Application for Apostilles or Certification of Documents
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
Birth, death, and marriage certificates issued by the State of Hawaiʻi and signed by the registrar of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health Vital Records Office may be submitted for Apostille. The certificate must have an original signature and embossed (raised) seal from the Department of Health in order to receive authentication.
To request a certificate for authentication, you can contact the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, Vital Records here. Please follow the instructions and steps to have a signed certificate delivered to our office for apostille. By providing a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your application, we can mail it to you upon completion.
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
Documents such as educational documents, power of attorney, affidavits, etc. must first be notarized by a Hawaiʻi notary public. The notary’s signature must then be certified at the Circuit Court in which the Notary Public resides for signature and commission verification. The Lieutenant Governor’s office cannot provide this verification and therefore cannot provide an apostille without the Circuit Court’s certification.
Once your document has been notarized and certified by the Circuit Court, please follow the procedures below for requesting an apostille or certification with our office.
Circuit Court addresses and information can be found here.
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
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]