# Apostille in West Virginia

- **Source:** https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/west-virginia/
- **Title:** Apostille in West Virginia — United States | Andrii Co.
- **Language:** en · also published as Markdown at /{lang}/handbook/apostille/us/west-virginia/index.md for: en

> Apostille guide for West Virginia, United States: the competent authority is West Virginia Secretary of State (Apostilles and Authentications, Charleston). Verified 2026-08-09.

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 is marked "(unverified)" — 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.

- **Jurisdiction:** West Virginia, United States
- **Verified as of:** August 9, 2026

## Who issues the apostille

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)
- **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
- **From the source:** Notarized documents: proper notarial certificate, notary's original signature, and rubber stamp seal

## Certifications you may need first

No additional certification step is required before the apostille.

## The request form

A PDF request form. Form: Form AC-1 (Apostille and Certification Request) Download: https://sos.wv.gov/media/225/download?inline=

## Requesting online

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 Open for walk-in service. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET Same-day service is offered. Appointments not mentioned; same-day (minutes)

## What it costs

- **$10.00 USD** per document — "$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 document — Applies to: additional 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.
- 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)
- Returned by regular USPS unless prepaid express/FedEx/UPS envelope enclosed

## Checking status and verifying an apostille

- **Verification register:** http://apps.sos.wv.gov/validation/ — Official Document Validation

## Remote online notarization

- 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:** 2021-06-17
- **Registration:** 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
- **Remote act cap:** $10.00 USD
- **Standard notarial act cap:** $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)

> **RCW 42.45.230(5):** I am not an attorney licensed to practice law in this state. I am not allowed to draft legal records, give advice on legal matters, including immigration, or charge a fee for those activities.

## Other United States jurisdictions (Markdown)

- [Apostille in Federal](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/federal/index.md)
- [Apostille in Federal courts](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/federal-courts/index.md)
- [Apostille in Consular records (CRBA)](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/consular-records/index.md)
- [Apostille in Alabama](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/alabama/index.md)
- [Apostille in Alaska](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/alaska/index.md)
- [Apostille in American Samoa](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/american-samoa/index.md)
- [Apostille in Arizona](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/arizona/index.md)
- [Apostille in Arkansas](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/arkansas/index.md)
- [Apostille in California](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/california/index.md)
- [Apostille in Colorado](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/colorado/index.md)
- [Apostille in Connecticut](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/connecticut/index.md)
- [Apostille in Delaware](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/delaware/index.md)
- [Apostille in District of Columbia](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/district-of-columbia/index.md)
- [Apostille in Florida](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/florida/index.md)
- [Apostille in Georgia](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/georgia/index.md)
- [Apostille in Guam](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/guam/index.md)
- [Apostille in Hawaii](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/hawaii/index.md)
- [Apostille in Idaho](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/idaho/index.md)
- [Apostille in Illinois](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/illinois/index.md)
- [Apostille in Indiana](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/indiana/index.md)
- [Apostille in Iowa](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/iowa/index.md)
- [Apostille in Kansas](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/kansas/index.md)
- [Apostille in Kentucky](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/kentucky/index.md)
- [Apostille in Louisiana](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/louisiana/index.md)
- [Apostille in Maine](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/maine/index.md)
- [Apostille in Maryland](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/maryland/index.md)
- [Apostille in Massachusetts](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/massachusetts/index.md)
- [Apostille in Michigan](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/michigan/index.md)
- [Apostille in Minnesota](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/minnesota/index.md)
- [Apostille in Mississippi](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/mississippi/index.md)
- [Apostille in Missouri](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/missouri/index.md)
- [Apostille in Montana](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/montana/index.md)
- [Apostille in Nebraska](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/nebraska/index.md)
- [Apostille in Nevada](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/nevada/index.md)
- [Apostille in New Hampshire](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/new-hampshire/index.md)
- [Apostille in New Jersey](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/new-jersey/index.md)
- [Apostille in New Mexico](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/new-mexico/index.md)
- [Apostille in New York](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/new-york/index.md)
- [Apostille in North Carolina](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/north-carolina/index.md)
- [Apostille in North Dakota](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/north-dakota/index.md)
- [Apostille in Northern Mariana Islands](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/northern-mariana-islands/index.md)
- [Apostille in Ohio](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/ohio/index.md)
- [Apostille in Oklahoma](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/oklahoma/index.md)
- [Apostille in Oregon](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/oregon/index.md)
- [Apostille in Pennsylvania](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/pennsylvania/index.md)
- [Apostille in Puerto Rico](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/puerto-rico/index.md)
- [Apostille in Rhode Island](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/rhode-island/index.md)
- [Apostille in South Carolina](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/south-carolina/index.md)
- [Apostille in South Dakota](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/south-dakota/index.md)
- [Apostille in Tennessee](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/tennessee/index.md)
- [Apostille in Texas](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/texas/index.md)
- [Apostille in U.S. Virgin Islands](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/us-virgin-islands/index.md)
- [Apostille in Utah](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/utah/index.md)
- [Apostille in Vermont](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/vermont/index.md)
- [Apostille in Virginia](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/virginia/index.md)
- [Apostille in Washington](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/washington/index.md)
- [Apostille in Wisconsin](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/wisconsin/index.md)
- [Apostille in Wyoming](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/wyoming/index.md)

## All jurisdictions (Markdown)

- [Apostille requirements, jurisdiction by jurisdiction](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/index.md)

## Other pages on this site (Markdown)

- [All international document services. One stop location in Washington state.](https://andrii.co/en/index.md)
- [Mobile notary and expedited apostille for Greater Seattle](https://andrii.co/en/notary/index.md)
- [Book a notary or apostille appointment](https://andrii.co/en/notary/booking/index.md)
- [Form I-9 verification, done in person and on time](https://andrii.co/en/notary/i9/index.md)
- [Washington State apostille](https://andrii.co/en/apostille/index.md)
- [Service of process, served right and proven on paper.](https://andrii.co/en/service-of-process/index.md)
- [We chase the record so you don't have to.](https://andrii.co/en/vital-records/index.md)
- [A real address that answers your mail and tells you about it.](https://andrii.co/en/registered-agent/index.md)
- [A local face in Washington](https://andrii.co/en/commercial-representation/index.md)
- [Privacy notice](https://andrii.co/en/privacy/index.md)
- [Terms of Service](https://andrii.co/en/terms/index.md)

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