How to Fill Out and Submit the Idaho Apostille Request Form

The Idaho apostille request form is a one-page PDF from the Secretary of State that you complete and submit with the documents you need certified for use abroad. You fill in five sections — destination country, your contact information, how you want the documents returned, how many you are submitting, and how you will pay — then send it by mail or bring it to a scheduled appointment in Boise with $10 per document.¹

Make Sure Your Documents Qualify First

Before filling anything out, confirm each document is eligible. The Secretary of State will process two kinds: certified copies of Idaho public records (such as birth and death certificates issued by the Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics), and original private documents notarized by a commissioned Idaho notary public.²

Photocopies do not count. If you need a birth certificate certified, order a newly issued certified copy from the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.³ If your document was notarized in another state, Idaho’s office cannot verify that notary’s commission and will reject the request.

Whether you receive an apostille or a certificate of authentication depends on the destination country. Countries in the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention get an apostille; non-member countries get an authentication certificate. The form, the fee, and the steps are the same either way.²

Filling Out the Form

Download the Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form from sos.idaho.gov.¹ Leave no field blank; empty fields cause delays.

Destination Country

At the top of the form, write out the full name of the country where you will use the documents. The office uses this to decide whether to attach an apostille or an authentication certificate.²

Requester Information

Enter your first and last name, full mailing address, and a working phone number. Staff use the phone number to reach you if something is wrong with your submission.⁴

Delivery Method and Return Address

Pick one of three return options:

Pick up in person at the Boise office.
USPS First Class Mail to your address.
Prepaid airbill, which you must include with your submission for overnight, express, or international delivery. The office will not mail documents out of the country on its own postage.

If the finished documents should go to someone other than you, fill in the separate “Mailing Address to return documents” fields with that recipient’s name and full address.⁴

Number of Documents

Enter the total count. This drives your fee at $10 per document, and the number has to match exactly what is in the envelope.⁴

Payment Method

Check the box for check or credit card. Checks and money orders should be made payable to “Idaho Secretary of State.” If you choose credit card, add your email address or a phone number that can receive text messages. After the office receives your packet, staff send a payment link where you enter the card details. Access Idaho, the state’s payment processor, adds a non-refundable $1 fee to each credit card transaction.⁴

Submitting the Form

By Mail

Send the completed form, your original documents, payment, and a prepaid return label (if you need one) to the mailing address printed on the form. If you are paying by check, put it in the same envelope. If you are paying by credit card, wait for the office to send you the payment link after they receive the packet.¹

In Person

Walk-ins are not accepted. Schedule an appointment through the Secretary of State’s online booking page or by calling (208) 334-2301. Appointment slots run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., with nothing available during the midday break.¹

Fees and Processing Time

The fee is $10 per document for both apostilles and authentications.² Five documents cost $50. Credit card payers add $1 per transaction; check and money order payers avoid that surcharge.

The Secretary of State does not publish a specific turnaround for mail-in requests. Appointments usually allow same-day processing. For mailed submissions, plan on a week or two for processing plus return transit, longer during busy periods. A prepaid overnight return label speeds the return trip but will not move your request ahead in the queue.

Why Requests Get Rejected

Most rejections come from a short list of avoidable mistakes:

Document notarized by a notary commissioned outside Idaho.
Photocopies submitted instead of certified copies.
Check written for the wrong amount, made payable to the wrong name, or missing entirely.
Destination country left blank.
No prepaid airbill included for an international return.⁴

Federal Documents Use a Different Office

Idaho’s form is only for documents that originate in the state. Federal documents, such as an FBI background check, go to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications on Form DS-4194, with a federal fee of $20 per document.⁵

1
Idaho Secretary of State. Apostille – Idaho Secretary of State
2
Idaho Secretary of State. Apostilles – FAQ – Idaho Secretary of State
3
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Ordering a Birth Certificate
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Idaho Secretary of State. Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form
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U.S. Department of State. Requesting Authentication Services