Las Vegas Mobile Notary

An Apostille is an official certificate issued by the Nevada Secretary of State that verifies the authenticity of a public document so it can be recognized in another country. For family and legal matters, it confirms that records such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, powers of attorney, and court orders are valid abroad under the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961.

Common family-related documents that often require Apostille authentication include:

• Birth certificates (dual citizenship, immigration, foreign school enrollment)

• Marriage certificates (name changes, spousal visas, international registration)

• Adoption and guardianship documents (international recognition)

• Death certificates (estate, inheritance, and insurance matters overseas)

Each record must be a certified copy issued by the appropriate Nevada authority.

Nevada allows many legal documents to be apostilled, including:

• Divorce decrees and custody judgments

• Certified court orders and probate rulings

• Powers of attorney

• Affidavits, sworn statements, and letters of consent

These documents prove legal authority, status, or consent for use within foreign legal systems.

All Apostilles for Nevada-originating documents are issued by the Nevada Secretary of State in Carson City. The office verifies the signatures and seals of Nevada notaries, court clerks, and government officials before attaching the Apostille.

If your destination country is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, the document cannot receive an Apostille. Instead, the document must go through a two-stage process:

1. State authentication

2. Foreign embassy or consulate legalization

This is called consular legalization, and it replaces the Apostille for non-Hague countries.

Yes. Certified copies of birth and death certificates issued by:

• The Nevada Office of Vital Records, or

• The Clark County Recorder’s Office

are eligible for Apostille. Only certified copies with the proper raised seal and authorized signature are accepted.

Yes. Nevada court documents—including divorce decrees, custody orders, judgments, and rulings—can be apostilled only if they are certified copies signed by the court clerk and embossed with the official court seal.

A notarization verifies a signature.
A certification verifies a copy or record.
An Apostille verifies that the official who signed or sealed the document is legally authorized under Nevada law. It is an international validation that allows the document to be used in all Hague Convention countries without additional embassy steps.

An Apostille does not expire.
However, some foreign governments require recent certified copies (often within 3–12 months). The Apostille remains valid as long as the underlying document is accepted by the receiving country.

• Birth & Death Certificates: Clark County Recorder or Nevada Office of Vital Records

• Marriage Certificates: Clark County Clerk

• Divorce Decrees & Custody Orders: Eighth Judicial District Court (Family Division)

• Adoption & Guardianship Papers: Nevada courts or DHHS, depending on the case

Documents must be obtained directly from the issuing agency before being submitted for Apostille.

Processing times vary depending on workload and submission method. Standard processing by mail may take several days to a few weeks. Using a local service helps avoid errors and shortens the total turnaround time by ensuring your documents are correct before submission.

Yes. Any notarized document must include:

• Correct Nevada notarial wording

• A legible notary seal

• The notary’s signature matching their state records

• No blank spaces or incomplete fields

Improper notarization is one of the top reasons Nevada documents get rejected for Apostille.

Only if they are:

• Certified copies issued by a Nevada court or agency (for records), or

• Copies certified by a Nevada notary using proper Nevada notarial language

Regular photocopies with no certification cannot be apostilled.