An apostille has the same requirements, the same fee, and the same instructions as a Certificate of Authority. Apostilles cannot be issued for use in the United States.
The apostille is a creation of an international treaty, the Hague Convention of 1961. The United States of America joined the Hague Convention in 1981. The Convention provides for, among other things, the certification of public documents to be used in countries that have joined the Convention. In accordance with the provisions of the Convention, this office issues apostilles only for documents intended for use in foreign countries that also are signatories of the Convention. This document is the equivalent of a Certificate of Authority used in countries that are not participants in the Hague Treaty.
The objective for using an apostille is to establish a simplified system replacing a signature chain with a standard certificate bearing one signature abolishing the requirement for diplomatic or consular authentication of the certificate.
Signatories to the Convention may designate those authorities within their jurisdictions that may issue apostilles. The United States has authorized the Authentication Officer of the United States Department of State, clerks and deputy clerks of the federal courts, the secretaries of state (or their counterparts) of the various states, and designated officials in the United States territories to issue apostilles.
The Michigan Secretary of State is among the authorities in the United States of America authorized to issue an apostille as referred to in the Hague Treaty.
The Michigan Secretary of State has solely authorized the Office of the Great Seal to perform this function. The Office of the Great Seal may issue an apostille on documents issued by persons on file, including: Michigan notaries public, Michigan county clerks, designated deputy county clerks, city registrars (Wayne County only), and the Michigan state registrar.
No. Original signatures are required on all notarized documents. Stamped signatures, photocopied signatures, carbon copied or signature facsimiles are not accepted.
A true copy is an exact copy of a document with no alterations or changes.
A certified copy is a duplicate of an original document that is certified as a true copy by the officer having custody of the original. Michigan notaries are prohibited from issuing certified copies of any records or documents. Requests for certified copies should be directed to the agency that holds or issued the original.
No. Michigan notaries cannot make a statement on a copy of a document that it is a true copy of the original document. The notary can only acknowledge the signature of the person making the original or true copy statement on the document. In Michigan, only the issuer or holder (person named on the document) can certify to the authenticity of a document and that it is an original or true copy.
For example, an official from the school that issued a diploma can certify that a duplicate of the diploma is a true copy of the original diploma. Or, the person named on the diploma can make a true copy statement on a copy of his or her original diploma.
The Office of the Great Seal can only authenticate documents from: Michigan notaries public, Michigan county clerks and designated deputy county clerks, city clerk/registrar in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties only) and the Michigan State Registrar of Vital Records.
Documents from a court clerk, register of deeds or from other states can be authenticated, however, they must be notarized. Out of state vital records must be a certified copy.
Many notaries only perform notarial services in the course of their employment. Please check your local yellow pages or other advertising source to locate notaries public who may be available to assist you.
Notaries public are generally available at most county offices, such as a county clerk, as well as insurance company, credit union, bank and law offices. Notary public services are NOT provided by this office.
No, the Office of the Great Seal cannot authenticate original birth, death, marriage or divorce records. The record must be a certified document from the county clerk or Michigan state registrar. Vital records are available from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
You may appear in person at: Office of the Great Seal, Richard H. Austin Building 1st Floor, Lansing, MI 48918-1750 or visit one of the select offices.
Make an appointment at a select Secretary of State office
Or, you may mail your document(s) to: Department of State, Office of the Great Seal, 7064 Crowner Blvd., Lansing, MI 48918-1750
Please send the following:
No, requests are processed in date order received. Documents sent by courier service (UPS, FedEx, etc.), USPS express or priority mail are not processed any faster then the regular U.S. mail received.
Please have the following information:
The Office of the Great Seal does not have a list of resident agents. Section 1925 of the Revised Judicature Act of 1961 (MCL 600.1925) identifies which corporate officials or officers may be served. To obtain the list of corporate officers or officials, contact the agency or corporation directly.
Before submitting your documents for authentication:
If the document must be notarized, ensure that the notary includes:
If you are mailing your documents for authentication, be sure to enclose a pre-addressed and stamped return envelope for the delivery of your authenticated documents.
Information regarding corporations is furnished by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporation, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau. This agency may be contacted at 517-241-6470. If the business is not a corporation, contact the county clerk in the county where the business is located for d/b/a or assumed names.
Document certification services are now available at the Office of the Great Seal in Lansing and these offices:
Or, you may mail your document(s) to: Department of State, Office of the Great Seal, 7064 Crowner Blvd., Lansing, MI 48918-1750
Yes, the Office of the Great Seal can assist you. To access the information, you must provide the public act number and the year of the act that created the authority. You may be able to obtain this information and related matters from your local public library. Copies of public acts may be mailed or faxed for a fee.
The following Secretary of State offices offer document authentication and apostilles:
The Office of the Great Seal is authorized on behalf of the State of Michigan to certify and issue Certificates of Authority for:
Documents issued by court clerks or received via fax are not acceptable.
