Application for Apostilles or Certification of Documents
Please note – Apostille and Certification Fees have recently increased to $3.00 per document.
The Lieutenant Governor serves as Secretary of State for the State of Hawaiʻi and is responsible for the authentication of state documents that are used overseas.
Apostilles authenticate the seals and signatures of officials on documents so that the document can be recognized in foreign countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty. To see a list of countries using Apostilles, you can view the Hague Status Table.
Documents can also be authenticated for countries that are not members of the Hague treaty but will instead be provided a certificate rather than an apostille.
NEW – Our application for apostille or certification may now be filled online. Our new platform gives you the flexibility of paying for your apostille with credit card, or submitting a traditional payment by cash, cashier’s check or money order. After filling out the application, you will print the application page emailed to you and submit it with your document. See below for instructions on how to submit your document and application.Follow the instructions for the type of document that needs apostille.
Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificates
Apostilles for birth, death, and marriage certificates issued by the State of Hawaiʻi must be ordered through the Hawaii State Department of Health, Vital Records office. Our office does not affix apostilles to vital records unless they have been ordered specifically for apostille through the Department of Health (we are not able to issue an apostille to a previously-issued certificate). Please order your Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, Vital Records here: https://health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/apostilles/
Your document will be re-issued through the Department of Health and forwarded to our office for the apostille or authentication before being returned to you.
Official Documents Issued by the State of Hawaiʻi
Official Documents Issued by the State of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiʻi court orders, driving records, documents on file at the Bureau of Conveyances, professional licenses, etc. ) are documents with the Hawaiʻi State Seal, or a Hawaiʻi State Department Seal printed or embossed on the document.
In addition to having the seal, this official state document must be certified by the signature of the official administrator of that document such as the document custodian, or the record clerk attesting that the document is an official record or a true copy of the original document. If your document does not have a seal or signature, please contact our office to determine if an apostille can be issued.
Notarized Documents
Private documents, such as an educational record, power of attorney, affidavit, etc. require additional steps before an apostille can be issued.
- The document must first be notarized by a Hawaiʻi notary public. If the document cannot be directly notarized, you may ask the notary if it possible to notarize a copy of the document. You should consult with the country where you plan to present the document to see if this is an acceptable alternative.
- The notary’s signature must then be certified at the Circuit Court Legal Documents Office at the circuit court in which the Notary Public is registered. See below for circuit court addresses:
Oʻahu First Circuit
777 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu HI 96813-5093
Maui, Moloka`i and Lana`i – Second Circuit
2145 Main Street, Suite 106
Wailuku, Hawaiʻi 96793-1679
Hawaiʻi – Third Circuit
777 Kīlauea Avenue
Hilo, Hawaiʻi 96720-4212
Kauaʻi – Fifth Circuit
3970 Kaʻana Street
Līhuʻe, Hawaiʻi 96766
Once your document has been notarized and certified by the Circuit Court, the document can be sent to our office. Please follow the procedures below for requesting an apostille or certification with our office.
PROCEDURE FOR REQUESTING APOSTILLE OR CERTIFICATION
1. Start your application online on our new portal. You can choose to pre-pay for your apostille with a credit card, or you may send a payment with your document. Your printed apostille application will show if the document is pre-paid. You do not need to send your receipt. We recommend creating an account to save and access your record at a later time.
2. You will receive an email receipt and your printable application by two separate emails. Please print the PDF document titled Application Document.
3. Submit the following to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor:
- Application Document
- Your document (birth certificate, notarized power of attorney, etc.)
- $3.00 per document in the form of a money order, cash, or a cashier’s check. If you pre-paid online, do not send additional payment. Please Note – Apostille and Certification Fees have recently increased to $3.00 per document.
- (Optional) All documents with apostilles will be returned using United States Postal Service (USPS) to the mailing address on your application unless a self-addressed, pre-paid envelope is included. If you select to pick-up your document, you will be contacted by phone when your document and apostille are ready.
By Mail
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
State Capitol, 5th Floor
415 S. Beretania St.
Honolulu, HI 96813.
By Walk-In or Document Drop-Box
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7:45 AM – 4:30 PM
Capitol Parking: Entrance to the Hawaii State Capitol parking garage is located on Miller Street. Please pay at the pay station and place your ticket on your dashboard. Rates are $2 per hour for the first two hours and $4 for every hour thereafter.
Alternate Parking Options: Meter parking near ‘Iolani Palace (364 S King Street) and U.S. Postal Office (335 Merchant Street).
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor reserves the right to deny applications for Apostilles or Certifications that appear to be contrary to State or federal law, interest, or policy, or intended to be used for improper or illegal purposes.
Estimated processing time: 7 to 10 business days. No expedited services available. For fastest processing, please pre-pay for your apostille before submission.
Scan the QR Code to fill out the application on your phone.