🇺🇸 United States·1961 Hague Convention·Code: CA · Seat: Sacramento
California Document Apostilles for Mexico
If your document was issued or signed in California, the apostille comes from California 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.
This is the office’s own timeline; international shipping and translation are on top of it.
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What to know about California
Details about this authority that prevent rejections and wasted trips:
Point 1
California has the largest population of Mexican origin in the U.S. Records from Los Angeles, the Central Valley or San Diego often end up at a Registro Civil in Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca or Baja California.
Point 2
Order the authorized certified copy. An “informational” copy carries a legend saying it cannot be used to establish identity, and a Mexican authority may reject it even with an apostille.
Point 3
The Secretary of State serves the public in Sacramento and in downtown Los Angeles (300 South Spring Street), handy if you live in Southern California or cross from Tijuana or Mexicali.
Point 4
Records come from the County Recorder/Clerk where the event took place or from CDPH in Sacramento. Confidential marriage certificates are only issued by the county that recorded them.
Point 5
By mail the apostille takes 3–5 business days plus transit; at the counter it is usually done the same day, with an extra handling fee.
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Vital records (CA)
California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Vital Records & 58 County Clerk-Recorders
Location: CDPH Vital Records, MS 5103, PO Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
Note: Counties usually issue faster than CDPH. In Los Angeles, the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk is at 12400 Imperial Hwy, Norwalk, CA 90650. Always ask for the authorized copy, not the informational one.
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Notaries public (CA)
Requirements for powers of attorney, affidavits and certified copies signed in California:
A California notary must use the acknowledgment or jurat wording required by California law; a certificate worded for another state or for Mexico may be rejected.
California notaries cannot certify copies of birth, marriage or death certificates; those copies come from the county or CDPH.
Mexican consulates in California can also execute powers of attorney before the consul; those need no apostille. A power signed before a California notary is apostilled in Sacramento or Los Angeles.
Documents
California documents often apostilled for Mexico
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Birth certificate (authorized certified copy) from the county or CDPH
Apostille: California Secretary of State
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Marriage certificate, including confidential marriages
Apostille: California Secretary of State
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Divorce judgment certified by the Superior Court
Apostille: California Secretary of State
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Powers of attorney signed before a California notary
Apostille: California Secretary of State
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Death certificates for estates in Mexico
Apostille: California Secretary of State
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Diplomas and transcripts from California universities and colleges
Apostille: California Secretary of State
How we do it
Your California 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
Order the authorized copy
From the County Recorder where the event took place or from CDPH. In Los Angeles, the county office is in Norwalk.
2
Check the details
Compare names, surnames and dates with your passport or Mexican record; a mismatched surname can stall a registration at the Registro Civil.
3
Apostille in Sacramento or Los Angeles
The California Secretary of State issues it by mail (3–5 business days plus transit) or at the counter.
4
Certified translation
In Mexico, a perito traductor translates the record together with the apostille. In Baja California, Jalisco or elsewhere, ask whether a translator approved by the local court is required.
5
File your request
Go to your appointment with the apostilled original, the translation and any copies the office asks for.
Shall we start with your document?
We handle shipping to California 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 California documents are filed
With the apostille and a translation by a perito, California documents are usually filed with:
Registro Civil in Baja California, Jalisco, Michoacán and other states: entering births and marriagesRegistro Civil: marriage of a U.S. citizen to a Mexican nationalNotarios públicos: powers of attorney to sell, buy or manage property in MexicoSEP or the state education authority: recognition of degrees earned in CaliforniaFamily and civil courts: divorce, custody and estates
Frequently asked questions
Questions about California apostilles
What people ask us about documents from California:
Can I get my California record apostilled at the Mexican consulate in Los Angeles?
No. Mexican consulates do not issue apostilles. What they can do is register births and marriages or execute powers of attorney before the consul, which need no apostille. If your procedure will take place in Mexico, the record is apostilled by the California Secretary of State.
My copy says “informational”. Will it work?
Better not to risk it. An informational copy states that it cannot establish identity, and a Mexican authority may refuse it. Order the authorized certified copy from the county or CDPH.
I live in Tijuana and my birth certificate is from San Diego. Which office is closest?
The California Secretary of State has a counter in downtown Los Angeles as well as Sacramento. The certified copy itself is ordered from the San Diego County Recorder.
How long does a California apostille take?
By mail, 3–5 business days plus transit. At the Sacramento or Los Angeles counter it is usually ready the same day. Add shipping to Mexico and the certified translation.
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 California 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.