Andrii Co.
Notary Public
United States

Apostille in West Virginia

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

West Virginia Secretary of State (Apostilles and Authentications, Charleston)

Which documents this office will accept

Copies

Documents must be originals or certified copies (plain copies cannot be certified)

From the source

Notarized documents: proper notarial certificate, notary's original signature, and rubber stamp seal

By document type

Document typeWhat this office requires
records obtainable from a WV officer (birth/marriage/death certificate, deed, will, license)

may not be notary-certified — must instead be a certified copy from the County Clerk, Circuit Clerk, or Registrar with original signature and raised impression seal

birth/death certificates

certified copies signed by the State Registrar or Clerk of the County Commission bearing the office stamp

Certifications you may need first

No additional certification step is required before the apostille.

The request form

Form

A PDF request form.

Form number

Form AC-1 (Apostille and Certification Request)

Requesting online

Online route

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

Where to go in person

Charleston

West Virginia Secretary of State, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Bldg. 1, Ste. 157-K, State Capitol Complex, Charleston, WV 25305
Access

Open for walk-in service.

Hours

Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET

Same-day service

Available.

From the source

Appointments not mentioned; same-day (minutes)

What it costs

FeeApplies toDetails
$10.00 USD per documentAll documents

"$10 for each certification required, unless the order includes multiple documents certified by the same public official. In that case, the first document to be certified by one official is $10, and all additional documents are $5 each."

$5.00 USD per documentadditional documents certified by the same public official

First document per official $10, all additional documents $5 each

How to pay

By mail

Check or money order.

Make it payable to

WV Secretary of State

Copy that exactly as written.

From the source

Check or money order for the exact amount payable to "WV Secretary of State"

Where to send your documents

Mailing address
West Virginia Secretary of State, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Bldg. 1, Ste. 157-K, Charleston, WV 25305

How long it takes

By mail

Mail: "We make every attempt to process filings within 48 business hours" (plus return mail; returned by regular USPS unless prepaid express/FedEx/UPS envelope enclosed)

In person

In person: "usually within a matter of minutes, depending on the number of documents" (same-day)

Getting your documents back

Returned by regular USPS unless prepaid express/FedEx/UPS envelope enclosed

Checking status and verifying an apostille

Verify an issued apostille

http://apps.sos.wv.gov/validation/

Official Document Validation

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

W. Va. Code §§ 39-4-37 (remote "online" notarization) and 39-4-38 (remote "ink" notarization), both effective June 17, 2021

In force since

June 17, 2021

What the notary must register

Yes — before performing the first remote notarial act, the notary must notify the Secretary of State and identify the technologies to be used (WVC 39-4-37(g)); no registration fee

How the signer is identified

Remote online (39-4-37(c)): personal knowledge; OR oath/affirmation of a credible witness; OR two different forms of identity proofing (third-party verification via public/private data sources — i.e., KBA and credential analysis). Remote ink (39-4-38(a)): personal knowledge; government-issued unexpired photo ID; credible witness; or two identity proofing methods

Fee caps

Remote act: $10.00 USD

Standard notarial act: $10.00 USD

From the source

Two distinct remote tracks: remote online (electronic record) and remote ink (paper record notarized remotely). Max RON fee: no separate statutory cap — the standard $10.00 per-act maximum applies (no remote-specific fee in WVC 39-4-30). Max standard fee: $10.00 per signature notarized; $10.00 per 8.5x11 page for certified facsimiles; "$10.00 for any other notarial act performed" (WVC 39-4-30). (NNA page quoted $5.00 for facsimile certification — current official code says $10.00; official code controls)

Every United States jurisdiction in this handbook

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

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