You can get an apostille in Massachusetts from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Commissions Section, which operates three walk-in offices: the main office in Boston and regional offices in Springfield and Fall River. The fee is $6.00 per document, and in-person requests for up to three documents are processed the same day. Only documents signed by a Massachusetts official qualify; federal documents and documents from other states go elsewhere.
The Three Office Locations
Any of the three offices can issue your apostille. Walk in with your paperwork and payment, or mail your package to the Boston address.
- Boston (main office): One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, MA 02108. Phone (617) 727-2836.
- Springfield: 436 Dwight Street, Room 102, Springfield, MA 01103. Phone (413) 784-1376.
- Fall River: 218 South Main Street, Suite 206, Fall River, MA 02721. Phone (508) 646-1374.
The Commissions Section’s email is comm@sec.state.ma.us, and the application form and office details are posted at sec.state.ma.us/divisions/commissions/apostilles.htm.1Secretary of the Commonwealth. Apostille/Certification Request Form
What to Bring
Your package needs four things:
- The original document. Photocopies are not accepted.
- The completed Apostille and Certification Authentication Form, downloadable from the Secretary’s site or available at any of the three offices.1Secretary of the Commonwealth. Apostille/Certification Request Form
- $6.00 per document, by check or money order payable to the “Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Cash is not recommended because the office cannot refund cash lost in transit.2Secretary of the Commonwealth. Apostilles and Certificates of Appointment – Fees
- A prepaid self-addressed return envelope, for mail-in requests.
The form asks for your contact information, the type of document, and the country where you plan to use it. The $6.00 fee is the same whether you submit in person or by mail.
Which Documents Qualify
The Secretary’s office will only apostille a document that carries the original signature of one of these Massachusetts officials:
- A Massachusetts notary public
- A justice of the peace
- A city or town clerk (or assistant)
- A court clerk (or assistant)
- A registrar of vital records
If your document doesn’t bear one of those signatures, it will be rejected. The apostille doesn’t certify the contents of the document; it confirms that the official who signed or sealed it is who they claim to be.3Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Apostilles and Certification of Documents
Common examples that do qualify: birth, marriage, and death certificates; college diplomas; corporate filings; and notarized personal documents like powers of attorney or affidavits.3Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Apostilles and Certification of Documents If you have a private document that doesn’t carry an official signature, have a Massachusetts notary public notarize it first, then bring it in. Make sure the notary uses the correct certificate wording for the type of notarization you need (an acknowledgment or a jurat); the wrong wording causes rejections. Massachusetts doesn’t cap general notary fees, so expect roughly $5 to $25 per signature.
If the Document Needs to Be in Another Language
If the destination country requires the document in a language other than English, get a professional translation first and have a Massachusetts notary public notarize the translation. The apostille then goes on the notarized translation, not on the original. Handle the translation before you submit, not after.4Travel.State.Gov. Preparing Your Document for an Apostille Certificate
In Person vs. By Mail
In person
Walk into Boston, Springfield, or Fall River with your form, originals, and payment. Up to three documents per customer are processed while you wait. Bring four or more and you’ll leave them behind and come back after 3:00 PM the next business day. Anything dropped off after 4:00 PM rolls to the next business day, no exceptions.3Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Apostilles and Certification of Documents
By mail
Mail the form, originals, payment, and a prepaid self-addressed return envelope to the Boston office at One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, MA 02108.5Secretary of the Commonwealth. Apostilles and Certificates of Appointment Because you’re sending originals that can be hard to replace, use a trackable shipping method and include tracking on the return envelope too.
Mailed requests take two to three weeks total, including transit each way. There’s no expedited mail option. If you’re on a tight deadline, going in person is the safest route. If a mailed request has been out longer than three weeks with nothing back, call (617) 727-2836 or email comm@sec.state.ma.us to check status.3Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Apostilles and Certification of Documents
Federal Documents Go to Washington, Not Boston
If your document was issued by a federal agency, Massachusetts cannot apostille it. The classic examples are an FBI identity history summary (criminal background check), a patent, an IRS tax transcript, or a document certified by a federal court. Those go to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications, which charges $20 per document, uses Form DS-4194, and takes about five weeks by mail.6Travel.State.Gov. Office of Authentications Documents issued by another state go to that state’s secretary of state (or equivalent office).
If the Destination Country Isn’t in the Hague Convention
An apostille only works in countries that have joined the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Over 120 countries are members, but some are not. If your document is headed to a non-member country, you need an authentication certificate instead: first the Secretary of the Commonwealth authenticates the document (same office and process above), then the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications issues a federal authentication certificate, and after that the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States may need to legalize it.7Travel.State.Gov. Preparing a Document for an Authentication Certificate Check your country’s status on the Hague Conference on Private International Law’s table at hcch.net (Convention #12) before you start, so you don’t take the apostille route when you need the longer one.8Hague Conference on Private International Law. HCCH #12 – Status Table