United States

Apostille in Pennsylvania

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: Pennsylvania Department of State — Bureau of Notaries, Commissions & Legislation

Which documents this office will accept

From the source: Originals signed by the proper PA public official with seal; notarial certificates must be in English

By document type

Document type	What this office requires
county documents	must be signed by the clerk personally (not deputies)
marriage certificates	register of wills / clerk of orphans' court
death/birth certificates	certified by the State Registrar (Division of Vital Records)
diplomas, transcripts and criminal-record checks	must first be notarized by a PA notary

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://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dos/programs/document-certification/apostilles-and-authentication.pdf
From the source: Also available in Chinese and Spanish

Requesting online

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

Where to go in person

Harrisburg

Pennsylvania Department of State, Office of Notaries, Commissions & Legislation, 201 North Office Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120 (GPS: 401 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120)

Access

Open for walk-in service.

Appointments are also offered.

Hours

Not published for this office.

Cut-off

building doors locked after 3 p.m.

From the source

Walk-in and appointment both offered; same-day not stated

What it costs

Fee

$15.00 USD per document

$15.00 per document (per document, not per page)

How to pay

By mail

Check, money order, or cashier's check.

Make it payable to

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Copy that exactly as written.

From the source

Check, money order, cashier's check payable to "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania"; credit cards accepted (channel not itemized in source); cash no longer accepted for walk-in services (since Nov. 25, 2024)

Where to send your documents

Mailing address: Pennsylvania Department of State, Apostilles & Certifications, North Office Building, Room 201, 401 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0029

How long it takes

By mail: Mail: "typically, allow about two (2) to three (3) weeks" (excludes mailing time)
In person: In-person/appointment available, no timeframe stated
From the source: No expedited service stated

Checking status and verifying an apostille

Verify an issued apostille

https://www.notaries.pa.gov/Pages/Search.aspx

Verify certification by 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

57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1 (RULONA, Act 97 of 2020), effective Oct. 29, 2020 (temporary COVID authorization had begun Mar. 25, 2020 under Act 15/SB 841)

In force since

October 29, 2020

What the notary must register

Yes — notary must notify/apply to the Department of State before the first remote act and identify each communication technology to be used (57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(f)); DOS maintains an approved-vendor list; apply via the online Electronic/Remote Notarization Application (https://www.notaries.pa.gov/Pages/NotaryChangeApplication.aspx?AppType=3)

How the signer is identified

57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(b): (1) notary's personal knowledge; (2) oath/affirmation of a credible witness; or (3) identity proofing using at least two different types of identity-proofing processes or services (in practice credential analysis + dynamic KBA per DOS-approved technologies); statute itself does not name KBA/biometrics

Fee caps

Remote act: $20.00 USD

Standard notarial act: $5.00 USD

From the source

Max RON fee: "Electronic notaries public and remote notaries public may charge a fee in an amount not to exceed $20 per notarial act performed with respect to electronic records or using communication technology" (DOS fee schedule; 4 Pa. Code § 167.3, final regs at 56 Pa.B. 1672) — cap added by 2026 regulations (page updated Apr. 6, 2026). Standard fees itemized per act type: acknowledgment $5 (first name) + $2 each additional name; oath/affirmation $5 per individual; verification on oath $5; witnessing/attesting signature $5 per signature; certifying copy $5; noting protest $3 per page — maxStandardFeeCents carries the schedule's highest per-act rate ($5)

Every United States jurisdiction in this handbook

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

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