Grand Rapids joins Lansing, Detroit in providing service

OCTOBER 23, 2006

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land today announced that residents needing to authenticate documents for overseas transactions, such as an adoption, now have three locations to choose from - Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing.

The Grand Rapids Area SUPER!Center in the Centerpointe Mall at 3665 28th St. is the most recent site to provide the service. It joins the Office of the Great Seal in Lansing and the Detroit New Center SUPER!Center in helping residents certify documents intended for use in foreign countries.

"With the excitement of planning a foreign adoption, the last thing you want is to wait to get documents certified," Land said. "With the availability of in-person document certification in the Grand Rapids area, customers living in West Michigan now have easier access to an important service they'd otherwise have to travel to Lansing to obtain."

Foreign exchange students and residents who are arranging overseas marriages or foreign adoptions are the primary users of document certification. About 80 percent of the transactions are related to foreign adoptions.

The Office of the Great Seal certifies about 50,000 documents annually. In 2005, about one-third of the mail and in-person transactions requesting document certification came from Grand Rapids and surrounding communities.

"Offering this service regionally is in keeping with our commitment to provide local customers with services when and where they're needed. It's the philosophy behind our new SUPER!Centers and PLUS offices as well as the increased availability of our online services," Land said.

Certification attests to the authenticity of the signature of the official who signed a document and the capacity in which that official acted. Where appropriate, the identity of a seal or stamp that a document bears may also be certified.

The types of documents that are eligible for verification by the Secretary of State include certified copies of vital records (such as birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates) that were issued by one of the following:

• A Michigan county clerk or deputy county clerk;
• The Michigan state registrar;
• And certified copies of Articles of Incorporation issued by the director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth.

The cost is $1 for each document requiring certification and payment by cash, check, money order or Discover credit card is accepted.

Land reminds residents that they can obtain complete information about document certification and all other services through the department's Web site at www.Michigan.gov/sos. This site also helps customers determine fees and requirements before they visit a branch office. In addition, the online Branch Office Locator provides maps to local offices as well as information about hours and services.