# Which documents need a notary before the apostille

Public records go straight to the issuing office, while private papers need a notary first because the apostille certifies the notary's seal.

Updated 2026-10-07. Also on the [web page](https://apostilles.fyi/guides/notarize-before-apostille).

Public records go straight to the issuing office, while private papers need a notary first because the apostille certifies the notary's seal.

The distinction decides your first step. A birth certificate, a court order, a police clearance or a registry extract already carries a public signature and seal, so the issuing office can check it against its records at once. A power of attorney, a company resolution, a private contract or a copied diploma carries only your signature, so there is nothing official to check yet. The notary supplies the official act: witnessing, acknowledgement or certified copy. The apostille then certifies the notary.

Use a commissioned notary in the same place as the document. A California apostille certifies a California notary, so a Nevada notarization on California papers breaks the chain. Sign powers of attorney in front of the notary rather than beforehand. Bring the identification the notary asks for, and ask for the full acknowledgement wording your issuing office expects.

The United Kingdom shows the same logic with different titles. Court papers, registry certificates and government letters go to the Legalisation Office directly. Other papers need certification by a UK public official such as a notary or solicitor first, and the office then legalises the certification. The GOV.UK page lists which documents qualify on their own and which need the extra step.

One caution crosses every country. A notarization never repairs a wrong original: a photocopy stays a photocopy, and an office that wants a registrar-issued original will reject a notarized copy of a printout. Secure the right original first, notarize second, apostille third.

Ask the notary two questions before the stamp lands. First, does this office accept your commission for this document type. Second, which acknowledgement wording does the issuing office expect. A perfect signature with the wrong wording travels to the issuing office and back, and the return journey takes as long as the first one. Bring the office's instruction page with you so the notary sees the exact requirement.

## Sources

- [GOV.UK Get your document legalised](https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised)
- [HCCH Apostille Section status table](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41)

## Questions

### My solicitor certified my degree. Is that enough?

Yes, where the issuing office holds that solicitor's signature. The GOV.UK page explains which UK officials qualify.

### Does the notary read my whole document?

Usually the notary verifies identity and witnesses the signature rather than judging the content. Ask what your office requires.

> **Not legal advice.** Apostille Finder lists the government offices that issue apostilles and what their official pages state. It is not legal advice, and rules, hours and fees change. Confirm every detail on the official page linked in each listing before you send a document. The source note on each record shows when we last checked it. To report a mistake, write to hello@apostilles.fyi.