Authentications

It is a legal way to prove to someone in another country that a signature is official. In North Carolina, the document is also examined to make sure the document will serve the interests of justice and is not against public policy.

Yes, we do the authentications in the list below:

• Apostille
  • Where Used: Foreign countries
  • Conditions: Documents to be used in countries that have signed an international agreement called the Hague Convention.
• Authentication
  • Where Used: Foreign countries
  • Conditions: NC Government issued documents to be used in countries that have not signed the Hague Convention.
• Authority
  • Where Used: Foreign countries
  • Conditions: NC Documents which are notarized in North Carolina for countries that have not signed the Hague Convention.

No, we can’t authenticate an out-of-state document.

We can only authenticate it if you also give us a certified or notarized copy of the document in English. As of late 2024 and as a result of problems internationally, the English translation now must have a wet/original signature.

No, we look to signatures of record for state officials when authenticating documents. This office does not have official signatures prior to the year 2000. The official signature certifying the document has to be from April 2000 or later.

No, we don’t do online authentications.

Yes, we have some forms and the required cover letter available.

Per agency policy, you may request a refund if all of the below are true:

• The authentication certificate has not already been processed
• It is within 45 consecutive days of the processing fees being received

If you want a copy of a document from the Business Registration Division, follow these steps:

• Call us at 919-814-5400 and select #4 from the menu.
• Tell our employee that you want to order a certified document to be authenticated and give the employee the details.
• Our employee will tell you how much you need to pay.
• Our employee will email you a copy of the invoice to either pay by check or pay online. Online payment instructions are on the invoice.

• Then you need to gather all these things:

  • A copy of the invoice
  • A cover sheet for Authentications
  • A self-address stamped return envelope or pre-paid (online) courier label
  • If you didn’t pay the invoice online, submit a check in the amount listed on the invoice. You need to make the check payable to the NC Secretary of State.

    The check must be:

    • A certified check,
    • A money order, or
    • A business or personal check which includes the address and phone number. The check cannot be a starter or counter check.
• Send everything to us. You will find addresses and contact information in the next set of FAQs.
• We will not start processing your request until we get the complete package from you.

There are more steps to get a document authenticated that we can include in a Frequently Asked Question. So:

• Get information on apostilles.
• Get information on getting a document authenticated for use in a foreign country. Use the same procedure for authentication and authority.

No, the Secretary of State cannot notarize a document which we will be authenticating.

The NC Department of the Secretary of State is no longer accepting/taking appointments. To submit documents for authentication, either bring them to our office located at 2 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina or mail them to PO Box 29622, Raleigh, NC 27626-0622. If you will be using a courier, please use the physical address, 2 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27602. You may also view the Authentications Webpage at https://www.sosnc.gov/authentications

The Authentications Unit is experiencing a high demand with fewer resources. If your authentication request is complete, authentications turn-around time can take up to 45 days, so plan accordingly.

The answer depends on:

• Whether your authentication request was complete,
• Whether you sent us a pre-paid return envelope or some kind, and
• What kind of pre-paid return envelope you sent us.

The Authentications Unit is experiencing a high demand with fewer resources. If your authentication request is complete, authentications turn-around time can take up to 45 days, so plan accordingly.

That means you have to include all of these things with your authentication request:

• The original document(s) to be authenticated with original signatures.
• A cover letter with:
  • A contact name
  • Daytime phone number
  • The country where the document will be used
• The correct fee.
• A certified or notarized English translation of the original document if it is in a different language.
• A pre-paid return envelope from the US Postal Service, a commercial delivery service, or a self-address stamped envelope.

It depends. We will not send your document outside the Unites States using regular U.S. Mail or any third party courier service, (i.e, UPS or FedEx). However, we will send it using USPS Express Priority with your prepaid envelope and shipping label.

• Decide which delivery service you want to use. We can’t recommend a service to you. We can tell you that some of the delivery services we see people use are:
  • FedEx: 1-800-gofedex (1-800-463-3339)
  • UPS: 1-800-pickups (1-800-742-5877)
  • USPS Express Mail or Priority Mail from your local Post Office
• Decide what kind of delivery service pick-ups you want to use. There are 2 kinds of delivery service pick-up at our office:
  • Ground pick-up
  • Air pick-up

  For any kind of “ground” pick-up, we’ll call you when the documents are ready. Then you’ll have to call your delivery service and get them to pick up the documents.

  If you choose UPS or FedEx “air” pick-up, the pick-up happens automatically. That’s because those 2 delivery services make scheduled air pick-ups at our office every day.

• Send us your documents, cover letter, pre-paid shipping label, envelope, payment, etc.
• We’ll send the documents back to you. How that happens depends on you. If you don’t send a pre-paid label, we’ll use regular US mail. If you do send us a pre-paid label:
  • If it’s a “ground” pick-up label, we’ll call you at the number you put on the cover letter. Then you have to call your delivery service and tell them to come get your documents.
  • If it’s a FedEx or UPS “air” pick-up label, they’ll pick it up automatically when they make a scheduled trip to our office.

  Either the USPS or the delivery service you chose will deliver the documents to you.

It is a shipping label (PDF) printed from the vendor’s (i.e., FedEx or UPS) website that has already been paid for or purchased directly from their store. The label indicates the address where it is to be sent has a barcode, tracking number and you pay for it online or in person. It must be a computer printed label.

Shipping Documents (label)

If you want your documents back faster than USPS regular mail, you may want to use a delivery service. To do that, you’ll have to send us a pre-paid shipping label for the delivery service with your documents.

Online

• Go to your delivery service’s website. We’ve provided some of those websites below but there are others you can use.
• Follow the directions at the website.
• At most of the websites, you can pay by:
  • Using an account number you have Or
  • Making a payment with a credit card
• Then print your pre-paid shipping label.
• Be sure to keep a copy or at least the number on your label.

In person

• Go to the physical location of the delivery service or one of its outlets.
• Explain what you need.
• Give them the information to go on the label.
• Pay.
• They’ll give you the pre-paid shipping label.
• Be sure to keep a copy or at least the number on your label.

Remember: If you don’t give us a pre-paid shipping label, we’ll return your documents by regular USPS mail.

Look at the rejection letter you got from us. The reason we rejected your document was included in the letter.

Look at the denial letter you got from us. The information about how to appeal is included in the letter.

To appeal, you need to:

• File a petition for a contested case hearing with the NC Office of Administrative Hearings. You can contact them at:
  984-236-1850
  Mailing Address: 6714 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6714
  Street Address: 1711 New Hope Church Road, Raleigh, NC 27609
  http://www.oah.nc.gov
• You may need to pay a filing fee.
• You need to serve (send) a copy of the petition to:
  Ann B. Wall
  General Counsel
  NC Department of the Secretary of State
  PO Box 29622
  Raleigh, NC 287626-0622

We deny authentication requests for different reasons. Some of the reasons are:

• The document is not from North Carolina.
• There is an issue with the notarization on the document.
• The document is not in English and there is no certified or notarized translation included with the documents.
• The document is presented for an improper purpose. For example, documents to be used in the United States can’t be authenticated.