Do I need the County Clerk for a New York City birth certificate?

Yes. Order the long form with the Letter of Exemplification from the City Health Department, have the New York County Clerk certify it ($3), and then take or mail it to the Department of State ($10). A State Department of Health certificate for a birth outside the city, signed by the State Registrar, skips the County Clerk.

How long does a New York apostille take?

In person it is same-day at the five walk-in offices. By mail the State publishes no processing time; plan on three to six weeks, plus about three weeks if the County Clerk step is also done by mail.

Can I apostille a New York document if I live in New Jersey?

Yes. Where you live does not matter; the apostille comes from the state that issued the document. You can mail it or make one trip to Lower Manhattan.

Guides

How to Get an Apostille in New York: State and New York City Documents

If you need to use a New York document in another country, for dual citizenship, a marriage abroad, a property sale or a school enrollment, the receiving office will ask for an apostille: a one-page certificate from the New York Department of State confirming the document is genuine. The fee is low and the walk-in offices finish the same day, but New York has a step most people miss: many documents must be certified by a County Clerk first. Here is how it works in 2026.

By Michael Fermin, Notary Public · Fermin Consulting LLC, Bloomfield, NJ · Leer esta guía en español

Who issues a New York apostille, and the step people miss

Apostilles are issued where the document comes from, not where you live. For New York documents that is the New York State Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, at $10 per document. A New Jersey birth certificate goes to New Jersey; an FBI background check or a naturalization certificate goes to the U.S. Department of State.

The Department of State only certifies signatures it has on file: a State official or a County Clerk. A notary, a New York City registrar or a school is not on file, so a County Clerk must certify those documents first, for $3 each. A notarized document mailed straight to Albany comes back unprocessed.

Step 1: Get the right copy of the document

New York has three record systems. Births, marriages and deaths outside New York City are State Department of Health records: order the copy "for apostille" ($30 by mail), and if it carries the State Registrar's signature it goes straight to the Department of State. New York City births and deaths come from the City Health Department ($15 plus a processing fee): order the long form with a Letter of Exemplification, because the short form is rejected. New York City marriages need the Extended Certificate from the Office of the City Clerk ($35).

Powers of attorney, affidavits and single-status declarations are signed in front of a New York notary, in original ink. Check the notary's stamp for the county where the notary is qualified: that is the County Clerk you will need. Diplomas and transcripts need a notarized statement from the school registrar. A notary cannot certify a copy of a birth certificate.

Step 2: County Clerk, request form, and Albany or a walk-in office

Take notarized documents to the County Clerk of the notary's county, and New York City vital records to the New York County Clerk at 60 Centre Street, Room 141B. The fee is $3 per document and it is done while you wait; by mail, allow about three weeks.
Fill in the Department of State's Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form (DOS-1917-f) from dos.ny.gov and name the country where each document will be used. Incomplete forms and outdated versions are sent back.
Pay $10 per document by check or money order payable to "N.Y.S. Department of State", or by card on the form. Cash is not accepted.
Mail everything with a return envelope to P.O. Box 22001, Albany, NY 12201-2001, and plan on three to six weeks; or walk in for same-day service in New York City (123 William Street, 2nd Floor), Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo or Utica, up to 10 documents per visit.

Translations, and when it makes sense to do it from New Jersey

The apostille certifies a signature, not the content, so it is attached to documents in any language. The Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador often want a Spanish translation, and some of them only accept a translator registered in that country. Ask the receiving office before you pay for one.

A document you sign yourself, such as a power of attorney or an affidavit, does not have to be notarized in New York. Fermin Consulting can notarize it in Spanish or English in Bloomfield, at your home in Essex County or online, and apostille it in New Jersey, with the same validity abroad. We also prepare certified Spanish translations ($25 first page, $10 each additional). We do not file New York apostille requests for clients at this time. Michael Fermin is commissioned as a notary public in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, not in New York, and is not an attorney.

Common questions

Do I need the County Clerk for a New York City birth certificate?: Yes. Order the long form with the Letter of Exemplification from the City Health Department, have the New York County Clerk certify it ($3), and then take or mail it to the Department of State ($10). A State Department of Health certificate for a birth outside the city, signed by the State Registrar, skips the County Clerk.
How long does a New York apostille take?: In person it is same-day at the five walk-in offices. By mail the State publishes no processing time; plan on three to six weeks, plus about three weeks if the County Clerk step is also done by mail.
Can I apostille a New York document if I live in New Jersey?: Yes. Where you live does not matter; the apostille comes from the state that issued the document. You can mail it or make one trip to Lower Manhattan.

This guide is general information from a New Jersey notary public, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, consult an attorney.

Sources

Official pages and primary sources used for this guide. Fees and processing times change; always confirm with the issuing office.