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Court Order Apostille

Court orders - including custody orders, adoption decrees, name change orders, guardianship orders, and judgments - often need to be apostilled for enforcement or recognition in foreign jurisdictions. International custody disputes, cross-border adoptions, and foreign legal proceedings require authenticated court documents to establish jurisdiction and legal authority. Because court orders come from specific courts with specific certification requirements, ensuring the document is properly clerk-certified before submission is critical to a successful apostille.

From $149 per document · No hidden fees · Tracked shipping included

Industry's Fastest
24-hour turnaround
Official Apostille
Hague compliant
120+ Countries
Accepted worldwide

50+

States & Territories

120+

Countries Accepted

1-Day

Express Available

100%

Hague Compliant

Court Order Apostille Services

  • Digital process: Upload a clear scan of your court order. Our licensed notary certifies a true copy, a U.S. Secretary of State issues the apostille, and we ship the apostilled document back to you with tracking.
  • Fast turnaround: Economy in 4-6 business days, Standard in 2-3 days, Express in 1 business day.
  • International ready: Recognized across 120+ Hague Convention countries. Your original court order never has to leave your possession.

True Copy State Apostille

Start with a clear upload of your court order. Our licensed notary certifies a true copy and a U.S. Secretary of State issues the apostille on that certification.

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Original Document Processing

Send the physical court order when the receiving authority needs the original submitted through the issuing state's route. Transit is separate from processing.

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Key Details

What we check on your court order

Court jurisdiction - the specific court (state, county, family, probate) that issued the order

Clerk of court certification with original signature and court seal

Judge's signature (where required by the destination country)

Recency requirements - some destination countries require recently certified copies

Whether the order is a final order versus an interim or temporary order

Case number and filing information for authentication verification

Why Apostilles.us

Why Choose Us

Expert court order review

Every court order is reviewed by our team before processing. We catch eligibility issues, missing pages, and state-specific gotchas upfront so your apostille is not rejected.

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Fast turnaround options

From 1-business-day Express to economy standard, we offer flexible processing speeds to match any deadline.

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End-to-end digital service

From scan upload to notarized true copy to state apostille to tracked shipping. We handle the entire process so you don't have to.

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Timelines

Processing Timelines

Priority ExpressExpress

As fast as 1 business day

Standard PriorityStandard

2-3 business days

Economy StandardEconomy

4-6 business days

State processing can be as fast as 1 business day for eligible requests. Shipping time is separate from processing time. If you need your apostilled court order for international use, submit your request as early as possible to allow for both processing and delivery.

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How It Works

How It Works

Three simple steps from upload to delivery. We handle all the complexity.

1

Upload Your Scan

Submit a clear color scan of your court order through our secure portal. We review it for eligibility and accuracy before anything moves forward.

Takes about 2 minutes

2

We Handle Everything

Our licensed notary certifies a true copy of your court order, then a U.S. Secretary of State issues the apostille on the notary-certified true copy.

Same-day processing available

3

Receive Your Apostille

Your apostilled court order is shipped directly to you with full tracking. Domestic and international delivery available.

Domestic and international delivery

Common Issues

Common Issues with Court Order Apostilles

Uncertified Copies Are the Most Common Problem

Attorneys often provide clients with file-stamped copies of court orders, which are not the same as clerk-certified copies. A certified copy must include a separate certification page (or stamp) from the clerk of court confirming the document is a true and complete copy of the original on file. Without this certification, the Secretary of State cannot apostille the document.

Missing or Illegible Court Seal

The clerk's certification must include the court's official seal. Older documents may have faded embossed seals that are no longer legible. If the Secretary of State cannot verify the seal, the document will be returned. You may need to obtain a fresh certified copy from the clerk's office.

State-Specific Certification Requirements

Different states have different requirements for what constitutes a properly certified court document. Some states require the clerk's signature to be on file with the Secretary of State. Others require an intermediate authentication from the county clerk before the state can apostille. We know the requirements for every state.

Interim vs. Final Orders

Temporary restraining orders, interim custody arrangements, and pendente lite orders are not final judgments. While they can technically be apostilled, many foreign authorities will only accept final orders. Make sure you're submitting the correct version of the court's ruling.

Never mail your original documents

We process apostilles from a notarized true copy of your uploaded scan. Your birth certificate, diploma, or FBI report never leaves your hands, so it can never be lost in the mail.

How true copy processing works
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

An apostille is a certificate issued by a designated U.S. authority (a Secretary of State) that authenticates a U.S. document for use in countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.

In most cases, no. You upload a clear color scan of your court order through our secure portal. Our licensed notary certifies that the printed copy is a true and accurate reproduction of the original, and a U.S. Secretary of State issues the apostille on the notary-certified true copy.

Your original court order never has to leave your possession. The resulting apostilled document is recognized across Hague Convention countries for almost every common use case (dual citizenship, marriage abroad, visa applications, school enrollment, foreign property transactions, and more).

The only time you would need to mail the physical original is if the receiving authority in your destination country specifically requires the original document, or specifically requires the apostille to come from the same state that issued your court order. If that applies to your situation, we offer an Original Document Apostille service and will guide you through it.

Learn more about our digital process →

Our process uses a U.S.-licensed notary who certifies that a printed copy made from your scan is a true and accurate reproduction of the original document. A U.S. Secretary of State then issues the apostille on the notary-certified true copy. The apostille authenticates the notary's seal and signature, which is exactly what the Hague Convention recognizes.

Because we work from a scan, your original never has to leave your possession, processing is significantly faster than mailing physical documents back and forth, and there is no risk of your original being lost or damaged in transit.

Government-issued vital records (birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates) typically do not require additional notarization before apostille.

Private documents such as powers of attorney, school transcripts, and personal affidavits do need to be notarized first, because the apostille is issued on the notary's certification rather than on the document itself. If your court order needs notarization, we can handle it as part of your order through our remote online notary add-on.

Our digital process completes Economy orders in 4-6 business days, Standard in 2-3 business days, and Express in 1 business day. Shipping time is separate from processing time.

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Pricing depends on the processing tier you choose. Economy starts at $149 per document, Standard at $197, and Express (1 business day) at $249.

All tiers include document review, notarized true copy, state apostille, and tracked domestic shipping.

See full pricing details and add-ons →

Over 120 countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention accept apostilles. This includes most of Europe, South America, and many countries in Asia and Africa.

If your destination country is not a member of the Hague Convention, you may need embassy legalization instead of an apostille. Browse country-specific guidance →

Not necessarily. With our digital process, the apostille is issued by a U.S. Secretary of State where our licensed notary is commissioned, which may be a different state than the one that originally issued your court order. The apostille is fully Hague Convention compliant and accepted by receiving authorities in 120+ countries regardless of which state issued it.

If the receiving authority in your destination country specifically requires the apostille to come from the same state that issued your court order, you would need to use our Original Document Apostille service, which routes your physical original through the issuing state.

Virtually any court order issued by a U.S. state court can be apostilled, including custody orders, adoption decrees, divorce judgments, name change orders, guardianship orders, restraining orders, probate orders, and civil judgments. The key requirement is that the order must be clerk-certified with the court's seal.
Contact the clerk of the court that issued the order. You'll need the case number and party names. The clerk's office will produce a certified copy with their signature and the court's official seal. Fees and processing times vary by court. Some courts allow requests by mail; others require in-person pickup.
Federal court orders follow a different process. They cannot be apostilled by a state Secretary of State. Instead, federal court documents must be authenticated by the clerk of the federal court, then authenticated by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. We can handle federal authentication as well.
An apostille authenticates the document but does not guarantee enforcement. International custody enforcement depends on treaties (like the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction) and the laws of the destination country. The apostille is a necessary first step - you'll likely also need legal counsel in the destination country.
For apostille purposes, there is no expiration on certified copies. However, some destination countries require that the certification be recent (within 3-12 months). If you're unsure, we recommend obtaining a fresh certified copy to avoid any issues with the receiving authority.
Related

Related Resources

Divorce Decree ApostilleBirth Certificate ApostillePower of Attorney ApostilleApostille by StateAll Document Types

The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Requirements may vary by state and destination country. For formal legal advice, consult a qualified professional.

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