Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke

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.

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 (court documents issued by the Hawaiʻi court, driving records, documents on file at the Bureau of Conveyances, professional licenses issued by DCCA, 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. The signature MUST be original.

Once your official document has been checked for both a state seal and an official’s signature, please follow the procedures below for requesting an apostille or certification with our office.

Notarized Documents

Private documents, such as an educational record, power of attorney, affidavit, etc. require additional steps before an apostille can be issued.  

1. The document must first be notarized by a Hawaiʻi notary public.  

2. 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.  

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. 

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PROCEDURE FOR REQUESTING APOSTILLE OR CERTIFICATION

1. Complete, sign, and submit the Application for Apostille or Certification of Documents.

2. Submit the following to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor:

• Application for Apostille or Certification of Documents (see below)
• Your document
• $1.00 per document in the form of a money order, cash, or a cashier’s check
• A self-addressed, stamped envelope if you wish the document(s) to be returned or forwarded by mail OR provide a telephone number on your application where you can be contacted when the documents are ready for pickup
• To avoid delays, do not use FedEx or UPS

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.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Lieutenant Governor at [email protected]

Language Interpretation Services Available. For assistance, please call (808) 586-0255.

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