Apostille Services
Illinois Apostille Services, Explained and Handled
Authentication for documents bound for use in another country, verified against current requirements before we begin.
What an Apostille Is, and What It Is Not
An apostille is a certificate issued by a designated authority confirming that a public document, or the official signature or seal on it, is genuine. It travels with the document so a foreign government, university, employer, or ministry can rely on it without investigating the issuing office itself.
An apostille is not a notarization, and a notarization is not an apostille. They are two separate steps performed by two different authorities. A notary witnesses a signature or administers an oath. The Illinois Secretary of State authenticates a qualifying document for international use. Some documents need both, in that order. Others need only one.
An apostille also does not certify that the contents of a document are true, and it does not make a document valid for a purpose the receiving party does not accept. That is why the pathway is confirmed against current official requirements before any work is quoted.
The Illinois Secretary of State Pathway
Illinois apostilles and authentications are issued by the Illinois Secretary of State's Index Department. Documents that qualify are those issued or notarized in Illinois: notarized documents bearing an Illinois notary's signature and seal, Illinois vital records issued by a county clerk or the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois court records, corporate records filed in Illinois, and academic records issued by an Illinois institution.
The state charges its own fee for each authentication it issues. That government charge is separate from the professional service fee charged by Illini Notary, and both appear as their own line so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
- Illinois Secretary of State authentication fee
- $2 per documentIllinois Secretary of State, verified September 2026
- Illini Notary service fee
- Quoted separately once the correct pathway is confirmed, with standard and expedited handling priced on their own terms.
Prices shown are estimates. Your exact quote is confirmed once we have the full scope of your documents and service needs.
Government and third party fees, including the Illinois Secretary of State per document authentication fee, are passed through at cost and itemized separately from the professional service fee charged by Illini Notary and Signing Services.
Apostille and Document Authentication Pricing
Choose the route by issuing authority first, then the handling level that fits the timing. Submission timing does not determine the state's issuance timing.
Illinois issued documents
From $145 plus government fee, shipping quoted at cost
The $145 is Illini Notary's own case management and document processing charge for the first document. It excludes the Illinois Secretary of State's fee of $2 per document, which is stated separately and passed through at cost.
Priority Illinois apostille, next counter run
From $220 plus the Illinois Secretary of State's $2 per document fee
The document is hand-carried to the Champaign counter on the next scheduled business day rather than mailed.
Same-day apostille submission
From $295 plus the $2 government fee
Documents must be received and confirmed eligible by 1:00 p.m. Central on weekdays. This is a submission promise, not an issuance promise. Illini Notary controls when the document is presented, not when the state issues it or how long the queue runs that day.
Saturday priority or same-day run
$35 weekend scheduling upcharge: $255 plus government fee for priority, or $330 plus government fee for same-day
Saturday scheduling requires advance notice and confirmation by Illini Notary. Capacity is limited during the shorter Saturday window and seasonal UIUC demand periods, so Illini Notary may decline a requested Saturday run.
Federal documents, such as an FBI background check
From $245 plus shipping
This figure already includes the United States Department of State fee of $20 per document. Only shipping is additional. Where Illini Notary obtains the FBI Identity History Summary itself, the FBI's own $18 direct request fee applies on top. Where an FBI approved channeler is used instead, the channeler sets its own fee, which is separate and quoted at intake.
Documents issued by a state other than Illinois
From $200 plus the issuing state's own fee and shipping
Illini Notary identifies the issuing state's competent authority and manages that submission on your behalf.
Embassy and consular legalization, for destinations outside the Apostille Convention
From $295
The final price depends on the destination country and the document, and is quoted per case once both are known.
Prices shown are estimates. Your exact quote is confirmed once we have the full scope of your documents and service needs.
Government fees are stated by route and passed through at cost. An Illinois issued document carries the Illinois Secretary of State fee of $2 per document. A federal document carries the United States Department of State fee of $20 per document. A single order may contain both routes and therefore both fees. Shipping, courier, fingerprint capture, channeler fees, translation, and the Illini Notary professional service fee are itemized separately.
When Springfield Is Not the Right Office
Not every document goes through Springfield. The correct authority is determined by who issued the document, not by where you live. A record issued by a federal agency or a federal court is authenticated at the federal level, and a record issued by another state is authenticated by that state.
Sending a document to the wrong office is the most common reason an authentication request comes back unfinished. Documents that normally follow a different pathway include:
- FBI background checks and other federal agency records
- Federal court records
- Documents issued by another state's authorities
- Records issued by a federal department or agency
We identify the issuing authority first and route the request accordingly, including coordinating the remaining step when a destination requires more than an apostille.
Documents We Commonly Handle
- Diplomas and transcripts
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Death certificates
- Powers of attorney
- Corporate and commercial documents
- Court documents
- FBI background checks
- Adoption documents
- Federal documents
Guides by Destination
Destination requirements differ in the details: how a translation must be prepared, whether a consulate step follows the apostille, how recently a record must have been issued. Detailed guides are available for the destinations we are asked about most often, alongside a consolidated guide covering every other destination worldwide.
- Apostille for China
- Apostille for India
- Apostille for South Korea
- Apostille for Japan
- International Document Authentication Guide, for every other destination
Service is not limited to the countries named in those guides. We prepare documents for use in any destination, and we confirm the requirement against current official sources for the destination you actually need.
Apostille Questions
Notarization and apostille are separate steps performed by separate authorities. Authentication is issued by a government authority, not by a notary. Handling times are subject to Illinois Secretary of State processing times. We do not guarantee acceptance of a document by any foreign government, consulate, court, agency, or receiving party. Confirm your receiving party's current requirements before ordering.
Related Pages
Apostille Service in Champaign and Urbana
The local, faster path for a document already in hand.
UIUC International Students and Scholars
Written for a first time reader sending documents home from Champaign-Urbana.
Remote Online Notarization
The notarization step, completed by secure video for signers outside Illinois.
Contact Illini Notary
Send your contact details and we will confirm the correct pathway.
Next Step
Start an Apostille Request.
Tell us the document and the destination country. We confirm the pathway against current official requirements before the work is quoted.
Prices shown are estimates. Your exact quote is confirmed once we have the full scope of your documents and service needs.
Illini Notary and Signing Services is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Notarial acts are performed in accordance with the Illinois Notary Public Act.
Please do not send document contents by email.