Apostille is a French word that means certification.  When legal or official documents which were issued in the state of Maryland are to be used in a foreign country, it may sometimes be necessary to authenticate the validity of the signatures on those Maryland documents.  "Authentication" is sometimes called "Verification", "Validation" or "Certification".  "Authentication" is also sometimes called an official "Stamp" or an official "Seal".

Government agencies in most countries require legal and official documents from a different country to be authenticated by a credible agency in the foreign country before they will accept any documents as valid.  A Maryland Apostille is a document issued by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation which is used for international validation.

• A Maryland Apostille is like an international notary stamp.
• A Maryland Apostille attached to a document legally verifies the signature and the position of the official who has executed, issued or certified a copy of any document.
• A Maryland Apostille is a document which bears the signature and, usually, the seal of an official state agency, usually the Secretary of State.
• A Maryland Apostille is attached (usually stapled) to a legal or official document.

A Maryland Apostille does not validate the contents of the document.  A Maryland Apostille validates only the authenticity of the signature of the official who signed the Maryland document, the capacity in which that official acted, and when appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears.  This is usually a Maryland Notary Public; a Maryland Elected Official; or a Maryland Appointed Official.

Most, but not all, countries recognize an Apostille as a legal document.   In 1961 a number of countries got together and agreed to some conventions for conducting international business.  Representatives of the countries met in The Hague, Netherlands, and the agreements that were signed became known as the Hague Convention of 1961.

Part of the Hague Convention has to do with easing the process of using valid documents from one country in another country.  Prior to 1981 the process of validating foreign documents could be cumbersome, expensive and slow. 

Countries that signed the Hague Convention have agreed to recognize valid documents issued by other signatory countries if those documents are authenticated by the attachment of an internationally recognized form of authentication known as an Apostille. 

The Maryland Apostille ensures that documents issued in Maryland will be recognized as valid in another signatory country.

In addition to the United States, the following countries have signed the Hague Convention and will accept a document with a Maryland Apostille attached.  For countries not listed the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation will issue a which can be affixed to an official or legal Maryland document in the same way in which a Maryland Apostille is affixed to a Maryland document.

If a country does not legally recognize an Apostille for a Maryland document then that country probably will accept a What if a country does not legally recognize an Apostille for a Maryland document? issued by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.  The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation will issue a What if a country does not legally recognize an Apostille for a Maryland document? in lieu of an Apostille.  In the state of Maryland, the Apostille and What if a country does not legally recognize an Apostille for a Maryland document? administrative processes are virtually the same.

No.  The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation will not notarize any documents.  Maryland documents which were not issued by a Maryland state agency must be notarized by a registered Maryland Notary Public or certified by the Vital Records department in the Maryland city or county in which the documents were issued.

No.  The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation will not issue an Apostille for a document which was originally issued in a state other than Maryland.  The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation will issue an Apostille only for documents which were issued or originated in the state of Maryland.

No.  The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation will not issue an Apostille for a Maryland document which is in a foreign language other than English.  The Maryland document must be accompanied by a notarized English version of the Maryland document.

No.  The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation will not issue an Apostille for a federal US document.  Federal documents which have been issued by an agency of the US government are authenticated by the US Department of State Authentications Office.

The total cost of an Apostille depends on the number of signatures (not documents) that you want to authenticate and the time by which you want to receive your Apostilled Maryland documents.  When you fill out the order form below, the cost is automatically updated as you specify your options.

We can handle every step of the Maryland Apostille process for any certified or notarized document which was issued in the state of Maryland.