How to Fill Out and Submit the Iowa Apostille Request Form

The Iowa apostille request form is a one-page application you download from the Secretary of State, complete with your contact information and the number of certificates you need, and submit along with your notarized or state-certified document and a $5 fee per certificate.¹ As of 2025, Iowa issues a single certificate format that works for any destination country, so you no longer have to pick between an apostille and a certification on the form.

What to Have Ready Before You Fill Out the Form

The Secretary of State authenticates the signature on your document, not its contents. Whether your paper qualifies depends on who signed it.¹

For vital records — birth certificates, death certificates, marriage records — the document must carry the signature of the State Registrar or another authorized state official from the Iowa Bureau of Vital Statistics. A county-level signature won’t work. If your copy only has a county signature, request a state-certified copy first.²

For private documents like powers of attorney, school transcripts, or corporate resolutions, a notary public with a current Iowa commission must notarize the document. Check the notary stamp carefully. It needs to show the notary’s name, the words “Notarial Seal” and “Iowa,” the commission number, and the expiration date. If any part is missing or smudged, the office will reject the request.³

A document notarized in another state cannot receive an Iowa apostille. The authentication has to come from the same state as the notarization.

If your document is going to a country where English is not the official language, the receiving institution may require a certified translation. The translator signs an affidavit of accuracy before an Iowa notary, and that notarized translation then needs its own separate apostille.

Filling Out the Form

Download the Apostille or Certification Request Form from the Secretary of State’s website.⁴ If you complete it by hand, print in block letters.

The form asks for your full legal name and address, including city, state, ZIP, and country. For a foreign return address, add the county or province. Give a daytime phone number and email so the office can reach you if something is wrong with your submission.

Enter the number of certificates you need, and include a separate copy of the document for each certificate. One copy produces one certificate, no matter how many you request on the form.¹

If you want the finished certificate sent somewhere other than your home address, fill in the alternate mailing address field.

Paying the Fee

Each certificate costs $5.00. Multiply by the number of certificates to get your total.⁴ The office takes checks made payable to “Iowa Secretary of State” and Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Don’t mail cash.

Paying by card means filling in the card number, expiration date, cardholder name, billing address, daytime phone, and your signature on the authorization line. Make sure the billing address matches what the card issuer has on file. A mismatch stalls processing.

Three Ways to Submit

In Person for Same-Day Service

Walk-in is the fastest route. Bring the completed form, your document copies, and payment to the Secretary of State’s office between 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays. You leave with the certificate the same day.¹

The address is:

Iowa Secretary of State
321 E 12th Street
Lucas Building, First Floor
Des Moines, IA 50319

By Mail

Mail the same packet — form, document copies, payment — to the Lucas Building address. The office does not publish a turnaround time for mailed requests, so leave extra days if you have a deadline. Certificates come back by USPS unless you include a prepaid FedEx, UPS, or similar label for faster return shipping.¹

Online Through Fast Track Filing

Log in to your Fast Track Filing account on the Secretary of State’s website, select “Paper Filing Upload” under the Business Filings tab, and upload a single multi-page PDF that combines the completed form and all document copies. The system issues a tracking number so you can confirm receipt. The finished certificate is mailed to you after processing.¹

Why Requests Get Rejected

Most rejections trace back to a short list of fixable problems. Run through these before you send anything in:

The notary’s commission had expired on the date they signed. You’ll need the document re-notarized by someone with an active commission.
The notary stamp is illegible or missing a required element — name, commission number, expiration date, or the “Notarial Seal” and “Iowa” wording.³
The document was notarized in another state. Contact that state’s Secretary of State instead.
You asked for multiple certificates but sent only one copy of the document. The office will issue only as many certificates as copies you provide.¹
The payment is short or the check is made out to the wrong entity. The office will hold the request until you correct it.

How Long the Certificate Is Good For

The apostille itself does not expire. Once issued, the authentication of the signature stays valid indefinitely. The document it is attached to may have its own practical shelf life, though. Immigration offices and consulates often want documents and their apostilles to be no older than six months to a year. A diploma certifies a permanent fact and is less likely to face a freshness objection.

Call or email the foreign agency, consulate, or institution that will receive your document before you start. Ask whether they require a recent-issue date, whether they need a translated copy, and whether any additional local legalization is required after the apostille. Five minutes on that call can save you from running the whole process a second time.

1
Iowa Secretary of State. Apostilles and Certifications
2
Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record
3
Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 9B – Notarial Acts
4
Iowa Secretary of State. Apostille or Certification Request Form