How to Apostille a Document in NJ: Steps, Fees, and Rejections

To apostille a document in NJ, you apply and pay through the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) online portal, then send or bring the original document to the Apostille Unit in Trenton. The base fee is $25 per document, and turnaround runs from about two hours in person to roughly 12–20 business days by mail.¹² An apostille authenticates a public document so it will be accepted in countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention.

What DORES Can Apostille

DORES can only apostille documents that bear the signature of a New Jersey public official or a New Jersey notary public. The document has to originate in New Jersey or be notarized by a New Jersey notary.³

Typical documents include vital records (birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates issued as certified copies by the NJ Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry); diplomas, degrees, and transcripts; and legal or corporate paperwork such as powers of attorney, affidavits, court records, and certificates of incorporation. Vital records dated before January 1, 1923 come from the New Jersey State Archives instead.³

One boundary to know upfront: federal documents, such as FBI background checks and federal court records, cannot be apostilled by New Jersey. Those go through the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.⁴

Preparing the Document

Every submission must be an original, a certified copy from the issuing agency, or a true notarized copy. Plain photocopies are rejected.⁵

Notarization

If the document is not already signed by a state official, a New Jersey notary public must notarize it, affixing an original ink signature and stamp. The notary’s commission must be active and verifiable in the state notary database at the time you submit; if it has lapsed, you have to get the document re-notarized.³⁵ Notaries can charge up to $2.50 per notarial act for standard documents, with higher caps for real estate transactions.⁶

County Clerk Certification

Documents notarized by a New Jersey notary, or signed by a county official, need an intermediate certification from the county clerk before DORES will process them. The clerk verifies the notary is in good standing, and the fee is $5.⁷ Documents signed by a state official (such as vital records from the Department of Health) skip this step and go straight to DORES.

Foreign-Language Documents

If your document is in a language other than English, DORES recommends attaching a notarized English translation. When a notarized translation is attached to a vital record, DORES treats it as a separate document, issues two apostilles, and charges two fees.³

Applying and Sending the Document

Start with the online application at njportal.com/dor/apostille. You pay during the application using e-check or credit card, and the portal generates an order confirmation sheet you must include with your document. DORES does not accept checks or money orders.²

Then choose a delivery method:

By mail (regular processing): Send the document and the printed confirmation to Apostille Unit, PO Box 452, Trenton, NJ 08646, using first-class, USPS Priority, or Certified Mail.
In person or by express courier (expedited or accelerated processing): Bring or ship to the DORES Customer Service Counter, 33 West State Street, 5th Floor, Trenton, NJ 08608. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM. UPS and FedEx go to the same address.²

DORES staples the apostille to the signature page of your document. Do not remove the staples afterward, because doing so invalidates it.³

Fees

The base statutory fee is $25 per document. Child adoption cases pay a reduced $5 per document.¹ On top of that, the portal adds a $2.50 service fee per document for credit card payments or $1.00 for e-check.

Faster tiers cost more:

Expedited (8.5 business hours): $40 per document, or $20 for adoption cases.²
Accelerated 2-hour: $30 per document.⁸
Accelerated 1-hour: $25 per document.⁸

The 1-hour and 2-hour accelerated options are only available for over-the-counter transactions. Budget separately for the county clerk certification ($5) and any notary fees ($2.50 per act) that come before DORES ever sees the document.

How Long It Takes

Regular mail-in: 12 to 20 business days from the date DORES receives and enters the document, plus mailing time in each direction.²
Expedited: 8.5 business hours from receipt for documents delivered in person or by express courier.
Walk-in same day: If you arrive between 8:30 AM and 2:00 PM, you can wait for the finished apostille, up to about 2.5 hours.
Accelerated: 1 or 2 business hours for in-person drop-offs at the higher fee tiers.

Questions about a pending request go to the DORES Apostille/Notary Public Unit at 609-292-0642.⁵

Common Reasons Requests Get Rejected

A photocopy submitted in place of an original, certified copy, or true notarized copy.⁵
An expired notary commission. The notary must be active in the state database when you submit; otherwise, you need re-notarization.
A missing notary stamp or original ink signature.
A notarized document sent to DORES without the county clerk certification.
A federal document sent to New Jersey instead of the U.S. Department of State.

Checking these before you mail anything can save weeks if you are working against a move-abroad or job-placement deadline.

If the Destination Country Is Not in the Hague Convention

An apostille only works in Hague Convention member countries. For a document headed elsewhere, you need an authentication certificate from the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications, and then legalization by the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States.⁴

For a New Jersey document going to a non-Hague country, the chain typically runs: notarization, county clerk certification, DORES state certification, U.S. Department of State authentication, then embassy or consulate legalization. Each step verifies the signature from the step before. Confirm the destination country’s status against the Hague member list before starting, because this route is slower and more expensive than a straight apostille.⁹

1
New Jersey State Law Library Repository. Assembly, No. 559 / Senate, No. 1212 – Fee Decreases
2
New Jersey Government Services. Apostille
3
State of NJ – NJ Treasury – DORES – NJ.gov. Apostilles and Notary Certifications
4
U.S. Department of State. Office of Authentications
5
DORES Site – AccessGov: Empowered by Tyler Technologies. Apostille Request Form Help
6
Legal Information Institute. NJ Admin Code 17:50-1.18 – Fees for Notarial Services
7
Hudson County Clerk, New Jersey. Filing Fee Schedule
8
State of NJ – NJ Treasury – DORES. Fees
9
HCCH. Status Table – Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents