Utah Apostille: Documents, Fees, and How to Submit

To get a Utah apostille, send or bring your eligible document to the Lieutenant Governor’s authentication office at the State Capitol in Salt Lake City, along with a completed request form and payment of $19 for standard service, $53 for next business day, or $93 for same day.¹ The office verifies the signature and seal on the document, then attaches the apostille certificate that makes it acceptable in any of the 129 countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.²

What Documents Qualify

Utah can only apostille two kinds of documents: certified public records issued by a Utah government agency, and documents notarized by a currently commissioned Utah notary. Federal records and documents from other states have to go through the issuing jurisdiction, not Utah.³

Certified Utah Public Records

If your document already carries the signature and seal of a Utah official, you don’t need a notary. Common examples:

Certified birth certificates, marriage licenses, and burial or cremation transit permits from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services or the county clerk
Certified court records such as judgments and divorce decrees from the clerk of the district court where the case was filed
Driver license records from the Driver License Division, vehicle titles from the Division of Motor Vehicles, state background checks from the Bureau of Criminal Identification, and single-status letters from a county clerk
Certified records from a Utah public or charter school signed by a school official who prints their name and title

These have to be certified copies obtained from the issuing agency. A photocopy you made yourself will not be accepted.⁴

Notarized Documents

Anything that doesn’t come from a government agency needs a Utah notary first. This covers powers of attorney, employment letters, adoption papers, local police clearances, private school transcripts and diplomas, and copies of personal identification like a passport or Social Security card.⁴ Private school records can be handled through a copy certification, where the notary attests that a photocopy accurately reproduces the original.

Corporate documents are a particular case: they must be a certified copy from the Utah Department of Commerce and must be notarized at that department. Emailed or printed copies from the department will not be accepted.

The notary’s commission has to be active and the seal and signature legible. If the office can’t verify the notary, because the stamp is smudged, the commission has lapsed, or the notary is from another state, the document will be rejected.

Fees and Processing Times

Utah charges per document, not per page, and offers three speeds:

Standard: $19 per document, three to five business days of in-office processing
Next business day: $53 per document
Same day: $93 per document, which can take up to two hours and is best handled in person

Adoption apostilles are $10 per document when submitted with a sworn affidavit and the adoption authentication request form.¹ International return shipping through USPS without tracking adds $10.

Payment can be made by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, check or money order payable to “State of Utah,” or cash. Processing time does not include transit days. For a standard mail-in request, plan on at least two weeks round trip, and pay for expedited service if you’re working toward a firm deadline for an international move, enrollment, or business filing.⁵

How to Submit Your Documents

There is no online submission. You either mail your package or bring it to the office at the Utah State Capitol, 350 North State Street, Suite 220, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114.⁶

By Mail

A mail package needs four items: the printed request form from the Lieutenant Governor’s authentication website, your original or certified documents, your payment, and a return envelope. The office strongly recommends including a prepaid, trackable return envelope. Without one, documents go back by first-class mail with no tracking, and the office is not responsible for anything lost in transit. If you want same-day return by mail, include a prepaid shipping label from UPS, FedEx, DHL, or USPS, and keep in mind that late incoming mail may push processing to the next day.

There’s no receipt confirmation for standard mail submissions, so tracking on the outbound side is the only way to know your package arrived. Same-day and expedited requests get an email receipt when the documents are received.

In Person

Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Scheduling an appointment speeds things up. You fill out the request form on arrival, and the office calls you when the documents are ready to pick up.⁷ For same-day service, going in person removes the mail timing problem entirely.

If Your Destination Country Isn’t in the Hague Convention

An apostille only works for countries that have joined the 1961 Hague Convention. For any other destination, the same office issues a Certificate of Authentication instead, which confirms the document is genuine but is usually not the last step.³ After the state certificate, you may need authentication from the U.S. Department of State and then legalization at the destination country’s embassy or consulate, each with its own fee and timeline. Check with that embassy before you start, because formatting or translation requirements vary and can add weeks if you discover them late.

1
Authentications.Utah.gov. Document Authentication (Apostille / Certificate) – Section: Fees and Processing Times
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HCCH. Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents
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Authentications.Utah.gov. FAQs – Section: General Authentications
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Authentications.Utah.gov. Types of Documents for Authentication/Apostille
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Authentications.Utah.gov. FAQs
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Authentications.Utah.gov. Document Authentication (Apostille / Certificate)
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Authentications.Utah.gov. Request Form