a prior step is needed (such as county certification) and send you the timeline and a quote before you pay.