Nationwide Apostille & Double Seal Services – Handled Professionally by Notary of Lewis Center

As a certified notary public and apostille facilitator, Notary of Lewis Center is proud to serve clients not only in Ohio, but across all 50 U.S. states. Whether you're dealing with legal, academic, or personal documents that require authentication for international use, we are here to assist with the entire apostille process—no matter which U.S. state your document originates from.

✅ What Is an Apostille?

An apostille is an official certificate issued by a state’s Secretary of State that authenticates the origin of a public document for use in another country that is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention.

It ensures that foreign governments recognize the notary, clerk, or registrar’s signature on documents such as:

• Marriage and birth certificates

• Court judgments

• Diplomas and school transcripts

• Power of attorney

• Affidavits

• Adoption papers

• FBI background checks

If your destination country is not part of the Hague Convention, your document will require a multi-step authentication process, including state certification followed by consular or embassy legalization.

🌍 Apostille Services for All U.S. States – Not Just Ohio

While our office is based in Ohio, Notary of Lewis Center is equipped to process apostilles for documents issued in any U.S. state. Here's how we help:

• Documents from other states? We work directly with the respective Secretary of State offices nationwide.

• We also handle federal apostilles issued by the U.S. Department of State (e.g., for FBI background checks).

• We coordinate all shipping, notarization guidance, and tracking, ensuring your documents are handled securely and efficiently.

Whether your birth certificate is from California, your degree is from Texas, or your court decree is from New York, we can assist you from start to finish.

🔄 How the Apostille Process Works

1. Document Preparation Ensure your document is an original certified copy or have it notarized by a commissioned notary. We will guide you based on the document type.

2. Notarization (if required)If your document isn't already certified (like a court-issued document or vital record), we will notarize it (or advise if a local notary is needed based on your state).

3. State Apostille or Authentication We submit your notarized or certified document to the correct Secretary of State office based on its origin.

4. Optional Embassy Legalization For non-Hague countries, we manage further legalization from the corresponding embassy or consulate.

   
   

💍 What Is a “Double Seal” on a Marriage Certificate?

When it comes to marriage certificates—especially for use in countries like India for OCI or visa applications—clients are often told they need a "double seal." Here's what that means:

🔹 First Seal: County or Notarial Certification

• A certified copy from your county clerk acts as the first seal.

• If a certified copy is unavailable, we can assist in preparing a notarized affidavit affirming that you are in possession and full control of the original document, and that the attached copy is a true and complete reproduction of that original. (Note: This method is not applicable for vital records such as birth, marriage, or death certificates, which must be obtained as certified copies from the issuing authority.)

  
  

🔹 Second Seal: Apostille or Authentication

• The Secretary of State issues the second seal: an apostille (for Hague Convention countries) or a certificate of authentication (for non-Hague countries).

  
  

🔹 Third (Optional): Embassy Legalization

• For non-Hague countries (e.g., China, UAE), additional embassy or consulate legalization is often required.

  
  

📌 Examples of Common Double-Seal Use Cases

Scenario	Required Seals
Marriage certificate for OCI application	County certified copy + Apostille (India is Hague member)
Birth certificate for study abroad	State certified copy + Apostille
Legal document for UAE employment	Notarization + Authentication + Embassy Legalization
FBI background check for adoption	Federal apostille via U.S. Department of State

🛠️ How Notary of Lewis Center Can Help You

• Notarize documents (in-person or remote where allowed)

• Guide on getting certified copies

• Submit to the correct state’s Secretary of State for apostille

• Process federal apostilles (e.g., FBI background checks)

• Handle embassy legalization for non-Hague countries

• Provide secure shipping and tracking

• Offer services nationwide – you do not need to be in Ohio

  
  

❗ Important: Notarization Must Match the Document’s State

One of the most critical parts of the apostille process is this:

Each U.S. state will only issue an apostille for documents notarized or issued within that same state.

🟨 For Example:

• Ohio Secretary of State only accepts documents:

  • Notarized by an Ohio notary, or

  • Issued by an Ohio agency or court

• A Texas birth certificate must go through Texas Secretary of State, and if notarized, it must be done by a Texas notary.

  
  

🛑 Common Mistake:

Don’t notarize a California-issued document in Ohio and expect Ohio to issue the apostille—it will be rejected.

At Notary of Lewis Center, we:

• Review your documents

• Advise whether notarization must happen in the issuing state

• Coordinate with notaries in other states when needed

• Ensure your documents are valid for apostille processing

  
  

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can you handle documents from any U.S. state?

Yes. We work with all 50 state Secretary of State offices and follow their unique apostille procedures.

Q: What if I live outside Ohio?

You can ship your documents to us from anywhere in the U.S. We handle the process and return them securely.

Q: How long does the apostille process take?

Usually 5–15 business days. Expedited services available in some states.

Q: Do I need to visit in person?

No. We offer remote services, including Remote Online Notarization (RON) in many cases.

📞 Get Started Today

Whether you're submitting a marriage certificate to the Indian Embassy, preparing school records for study abroad, or authenticating documents for immigration or business—Notary of Lewis Center can assist you, no matter where your document was issued in the U.S.