Hawaii Apostille: How to Apply, Qualifying Documents, and Fees

To get a Hawaii apostille, send the original Hawaii-issued document, a completed application from the Lieutenant Governor’s online portal, and $3.00 per document to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Honolulu. Processing runs about seven to ten business days, and there is no expedited service.¹

Apostille or Certification

An apostille verifies the signature and seal on a public document so a foreign government will accept it, and it works only in countries that joined the 1961 Hague Convention.² For a country that is not a member, the Lieutenant Governor’s office issues a certification instead. Same process, same $3.00 fee, different label on the certificate.¹

Confirm your destination country’s status before applying. If you pick the wrong type, the receiving government can reject the paperwork and you pay again.

Documents That Qualify

The Lieutenant Governor can only authenticate documents that originate in Hawaii, and each one must carry an official state seal or the signature of a recognized Hawaii official or notary.¹

Birth, marriage, and death certificates issued by the Hawaii Department of Health.
Court records such as judgments, adoption decrees, and divorce certificates signed by a Hawaii circuit court clerk or judge.
Notarized papers like powers of attorney, affidavits, and corporate documents.
Diplomas and transcripts from Hawaii schools, usually after a school official’s signature is notarized.
Certifications and licenses issued by Hawaii state boards.

The office cannot touch federal documents. FBI background checks, immigration papers, and federal court records go to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.³ Documents from other states have to be authenticated by that state’s secretary of state or equivalent office.

Preparing the Document

Vital Records

If your Hawaii birth, death, or marriage certificate was issued on or after January 1, 2025, you can send it directly for an apostille. Anything issued before that date will be rejected, and you need to order a new certified copy from the Hawaii Department of Health first.¹ A valid-looking certificate from a few years ago will not do the job.

Notarized Documents

For anything that does not carry a state seal on its own, a Hawaii notary public has to notarize it first. The notary’s commission must be active on the signing date, the seal must be legible, and the acknowledgment or jurat must meet Hawaii standards. If the signature on file at the state does not match, the document comes back without an apostille.

Hawaii caps notary fees at $5.00 per signature for an acknowledgment and $5.00 for administering an oath.⁴

Diplomas, Transcripts, and Licenses

Diplomas and transcripts generally need a school official’s signature notarized by a Hawaii notary. The apostille verifies the notary, not the school. Professional licenses from state boards usually already carry a qualifying signature.

Applying and Paying

Fill out the application through the Lieutenant Governor’s online portal. You can pay by credit card during the online step or choose to pay later with cash, cashier’s check, or money order. Print the application page the system emails you and put it in the envelope with your documents. Personal checks are not accepted.⁵

Each document is $3.00. Count individual documents, not pages. A ten-page notarized contract is one document at $3.00. Two separate birth certificates are two documents at $6.00.¹

Prepaying by credit card tends to speed things up because the office does not have to process a separate payment on arrival.⁶

Where to Send It and How It Comes Back

Mail or drop off the package at:

Office of the Lieutenant Governor
State Capitol, 5th Floor
415 S. Beretania St.
Honolulu, HI 96813¹

Include the printed application, the original document, and your payment unless you prepaid online. By default the office returns finished documents by regular USPS mail to the address on your application. For FedEx, UPS, or any trackable service, enclose a self-addressed prepaid envelope or courier label.¹

Processing takes an estimated seven to ten business days. There is no rush option, and in-person drop-off does not get you a same-day turnaround.¹ Build that window into any international deadline.

Mistakes That Get Documents Rejected

A pre-2025 vital record is the most common reason packages come back right now. An expired notary commission is another frequent one: if the commission lapsed between signing and the office’s review, the document is returned. A smudged or missing notary seal does the same.

Sending a personal check instead of a cashier’s check or money order triggers a full return rather than a phone call. Photocopies and scans will not be accepted; the office needs the original certified copy or the original notarized document.

Translation

The apostille itself is in English and does not need to be translated before you submit the document. The receiving country may still require a certified translation of both the underlying document and the apostille into its official language. Get the apostille first, then have everything translated together, so the translator does not have to redo the work after the apostille is attached.

1
Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Apostilles and Certification of Documents
2
Hague Conference on Private International Law. Apostille Section
3
U.S. Department of State. Office of Authentications
4
Department of the Attorney General. Notary Public Manual
5
Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Apostilles and Certifications FAQs
6
Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Office of the Lieutenant Governor Launches New Online Portal for Apostilles and Certifications