Do it yourself

In the State of Maryland, apostilles are issued by the office of John P. McDonough, Maryland Secretary of State in Annapolis.

Documents submitted for apostille must comply with the following guidelines:

  • Notarized documents must be certified by the County Circuit clerk in the county where the notary is registered and they need to include notary signature confirming the identity of the person signing the documents.
  • To apostille birth and death certificates issued in Maryland you need original certified copies signed by Julia Davidson Randall or Geneva Sparks, the currently acceptable state registrars.
  • Divorce decrees and other court documents presented for apostille must be certified by a Maryland clerk of the Circuit Court.
  • School records such as transcripts or diplomas issued by a university of Maryland such as Johns Hopkins University, Towson University, University of Baltimore and others, need to be copies issued by the school registrar’s office, notarized and certified by the county clerk.

New copies of vital records can be obtained from www.vitalchek.com.

Apostille Maryland contacts:

Visit in person or mail documents to:
Maryland Secretary of State
Certifications Desk
16 Francis Street, Jeffrey Building, 1st Floor, Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone:  (410) 974-5521
Website: http://www.sos.state.md.us/Certifications/Certifications.html
Email: acowley@sos.state.md.us

Price and processing time:

Price is $5 per apostille with payment to the “Maryland Secretary of State”.
Processing time is same-day counter service or 2 days for mailed orders.