Where to Get an Apostille in Pennsylvania: Steps, Fees, and Timing

To get an apostille in Pennsylvania, send your original document, a completed Apostille/Certification Request Form, and $15 per document to the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg. You can submit by mail, drop it in the outdoor drop box, or walk it in. Same-day service is available for walk-ins; drop-box requests take five to seven business days; mailed requests take about two to three weeks.¹

Which Documents Qualify

Pennsylvania can only apostille a document that bears the signature and seal of a Pennsylvania public official. That includes state elected or appointed officials (such as the state registrar), county elected officials (such as the Register of Wills, Clerk of the Orphans’ Court, and prothonotaries), judges and magisterial district judges, and Pennsylvania notaries public.² If anyone else signed your document, the Department will reject the request.

The documents people submit most often are:

Vital records: birth, death, and marriage certificates issued by the appropriate state or county official.
Education records: transcripts and diplomas, typically bearing a notary’s seal.
Legal documents: divorce decrees, powers of attorney, and affidavits.
Business filings: articles of incorporation, certificates of good standing, and similar corporate records.
Pennsylvania state criminal background checks, provided they carry a notary’s seal.

Documents must be originals. Even a notarized photocopy will be rejected. Certified copies issued directly by a Pennsylvania authority count as originals.³

Prep Mistakes That Get Documents Returned

A few specific issues account for most rejections, so check them before you send anything:¹

Death certificates must be signed by the state registrar. One signed by a local registrar will not be accepted.
Marriage certificates must be signed by the Register of Wills or Clerk of the Orphans’ Court. A certificate signed only by the officiant or clergy member will not work.
Notarized documents must be notarized by a Pennsylvania notary, and the notarial certificate must be in English.

Pennsylvania law permits remote online notarization, so a document notarized by a Pennsylvania notary over video is legally valid under state law.⁴ Confirm with the Department of State before submitting a remotely notarized document for apostille, because acceptance for apostille purposes can differ from general notarization rules.

Include a completed Apostille/Certification Request Form with your submission. The form asks for your name, phone, email, mailing address, the destination country, and the number of documents.²

Where and How to Submit

All three submission methods go through the same Harrisburg office. There is no online submission.

By Mail

Send your documents, request form, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:³

Pennsylvania Department of State
Apostilles & Certifications
North Office Building, Room 201
401 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0029

If you want courier return, include a prepaid UPS air bill listing yourself as both sender and recipient. FedEx and DHL are not accepted for return shipments.¹

In Person

Walk-in service is at North Office Building, Room 201, 401 North Street, Harrisburg. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except state holidays. Walk-ins are processed while you wait, but arrive by 4:00 p.m. to be sure your documents are finished before close. The public entrance to the North Office Building locks at 3:00 p.m., so plan around that if you are coming later in the day.¹

Drop Box

A blue drop box sits in front of the Keystone Building at 400 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120. It is available any time, including evenings and weekends. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope or prepaid air bill so your documents can be returned.¹

Fees and Payment

The fee is $15 per document, not per page.¹ What you can pay with depends on how you submit:

By mail or drop box: personal check, money order, or cashier’s check payable to “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” Checks from foreign banks must be in U.S. dollars and include a routing number. Cash is not accepted.³
In person: checks, money orders, or credit card. Cash is no longer accepted for walk-ins.³

How Long It Takes

In person: same day, if you arrive by 4:00 p.m.¹
Drop box: five to seven business days, not counting return mail time.¹
Mail: about two to three weeks, not counting transit either way.³

Requests are handled in the order received, and volume fluctuates. If you cannot make it to Harrisburg in person, the drop box is the fastest remote option.

When Pennsylvania Can’t Help

Pennsylvania can only apostille documents signed by Pennsylvania officials. Federal documents, including the FBI Identity History Summary often requested as an FBI background check, must be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications instead.⁵ The same principle applies to documents from other states: a New Jersey birth certificate needs an apostille from New Jersey, not Pennsylvania.

If Your Document Is Going to a Non-Hague Country

The apostille system only works between countries that have joined the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.⁶ For a destination that has not joined, the Department of State issues a certification rather than an apostille, and you then need federal authentication followed by legalization at the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States. Each step adds time and fees, and many embassies also require a certified translation. Contact the destination country’s embassy early to confirm their requirements before you start.

How Long an Apostille Stays Valid

The apostille itself does not expire. What ages is the underlying document. Many foreign authorities require that vital records, background checks, and marital status certificates be less than six months or one year old, especially for immigration, visa, and academic use. Documents that reflect permanent facts, such as a diploma, are generally accepted regardless of age. Before paying for your apostille, ask the receiving institution abroad whether they impose a time limit; if a document is rejected as too old, you will need a fresh copy and a new apostille.

1
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Get Document Certifications and Apostilles
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Pennsylvania Department of State. Apostille/Certification Request Form
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Pennsylvania Department of State. Certifications, Apostilles, and the Authentication of Documents
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Department of State | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Electronic or Remote Notarization
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Travel.State.Gov. Office of Authentications
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HCCH. Apostille Section