United States

Apostille in Alabama

Verified as of August 9, 2026

Everything below is transcribed from this office's own published sources and printed in its words. A value we could not confirm against an official page carries an unverified marker — but the absence of that marker is not a guarantee that a fact was checked, and the source's own doubts stay inside the notes reproduced here verbatim. Confirm fees, addresses and deadlines with the office before you send documents or money.

Who issues the apostille

Competent authority: Alabama Secretary of State — Authentications (Document Authentication)

Which documents this office will accept

From the source: Apostille: document must bear original signature and embossed (raised) or ink-stamped seal of a currently commissioned Alabama notary public, probate judge, or the current State Registrar

By document type

Document type	What this office requires
birth/death certificates	must be issued/signed by the State Registrar

Certifications you may need first

Non-Hague certifications of notarized documents ONLY

Applies to: Non-Hague certifications of notarized documents ONLY — not required for Hague apostilles

County probate judge (county authentication of the notary's commission)
Non-Hague certification: signature/seal of a currently commissioned Alabama probate judge, circuit clerk, or State Registrar; notarized documents additionally require county authentication of the notary's commission (probate judge)

Complete these before the apostille request itself.

The request form

Form: A PDF request form.
Where to get it: https://www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/form-files/AUTHENTICATION%20SUBMITTAL%20FORM.pdf

Requesting online

Online route: There is no online request route — this office takes requests on paper.
From the source: Printable submittal form only

Where to go in person

Montgomery unverified

11 S. Union St., Ste. 200, Montgomery, AL 36104

Access: Visits are by appointment.
Hours: Not published for this office.
From the source: In-person submission only by prior phone arrangement (call 334-242-5325); same-day not stated. Address per current submittal form; unverified on a live .gov page — older references show 100 S. Union St., Suite 224, Montgomery, AL 36130 and P.O. Box 5616, Montgomery, AL 36103

“Unverified” marks a value we could not confirm against an official page. Facts without the marker are not therefore audited — always confirm money and addresses with the office before you send anything.

What it costs

Fee

$5.00 USD per document

"The authentication fee is $5.00 per document."

How to pay

By mail

Check or money order.

Make it payable to

Secretary of State

Copy that exactly as written.

From the source

Check or money order payable to "Secretary of State" (per submittal form); credit card option referenced on form (unverified)

Where to send your documents unverified

Mailing address: Secretary of State, Document Authentication, 11 S. Union St., Ste. 200, Montgomery, AL 36104
From the source: Per submittal form; unverified on live page

How long it takes

By mail: Mail: "Allow five business days for documents to be processed by our office" (per submittal form)
In person: Immediate/in-person service: "please call for information to submit your documents in person" (334-242-5325)
From the source: No published expedited tier

Checking status and verifying an apostille

Verify an issued apostille: No public verification register is published for this office. That is not the same as an apostille being unverifiable — ask the office how it confirms one.
Check a request's status: No status-tracking page is published for this office.

Remote online notarization

Status

Remote online notarization is permitted here.

Legal basis

Code of Ala. § 36-20-73.1 (Act 2021-319 / SB 275), effective July 1, 2021

In force since

July 1, 2021

What the notary must register

No — remote notarial acts performed under the existing Notary Public commission; no notification to the county probate judge or Secretary of State required

How the signer is identified

Per § 36-20-73.1(e): (a) notary's personal knowledge of the signer, OR (b) two valid government-issued IDs (at least one bearing face/signature) PLUS verification through review of public or private data sources (e.g., mortgage records, utility bills, voter ID documents, credit reports). No formal KBA/credential-analysis/biometric regime prescribed; no credible-witness pathway specified for remote acts

Fee caps

Remote act: $10.00 USD

Standard notarial act: $10.00 USD