To get a South Carolina apostille, prepare your document so it carries the correct official signature or a South Carolina notary’s seal, then submit it with a completed Authentication Cover Letter and $5 per document to the Secretary of State’s Authentications office in Columbia. In-person visits are often finished the same day; mail requests generally take three to five business days once they arrive.
Start With the Right Kind of Document
An apostille certifies the signature and authority of the official who signed your paperwork, which makes it legally accepted in any country that participates in the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.1HCCH. Apostille Section The South Carolina Secretary of State can only apostille documents that originate from a state or county official whose signature is on file, or that have been notarized by a currently commissioned South Carolina notary.
Vital Records
Birth and death certificates must be certified copies issued by the South Carolina Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – South Carolina Marriage certificates need the signature of a county probate judge or must come from the state vital records office. Divorce decrees have to be issued by the clerk of the county where the divorce was finalized and carry the county stamp. A deputy or assistant clerk signature alone will not be accepted.
Order certified copies from Vital Records at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. The standard search fee is $12 per record and includes one certified copy if the record is found. Expedited processing runs $17 per record with a turnaround of ten business days or fewer, and additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time cost $3 each.3South Carolina Department of Public Health. Fees – Vital Records (Birth, Death, etc)
Educational Documents
Diplomas, transcripts, and report cards need to be notarized and carry the signature of the school principal or university registrar. Some registrar’s offices, such as the University of South Carolina’s, will notarize academic documents in-house and return them ready for the apostille step.4University of South Carolina. Apostilles Ask your school before you arrange outside notarization.
Business and Personal Documents
Articles of incorporation, certificates of good standing, and similar business filings can be apostilled when they bear an authorized state official’s signature. Powers of attorney, affidavits, and police reports qualify as long as they are properly notarized by a South Carolina notary. Police reports specifically need a pen-in-hand signature from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, a local sheriff, or a police department, with notarization attached.
Prepare the Document Correctly
Most rejections happen at the preparation stage. A document requiring notarization must be notarized by a currently commissioned South Carolina notary public, with the original signature, official seal, and date all clearly legible.5South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 26 Chapter 1 A notary from another state cannot notarize a document for a South Carolina apostille.
Notaries cannot notarize vital records directly. If you need to attest to a vital record, a notary can notarize a statement from you affirming the document is a true copy, which then accompanies the certified copy.
If the document is in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by an English translation, and the translator’s signature on that translation must be notarized by a South Carolina notary.
Submit the Request to the Secretary of State
Send or bring your package to the South Carolina Secretary of State, Attn: Authentications, 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201.4University of South Carolina. Apostilles Documents can be mailed, sent by courier, or hand-delivered Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Your submission needs to include:
- The documents, each properly signed, sealed, and notarized.
- The Authentication Cover Letter, available as a PDF on sos.sc.gov, identifying you, your documents, and the destination country.
- Payment of $5.00 per document, by personal check, company check, or money order made out to the “South Carolina Secretary of State.” Cash is accepted in person.
- A self-addressed stamped envelope if you are submitting by mail.
How Long It Takes
In-person requests are typically processed the same day or within two business days. Mail-in requests generally take three to five business days once received, not counting transit time. Incomplete or incorrectly prepared documents add delays.
Why Requests Get Rejected
The office checks every document against its records before issuing an apostille. The most common problems:
- Signature mismatch, where the official’s signature on the document doesn’t match the one on file with the Secretary of State.
- Incomplete notarization: missing seal, missing date, or an incomplete notarial statement.
- A notary who was commissioned in another state, or whose commission has expired.
- Missing county seal on a divorce decree, or a marriage certificate signed by an unauthorized deputy rather than the probate judge.
- Cover letter errors, including the wrong destination country, missing contact information, or no cover letter at all.
A rejection can be corrected. Fix the specific issue, resubmit with a new cover letter and fee, and the office will process it again. Each round costs another $5 per document plus time, so accuracy on the first try matters.
When the State Office Is Not the Right Place
The Secretary of State only handles documents that originate with state or county officials or South Carolina notaries. Federal documents, such as an FBI background check, a federal court order, or paperwork signed by a federal agency official, go through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.6USAGov. Authenticate an Official Document for Use Outside the U.S. Sending a federal document to the state office just gets it sent back.
The apostille itself only works for Hague Convention countries. If your destination country is not a member, you will need an authentication certificate followed by a separate legalization step at that country’s embassy or consulate.6USAGov. Authenticate an Official Document for Use Outside the U.S. Check the member list at hcch.net before you begin.
Using a Private Apostille Service
Private companies will handle document review, hand-delivery, and return shipping for you. Fees typically run from about $100 to $225 per document on top of the state’s $5 fee. For a straightforward document like a notarized power of attorney, doing it yourself is simple. For multiple document types, foreign-language translations, or a tight deadline, a service can catch preparation errors before they trigger a rejection.