Apostilles, Home Deeds, and Vital Records

HOME DEEDS:  A certified copy of your home deed can be picked up at your local county courthouse.   The cost is usually only about $5.   CERTIFIED DOCUMENTS DO NOT NEED TO BE RE-NOTARIZED....WHEN YOU SEND IN YOUR DOCS FOR APOSTILLE, YOU CAN SEND THOSE BY THEMSELVES WITHOUT AN ADDITIONAL NOTARIZATION.

BIRTH CERTIFICATES:    These certificates can be picked up at your local county courthouse if you live in the same STATE that you were born in.  The cost usually runs about $5.  Otherwise, you can order these online at www.vitalcheck.com 

People order copies of their birth certificates for a number of reasons.  Here are a few:

Our recommendation is to order (3) certified (not apostilled) copies of your birth certificates for each parent.  Even if you don't end up having to use all (3), it never hurts to have extras on hand for the future.  If you already have a certified copy of your original birth certificate, your home study social worker will usually accept a photo copy.  Your passport requires the original, but it will be returned to you with your passport.  If you are adopting as a single parent, a photo copy of the original is sufficient for your INS application I-600A.   However, if you are applying as a single parent, you WILL need an original, apostilled copy for your dossier.  We recommend you have (2) copies apostilled....(1) for your dossier and (1) to carry with you in the event your passports are stolen and you need authorized ID to get you back in the United States.

When you order your birth certificate, do NOT order the apostilled copy in the beginning.   You want the apostille to have the latest date possible prior to sending your dossier, and if you order these in the beginning with apostilles, they will be too close to expiring by the time you send your dossier.    CERTIFIED DOCUMENTS DO NOT NEED TO BE RE-NOTARIZED....WHEN YOU SEND IN YOUR DOCS FOR APOSTILLE, YOU CAN SEND THOSE BY THEMSELVES WITHOUT AN ADDITIONAL NOTARIZATION.

MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES:  These certificates can be picked up at your local county courthouse if you live in the same STATE that you were married in.  The cost usually runs about $5.  Otherwise, you can order these online at www.vitalcheck.com  If you were married in a different state than you currently live in, that marriage cert must be apostilled in the state it was issued in.  And again, do not order an apostilled copy in the beginning because they may be too close to expiring by the time you send your dossier.  INS will accept a photo copy of your marriage certificate for your I600A.   Your social worker should also accept a photo copy.  But you will need an original, certified, and apostilled copy for your dossier and an extra to carry with you.  CERTIFIED DOCUMENTS DO NOT NEED TO BE RE-NOTARIZED....WHEN YOU SEND IN YOUR DOCS FOR APOSTILLE, YOU CAN SEND THOSE BY THEMSELVES WITHOUT AN ADDITIONAL NOTARIZATION.

DIVORCE CERTIFICATES:  These certificates can be picked up at your local county courthouse if you live in the same STATE that you were divorced in.  The cost usually runs about $5.  Otherwise, you can order these online at www.vitalcheck.com  These are usually only necessary if you are applying as a single parent who is currently divorced.    Your social worker may require copies of these as well to confirm the legal divorce took place.  You will not need a copy of these to submit with your dossier (typically), and you will not need to carry an extra copy with you abroad.  Each country has different requirements, so be sure to inquire with your agency.  CERTIFIED DOCUMENTS DO NOT NEED TO BE RE-NOTARIZED....WHEN YOU SEND IN YOUR DOCS FOR APOSTILLE, YOU CAN SEND THOSE BY THEMSELVES WITHOUT AN ADDITIONAL NOTARIZATION.

APOSTILLES:  Typically, the Superior Court Clerk's Office in your state is the one which handles attaching apostilles to all of your notarized dossier documents.   An apostille is nothing more than a state seal confirming that the notary who signed your documents is legitimate and licensed.  The Superior Court Clerk's office is usually located in your state capital's courthouse building.  Some larger states have branch offices which can also help you.  Typically, the cost for each apostille ranges from FREE to $20 a page.  The average is about $3-$5 a per document. 

Please refer to the list below to find out where you would send or hand-carry your dossier documents to be apostilled.  Sometimes things change.  Be sure to call ahead to the office to confirm the address, cost, payment method, mailing method, etc.  BE SURE TO SEND A COVER LETTER WITH YOUR DOCUMENTS EXPLAINING YOUR PURPOSES AND NEEDS.

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Virginia:

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