Mountain View · 20 minutes down Highway 85

Apostille Services for Mountain View
without the drive to Sacramento

California has no apostille counter in the Bay Area — the nearest is Sacramento. We handle the authentication from our San Jose office instead, from $85 for standard processing up to $450 for same-day.

Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528
The short answer

Two routes, and only one is drivable

California documents and federal documents are authenticated by two different authorities. That distinction decides whether you could do this yourself.

Your documentWhere it goesCan you do it yourself?
California birth certificate, marriage certificate, diploma, power of attorney, court recordCalifornia Secretary of StateYes — at the Sacramento or Los Angeles public counter. Sacramento is roughly two hours each way from Mountain View, or about ten business days by mail.
FBI Identity History Summary (federal background check)U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.No — there is no California counter for federal documents. It has to be submitted to Washington.

This is the part most people find out late. A Mountain View resident can, in principle, take a California birth certificate to Sacramento themselves and pay the state’s $20 fee. Nobody can walk a federal FBI report into the U.S. Department of State from the Bay Area.

California apostille pricing

Pick the speed your deadline needs

Per document, with the California $20-per-document state fee included in every tier.

Standard
$85
30+ business days
Two week
$200
About two weeks
Five day
$350
Five business days
Same day
$450
Drop 10 AM, collect 6 PM

FBI apostille is priced separately because it routes through Washington: $200 for six weeks, $350 expedited, or $450 expedited with fingerprinting included. ATA-certified translation is available as a paid add-on. See the full apostille service page or the FBI apostille page.

Documents we authenticate

What Mountain View residents bring us

Birth certificates

Must be a certified copy from the county recorder or CDPH — a hospital souvenir certificate cannot be apostilled. Santa Clara County records come from the Clerk-Recorder in San Jose, close to our office. Birth certificate apostille details.

Marriage certificates

A certified copy, not the decorative ceremony certificate. Commonly needed for spousal visas, dual citizenship and property matters abroad. Marriage certificate apostille details.

FBI background checks

The federal route. We take the fingerprints here, obtain the FBI Identity History Summary through our channeler partner, then send it to the U.S. Department of State for the apostille. FBI apostille details.

Diplomas, transcripts and powers of attorney

Education records usually need a notarised registrar signature first. Powers of attorney we can notarise and apostille in the same visit, so the document leaves finished. Power of attorney apostille details.

Common questions

Mountain View apostille, answered

Where can I get an apostille in Mountain View?
There is no apostille counter in Mountain View or anywhere in the Bay Area. California apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State in Sacramento or Los Angeles. We handle the submission from our office at 434 Blossom Hill Road in San Jose, about 20 minutes from Mountain View down Highway 85, so you do not make the drive yourself.
How long does an apostille take for a Mountain View resident?
It depends on the tier you choose: 30+ business days at $85, about two weeks at $200, five business days at $350, or same day at $450 when the document reaches us by 10 AM. FBI background check apostilles run 12 to 15 business days on the expedited track.
Can I get a same-day apostille if I live in Mountain View?
Yes, for California-issued documents. Same-day service is $450 per document and the document has to be with us by 10 AM, which is realistic from Mountain View outside peak traffic. You collect the sealed original by 6 PM the same evening.
Do I need an apostille for immigration documents?
It depends on which country is receiving them. Documents going to a Hague Convention country get an apostille. Documents going to a non-member country need consular legalization instead, which is a different process. Call us with the destination country and we will tell you which route applies.
Can I just go to the Secretary of State myself?
For California documents, yes. The public counters are in Sacramento and Los Angeles, and the state fee is $20 per document. Sacramento is roughly two hours each way from Mountain View. For federal documents such as an FBI background check, there is no California counter at all — those are authenticated in Washington, D.C.
Do you serve Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Los Altos and Cupertino too?
Yes. The same Highway 85 corridor covers Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Cupertino, Saratoga and Los Gatos, and all are inside the 10 AM same-day window. For the East Bay we offer document pickup and return for a travel fee based on distance.
Serving Mountain View from San Jose

Bring the document. We handle Sacramento.

434 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose. Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Saturday by appointment. English, Spanish and Vietnamese spoken.

Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528