Palo Alto · Santa Clara County

Apostille Services for Palo Alto
including powers of attorney

California has no apostille counter anywhere in the Bay Area. We notarise and apostille from our San Jose office instead, from $85 for standard processing up to $450 for same-day.

Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528
Completed California apostille certificate prepared in San Jose for a Palo Alto client
Power of attorney apostille

Notarised and apostilled in the same visit

A power of attorney is a private document, so it cannot go to the Secretary of State until a California notary has witnessed the signature. That is two separate steps, and doing them in two places costs you a week.

Sign it here, not before you arrive

Bring the unsigned document and valid photo identification. The notary has to watch you sign — a signature added at home cannot be notarised afterwards, which is the single most common reason a power of attorney gets sent back.

Then it goes to Sacramento

Once notarised, the Secretary of State authenticates the notary’s commission. We handle that submission, so the document leaves our office finished rather than starting a second errand. Full power of attorney apostille details.

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

Notarisation is charged separately at the California statutory rate. FBI apostille is priced on its own scale — $200 for six weeks, $350 expedited, or $450 expedited with fingerprinting included. See the main apostille page or the FBI apostille page.

Four steps

How to apostille a document from Palo Alto

One visit to San Jose, or none at all if you would rather send it.

1. Bring the document unsigned

If it needs notarising, do not sign it beforehand. Bring valid photo identification and sign in front of the notary at our San Jose office.

2. We notarise and check it

A California notary witnesses the signature, and we confirm the document qualifies before submission so it is not returned unprocessed.

3. Submitted to the right authority

California documents go to the Secretary of State. Federal documents such as an FBI Identity History Summary go to the U.S. Department of State in Washington.

4. Collect the sealed original

Collect it in San Jose or have it returned to your Palo Alto address. Same-day documents received by 10 AM are ready by 6 PM.

Common questions

Palo Alto apostille, answered

Where can I get an apostille in Palo Alto?
Nowhere in Palo Alto, and nowhere in the Bay Area. California apostilles are issued only by the Secretary of State counters in Sacramento and Los Angeles. We handle the submission from 434 Blossom Hill Road in San Jose so you do not drive to Sacramento, which is roughly two hours each way.
How do I apostille a power of attorney in Palo Alto?
Bring the unsigned document and valid photo identification to our San Jose office. A California notary witnesses your signature, then the Secretary of State authenticates the notary commission. We do both, so you make one trip instead of two. Pricing runs from $85 for standard processing to $450 for same day.
Is Palo Alto in Santa Clara County for vital records?
Yes. Palo Alto sits in Santa Clara County, so birth and marriage certificates are issued by the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder in San Jose. East Palo Alto is different — it is in San Mateo County, and those records come from Redwood City. Bringing a record from the wrong county office is a common and avoidable delay.
Can I get a same-day apostille from Palo Alto?
Yes, for California-issued documents. Same-day service is $450 per document and the document must reach us by 10 AM. You collect the sealed original by 6 PM the same evening.
What about an FBI background check apostille?
That is a federal document, so it goes to the U.S. Department of State in Washington rather than to California. There is no counter you could visit yourself. We take the fingerprints here, obtain the report through our channeler partner, and submit it for the federal apostille.
Who handles your document

Notarised by a commissioned notary

Quinnie Do, founder of Fingerscan Digital Inc, who notarises and apostilles documents for Palo Alto clients

Quinnie Do

Founder · Fingerscan Digital Inc.

Quinnie is a commissioned California notary and has prepared apostilles for South Bay families and companies since 2020, for documents bound for more than 125 Hague Convention countries. Powers of attorney are witnessed and authenticated in the same visit, so nothing goes out half-finished.

Commissioned California Notary IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent 125+ Hague countries Serving the South Bay since 2020
Serving Palo Alto from San Jose

One visit. Notarised and authenticated.

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

Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528