United States

Apostille in Michigan

Verified as of

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

Michigan Department of State — Office of the Great Seal

Which documents this office will accept

Copies

Vital records: originals with original signatures; stamped/photocopied/facsimile signatures rejected

From the source

Notarized documents must show notary's full name, signature, date of notarization, commission expiration date, county of commission (and county of execution if different)

By document type

Document typeWhat this office requires
vital records

must be certified copies from the county clerk or Michigan state registrar

foreign-language documents

need a written English translation

Certifications you may need first

No additional certification step is required before the apostille.

The request form

Form

A PDF request form.

Requesting online

Online route

There is no online request route — this office takes requests on paper.

From the source

"Documents cannot be authenticated or apostilled by the Office of the Great Seal online."

Where to go in person

Lansing

Richard H. Austin Building, 430 W. Allegan Street, 1st Floor, Lansing, MI
Access

Visits are by appointment.

Hours

Mondays and Wednesdays 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.

From the source

Office of the Great Seal. All offices: "Authentications may be done by mail or in-person by appointment only"; scheduling: https://dsvsesvc.sos.state.mi.us/TAP/?Link=APPOINTMENT

Clinton Township

37015 Gratiot Avenue, Clinton Township, MI
Access

Visits are by appointment.

Hours

Not published for this office.

Detroit

3046 W. Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI
Access

Visits are by appointment.

Hours

Not published for this office.

From the source

New Center

Flint

G-5512 Fenton Road, Flint, MI
Access

Visits are by appointment.

Hours

Not published for this office.

Grand Rapids

3665 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI
Access

Visits are by appointment.

Hours

Not published for this office.

Lansing

3315 East Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI
Access

Visits are by appointment.

Hours

Not published for this office.

Livonia

17176 Farmington Road, Livonia, MI
Access

Visits are by appointment.

Hours

Not published for this office.

Marquette

2025 Highway 41 West, Marquette, MI
Access

Visits are by appointment.

Hours

Not published for this office.

Pontiac

1270 Pontiac Road, Pontiac, MI
Access

Visits are by appointment.

Hours

Not published for this office.

What it costs

Fee

$1.00 USD per document

"$1 per document" ("Fee is $1.00 per document")

How to pay

By mail

Check or money order.

Make it payable to

State of Michigan

Copy that exactly as written.

From the source

Check or money order payable to "State of Michigan"; no cash ("please do not send cash")

Where to send your documents

Mailing address
Michigan Department of State, Office of the Great Seal, 7064 Crowner Drive, Lansing, MI 48918
From the source

FAQ page renders it "7064 Crowner Blvd., Lansing, MI 48918-1750" — conflicting rendering across official pages. Include signed Authentication Request Form, payment, and self-addressed stamped return envelope

How long it takes

By mail

Mail: "1-2 weeks"; courier delivery (UPS/FedEx) does not speed processing

In person

In-person: by appointment (same-day completion not stated on official pages)

From the source

No expedited service — "requests are processed in date order received"

Getting your documents back

A self-addressed stamped envelope is required.

Include self-addressed stamped return envelope

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

MCL 55.286b (Michigan Law on Notarial Acts, as amended by 2018 PA 360); remote electronic notarization platform provisions effective March 30, 2019

In force since

March 30, 2019

What the notary must register

Yes — before performing electronic/remote notarial acts, notary must notify the Secretary of State and identify the electronic notarization system to be used (MCL 55.286(2)); submitted via the "Electronic and Remote Notary Request for Change" form with vendor documentation confirming enrollment; must use a Secretary of State–approved remote electronic notarization platform

How the signer is identified

Via SOS-approved RON platform using: credential analysis (third party affirms validity of an ID document through review of public/proprietary data sources, conducted remotely) and identity proofing (third party verifies identity through review of personal information from public/proprietary data sources, i.e., KBA-type check, conducted remotely). Personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence rules of the base statute also apply (unverified — exact combination requirement not restated on an official page)

Fee caps

Remote act: $10.00 USD

Standard notarial act: $10.00 USD

From the source

$10.00 RON cap — same cap as any notarial act; no separate RON fee in MCL 55.285. "The fee charged by a notary public for performing a notarial act shall not be more than $10.00 for any individual transaction or notarial act." (MCL 55.285(7)); separate travel fee may be agreed before travel. Fee must be disclosed (sign or verbal notice) before the act

Every United States jurisdiction in this handbook

Other countries: Canada — Federal — Global Affairs Canada · Mexico — Federal — Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB)

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