United States

Apostille in Montana

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: Montana Secretary of State — Notary & Certifications Division

Which documents this office will accept

From the source: Notarized documents can be pre-checked free by emailing the Notary Division before submission (recently issued certified copies need no pre-check; submit via Montana File Transfer System)

By document type

Document type	What this office requires
vital records (birth/death)	certified copies from Montana Office of Vital Records or County Clerk & Recorder
marriage/divorce/court records	certified copies from County Clerk of District Court

Certifications you may need first

No additional certification step is required before the apostille.

The request form

Form: A PDF request form.
Where to get it: https://sosmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/notary-certification-request-form.pdf

Requesting online

Online route: Part of the request is made online; the documents themselves still reach the office on paper.
Where: https://biz.sosmt.gov/forms/apostille

Where to go in person

Helena

Secretary of State's Office, Room 260, Montana State Capitol Building, Helena, MT

Access: Visits are by appointment.
Hours: Not published for this office.
Same-day service: Available.
From the source: Courier: 1301 E. 6th Ave, Helena, MT 59601; 406-444-1877. Drop-off (pre-checked documents) and walk-in by advance appointment with same-day service ("Appointments for walk-in, same day service must be made in advance")

What it costs

Fee

$10.00 USD per document

"$10 per document/notarization, regardless of the number of pages." (multiple notarizations by different notaries on one document may incur separate charges)

How to pay

By mail: Check or money order.
In person: Check or money order.
Online: Card payment.
Make it payable to: Not published. This office accepts a mailed check or money order but prints no payee name — confirm the payee on the official request form before you write it.
From the source: Online portal: credit or debit card. Mail/in person: check or money order; cash not accepted. Payee string not published in the source block

Where to send your documents

By U.S. Mail: Notary & Certifications Division, Montana Secretary of State's Office, PO Box 202801, Helena, MT 59620-2801
By courier: 1301 E. 6th Ave, Helena, MT 59601

How long it takes

By mail: Standard (mail/drop-off): "3 – 5 business days from receipt"
In person: Walk-in same-day service available by advance appointment only
From the source: Requests held max 90 days

Checking status and verifying an apostille

Verify an issued apostille

https://biz.sosmt.gov/apostille

Search by apostille number

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

MCA Title 1, ch. 5 (RULONA), incl. MCA 1-5-615 (electronic notarization system / communication technology; en. Ch. 391, L. 2015; amd. Ch. 123, L. 2019) and MCA 1-5-602(26), 1-5-603(12), 1-5-620; NNA cites July 1, 2020 as when education requirements took effect (exact effective date of full RON authorization not confirmed on an official page — unverified)

What the notary must register

Yes — "Before a notary public performs the notary public's initial notarial act using an electronic notarization system or a communication technology, a notary public shall: notify the secretary of state..." (MCA 1-5-615); must select approved system(s)/technology, complete the technology provider's approved course of instruction, pass an exam, and submit documentation to the Secretary of State; SOS maintains approved-vendor list (Amrock, Blend, DocuSign, NotaryCam, Snapdocs, 20+ others)

How the signer is identified

Personal knowledge; credible witness (via communication technology); or approved multi-factor technologies per MCA 1-5-603(12)(c): dynamic knowledge-based authentication (DKBA), public key certificate, identity proofing, credential analysis with remote presentation, blockchain; notary has "final authority to accept or deny the identification for any remote or RON transaction"

Fee caps

Standard notarial act: $10.00 USD

No maximum fee is recorded here for a remote act. A missing cap is not the same as “no cap” — the reason is in the notes below.

From the source

No fixed statutory RON cap — notaries "may charge a 'reasonable' fee to cover the cost of performing a remote or remote online notarization, if the fee is agreed to by the signer in advance" (MT SOS Help Center). Standard: "Notaries may charge up to $10 for performing an acknowledgment, witnessing a signature, verifying on oath or affirmation, certifying a transcript or certifying a copy or any of the other notarial acts enumerated in 1-5-603, MCA." Travel fees allowed "at the rate authorized by the IRS". Extra fee may be charged for copies of journal entries or A/V recordings

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