How to Get an Apostille in Denver: Forms, Fees, and Submission

To get an apostille in Denver, bring or mail your Colorado-issued document, a completed Apostilles and Authentications Request Form, and payment to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office at 1700 Broadway, Suite 500. Standard service costs $5 per document. Expedited walk-in service costs $15 per document and usually finishes in under an hour.¹

What Colorado Can Apostille

The Secretary of State only apostilles documents that originate in Colorado. The document must carry a Colorado notary’s signature, a certification from Colorado Vital Records, or a certification from a Colorado county clerk.²

That covers birth and death certificates issued by Colorado Vital Records, marriage certificates from the Colorado county clerk who issued them, and divorce decrees certified by the Colorado court that granted them. For private documents, powers of attorney, adoption dossiers, corporate records, school transcripts, and diplomas all qualify once a Colorado notary has notarized them in person. The notary statement must be in English even if the underlying document is in another language.²

Documents from other states or federal agencies are out of scope. A Wyoming birth certificate goes through Wyoming. An FBI background check goes through the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications, not Denver.³

Get the Notarization Right Before You Submit

Bad notarizations are the leading reason apostille requests come back unprocessed. The Denver office will reject a document if the notary certificate is incomplete, if signatures are stamped or photocopied instead of original, or if any blanks on the document are left empty.²

Check the stamp. Colorado notaries must use a rectangular ink stamp showing the notary’s name exactly as commissioned, the words “Notary Public” and “State of Colorado,” the notary ID number, and the commission expiration date. Embossers don’t count.⁴ The notary statement itself must list the state and county of notarization and the date it took place.²

If you’re not sure your document will pass, use the free email review. Send a PDF to Authentications@coloradosos.gov and the office will flag problems before you formally submit. Reviews with multiple attachments may take longer.²

Fill Out the Request Form

Every submission needs the Apostilles and Authentications Request Form, available as a PDF on the Secretary of State’s website.¹ Two fields matter most. List the destination country, because non-Hague countries receive a different style of certificate. List the number of apostilles you need, because the office calculates your payment from that count.

If you want documents returned by mail, include a pre-addressed return envelope. For FedEx or UPS return, include a completed airbill with tracking.²

Submit In Person or By Mail

Walk-In at 1700 Broadway

The office is on the fifth floor of 1700 Broadway in downtown Denver. Walk-in apostille service runs from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.⁵ Expedited service is available for anything hand-delivered before 4:30 PM and typically finishes in under an hour, though staff may ask you to come back later if demand is heavy.²

By Mail

Mail the original documents, request form, return envelope, and payment to the Secretary of State. Requests are worked in the order received, with no guaranteed turnaround, and nothing is processed on weekends or holidays.² Incoming mail passes through a state distribution center before reaching the office, which adds a day or two on each leg. If you’re on a tight deadline, driving to Denver is the safer route.

How to Pay

The office accepts cash in person only, plus checks and money orders made out to “Colorado Secretary of State.” Credit and debit cards are not accepted. Don’t put cash in the mail.¹

If Your Document Is Going to a Non-Hague Country

The submission process is the same. Colorado issues a single combined certificate that works as an apostille for Hague Convention countries and as an authentication for others, so you only need to list the correct destination on the form.² A non-Hague destination may still require further legalization at that country’s embassy or consulate after Colorado is done.

No Electronic Apostilles

Colorado does not issue electronic apostilles. Every document must be a physical original with original signatures, and services advertising “digital Colorado apostilles” are not coming from the Secretary of State.² The email pre-review lets you check a document from anywhere, but the actual apostille requires a physical submission to the Denver office.

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Colorado Secretary of State. Apostilles and Authentications Request Form
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Colorado Secretary of State. Apostilles and Authentications
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U.S. Department of State. Office of Authentications
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Colorado Secretary of State. Notary Stamps and Journals FAQs
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Colorado Secretary of State. Contact the Secretary of State’s Office