The Nevada apostille request form is a one-page PDF, officially titled the Apostille/Certification Order Form, that you download from the Nevada Secretary of State’s apostille page, complete, and mail to Carson City along with your Nevada-issued document and a $20 fee per document.1Nevada Secretary of State. Fees One form covers your whole submission, even if you’re sending several documents.2Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille
What Documents Qualify
Nevada will only apostille documents that originate with a Nevada official or bear a Nevada notarization. A document notarized in another state has to go to that state’s secretary of state instead.
Three categories are eligible. First, any document notarized by a commissioned Nevada notary public: affidavits, powers of attorney, consent forms, contracts. The notarial certificate has to comply with NRS 240.1655, meaning it identifies the Nevada county where the notarization took place, names the person whose signature was notarized, and is signed and dated in ink by the notary with the notary’s stamp on the certificate.3Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code Chapter 240 – Notaries Public and Commissioned Abstracters Missing any of that gets the request rejected.
Second, certified copies of vital records: birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates issued by the County Recorder or County Clerk where the event occurred.2Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille The decorative marriage certificate handed to you at the ceremony is not a certified copy and will be rejected. For a Clark County marriage, request the certified copy from the Clark County Clerk Marriage Bureau at 702-671-0600.
Third, commercial recordings on file with the Secretary of State, such as articles of incorporation and certificates of good standing. Call the Copies Division at 775-684-5708 for the specific procedure before submitting an apostille request for a business filing.2Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille
Filling Out the Form
Download the Apostille/Certification Order Form from nvsos.gov. The form asks for your contact name, phone number, email address, return mailing address, destination country, and the total number of documents you’re submitting. Fill in every field. The Secretary of State specifically warns that a missing email address, destination country, or valid return address can get your request rejected.2Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille
The destination country field does more than route your envelope. It tells the office whether to issue an apostille or a certification. Countries that are parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention get an apostille; countries that aren’t get a certification, which is only the first step in a longer chain. If you’re not sure whether a country participates, the Hague Conference on Private International Law publishes the current member list.4HCCH. Apostille Section
Sign and print the completed form before including it in the package.
Paying the Fee
Each apostille or certification costs $20, and the fee is per document rather than per request.1Nevada Secretary of State. Fees Three documents means $60. Sending $20 for a multi-document submission is one of the standard reasons a package gets bounced.
You can pay two ways. A check or money order in U.S. currency, made payable to “The Office of the Secretary of State.”5Nevada Secretary of State. Submission Instructions Or a credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover) using the ePayment Checklist form that goes with the order form.2Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille Put the cardholder name, card number, and expiration date on the ePayment Checklist, not on the order form itself.
Where to Mail It and How It Comes Back
Mail the signed form, the original or certified documents, and payment to:
Nevada Secretary of State
401 North Carson St.
Carson City, NV 89701
By default, the office returns finished documents by First Class Mail, even if you paid for expedited processing. First Class Mail International has no tracking. If you want a trackable return, include a prepaid, self-addressed shipping label or envelope with FedEx, UPS, or another carrier. You can list your own address as both shipper and recipient.2Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille
Two catches on return labels. FedEx doesn’t accept handwritten address information. And any label that bills the Secretary of State as the sender will be rejected; if your prepaid label has a “Bill to Sender” option, switch it to “Bill to Recipient.”2Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille
Processing Time
Standard processing runs about four weeks from the date documents arrive at the Authentication Division.2Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille Expedited service is available for an additional fee, but the tiers and current pricing aren’t listed on the apostille page. Call 775-684-5708 for current expedited options if you’re on a deadline.
Four weeks covers processing only. Add transit time in both directions, plus customs and international postal service if the document is going abroad. A trackable carrier in both directions lets you see where things are.
Why Requests Get Rejected
Most rejections trace back to a handful of preventable problems:
- An incomplete notarial certificate: missing signature, seal, date, or county identification under NRS 240.1655.3Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code Chapter 240 – Notaries Public and Commissioned Abstracters
- Sending an uncertified vital record or a decorative marriage certificate instead of a certified copy from the County Recorder or Clerk.
- Leaving the destination country blank so the office can’t determine whether to issue an apostille or a certification.2Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille
- No return address or no email address on the form.
- Underpayment because the $20 fee is per document, not per submission.
- A document notarized outside Nevada. That one has to go to the other state’s secretary of state.
If the office spots a fixable problem after your package arrives, staff will contact you at the phone number or email address on the form before continuing.
If Your Destination Country Isn’t in the Hague Convention
An apostille only works for Hague Convention countries. For any other destination, the Secretary of State issues a certification on the same form for the same $20, and that certification is the first step in a longer chain: typically the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications next, then the destination country’s embassy or consulate. Some embassies skip the federal step, so check with the embassy of the destination country before you start.