How to Get an Apostille in NYC During the COVID-19 Pandemic
What’s annoying, not very fast, but ultimately necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic? That’s right, folks—it’s getting an apostille in New York City during quarantine. (Edit: And after quarantine, because the below procedures are still in effect in 2023.)
If you want to understand more about what apostilles are, why you might need them, or how to pronounce them, please refer to my original blog post, How to Get an Apostille in NYC in Three Easy Steps. Otherwise, I present to you the slightly depressing, long overdue sequel: How to Get an Apostille in New York City During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Don’t skip this introduction
Because most government offices are fully or partially closed to the public right now, the process is quite a bit different than it is in normal times. And unfortunately, the process operates a little bit like the game Chutes and Ladders: if you mess up one of the steps, because you can’t visit in person, you will probably have to go back to the beginning and start all over, which takes forever. This is why it is even more important to read these directions thoroughly.
If you already have your vital records, jump to Step 2 below. Otherwise, read on:
Step 1: Get Your Records
Before you can get your apostilles, the first step is to get the records that need apostilles. Those are probably vital records, which will be housed at either the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (for recent birth and death records), the New York City Marriage Bureau (for recent marriage records), or the New York City Municipal Archives (for old birth, marriage, and death records).
Regardless of where your records are housed, be sure to check off on the form that you will be getting an apostille for these records and/or submitting them to a foreign government:
If you’re requesting records from the Department of Health using VitalChek, choose the option in the dropdown menu for Authentication/Apostille or Dual Citizenship (either one is fine).
If you’re submitting on paper, there will be a checkbox near the top of the form to select this option.
If you’re requesting a record from the Marriage Bureau, check the box in the top left corner for the Extended Form.
From the Municipal Archives, check the box at the bottom of the online request form that you’ll need a letter of exemplification and request delivery by mail.
The reason why this step is so important is because checking that box or choosing that dropdown menu option will trigger the repository to include an extra piece of paper called a letter of exemplification with your birth or death records. Without this piece of paper, there will be no apostille for you. (The exception is marriage records, which don’t need them. It’s weird. But do check off the box for the Extended Form, because you need that.)
“Can I send my original copy of my birth certificate from [1955, 1981, 2019]?” Nope, because it needs a letter of exemplification. Also, the final apostille will put a metal grommet through the corner of your record, which isn’t ideal for anything with sentimental value.
Another important thing to know is that vital records from the Department of Health must be delivered to your legal address. Why? Because it is a misdemeanor crime(!) to have them delivered to somebody else, or to otherwise misrepresent your identity when requesting vital records. This is why the Department of Health asks for lots of proof of identity and relationship to the person whose records you are requesting.
“Come on, they’re not really going to prosecute me for that!”
Yes, they will prosecute you for that. I personally know one person who has a criminal record for this exact reason. So don’t risk it, just have the record delivered to yourself, and don’t misrepresent yourself on the request form. If you’re hiring someone like me to complete the apostille process for you and you’re also short on time, you can always overnight the record to them after you receive it.
How long will it take to get a vital record in the mail? Awhile. As of this writing (December 2021), the Department of Health is taking at least two months, give or take, and sometimes longer. The Municipal Archives is running about 3-4 months. The Marriage Bureau is currently the fastest at about six weeks.
Step 2: If You Already Have Your Records
Make sure that your birth and death records have accompanying letters of exemplification. If you don’t have those, head up to Step 1. Otherwise, continue reading.
Step 3: The New York County Clerk
Congrats! You are ready to begin the apostille process. (What about Steps 1 and 2, you ask? Those were just the pre-apostille steps. I’m sorry, I really understand how annoying this is.)
It is time to get your documents to the New York County Clerk. The Clerk needs to authenticate your records using your letters of exemplification. If you are getting apostilles for non-vital records, such as educational transcripts, the clerk will make sure that the records were notarized by a Real Live Notary who is authorized to work in this jurisdiction.
The good news is that this step is largely unchanged, and can be completed in-person. If you are located far away from New York City, jump to Step 3b to learn how to complete this process by mail.
This is the front entrance to 60 Centre Street, where the County Clerk is located. Do not use this entrance!
When you’re planning your visit, keep in mind that you should NOT GO on a Wednesday, and DO NOT ARRIVE between 12:30 and 2pm on any day, no matter what the County Clerk’s hours on Google Maps say. They are closed on Wednesdays until further notice. The clerk’s office closes for lunch between 1 and 2pm, but they generally stop letting people in at 12:30pm because they don’t want the long line to cut into their lunch hour.
The County Clerk’s office is located inside of the New York County Supreme Court building at 60 Centre Street (map below). It’s a big ol’ courthouse with columns. The entrance has wooden revolving doors and looks like this picture here.
DON’T GO TO THIS ENTRANCE. It is temporarily closed due to the pandemic.
Instead, head around the left side of the building (if you’re facing the entrance). Once you reach the back of the building, make a right turn and head down the steps or ramp to the rear entrance.
Enter through the door on the left. (And I hope I don’t have to say this, but wear a mask. You won’t be allowed in without one.) You will be required to answer some questions and take a temperature test.
After you go through security, head down the stairs or ramp to Room 141B. Don’t worry, there are lots of signs pointing the way.
Once inside, there are three lines. Get in the line on the far left, which is for the notary. Don’t step up until you are called.
When called, let the clerk know that you are getting an apostille. Present your record(s) and letter(s) of exemplification. They’ll ask you for your first name. Then, they’ll take everything and instruct you to get in the cashier line (middle line).
Once called, they’ll confirm your first name and give you your documents with the authorization from the New York County Clerk. The fee is $3.00 per document. Right now, they are only accepting cash in-person. I recommend bringing exact change.
After you pay, they’ll hand you your documents, stapled in handy packets (one packet per document). Well done! You can exit the way you came in.
You can jump ahead to Step 4, since you completed this step in-person.
Step 3B: Complete the County Clerk Step by Mail
Assemble your vital record(s) and letter(s) of exemplification.
Next, visit your local bank or post office and get a certified check or money order for $3.00 per record. Make your payment out to the County Clerk of New York County. Regular personal checks and cash are not accepted.
Grab an envelope, address it to yourself, and put on proper postage. Not sure how many stamps you need? Fun fact: if you are sending a regular-size envelope and you have six or fewer pieces of paper in there, you need only one Forever stamp. More than six pages, and you might think about throwing a 20-cent stamp on there to be safe. Large envelopes also need extra postage, FYI.
Mail your records, letters of exemplification, payment, and self-addressed stamped envelope to:
County Clerk of New York County
New York County Courthouse
60 Centre Street, Room 161
New York, NY 10007
The County Clerk will perform the authentication and mail your documents back in the envelope that you provided.
Step 4: Submit Your Records to the Department of State
You’re in the home stretch! This step pretty much has to be done by mail. However, if you have an urgent travel deadline (i.e., in two weeks or fewer), jump to Step 4B below.
Gather together the documents that you received from the County Clerk’s office. They should be grouped together in packets, one packet for each record that needs an apostille.
Then, download and fill out this PDF. Print it out and include it with your documents. You only need one form, no matter how many apostilles you’re requesting.
The fee is $10 per apostille. They accept anything except cash: you can pay by personal check, cashier’s check, money order, or credit card (following the instructions on the form). If you are getting multiple apostilles, you can group together your payments (i.e., for two apostilles, you can submit one check for $20). Personally, I prefer to use the credit card option and have had no issues. There is no tracking with apostilles, but with the credit card option, you can tell that your apostille will arrive soon because they charge your card a few days before they send everything back to you.
Grab an envelope, address it to yourself, and put on proper postage. The Department of State will send you your finished apostilles in this envelope via USPS. If you have more than two packets of documents, you’ll definitely need more than one Forever stamp on a regular-sized envelope (for just one packet, you’re fine, though). If you are sending a large envelope, you will need extra postage.
The Department of State’s office will also accept pre-paid envelopes from other carriers, such as FedEd and UPS. Just be sure to mark on the form what type of envelope and carrier you’re using.
Submit your packets, completed form, payment (or credit card authorization on the form), and self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Division of Licensing Services
Apostille and Authentication Unit
P.O. Box 22001
Albany, NY 12201-2001
If you’re able to visit the Department of State’s New York City office, you can drop off your forms, return envelope, and payment in-person. They aren’t processing apostilles right then and there, but it’s slightly faster than mailing everything. Just note that you must pay by check or money order if you drop off your paperwork in-person. For directions and other helpful tips to get to the DOS’s office, check out my pre-pandemic blog post here.
Nice work! Now you can sit back, relax, and wait for your apostilles to arrive in the mail. You can also jump down to Step 5 below.
Step 4B: “I have an Urgent Travel Deadline!”
Don’t worry, the Department of State has got you covered… ish! If you can prove that you have an urgent deadline that requires your apostille to be issued in less than two weeks, contact the Department of State to schedule a special appointment. (Scroll past the steps to the “Expedited Service” heading in bold.)
What’s the downside? You need to appear in-person for your appointment in New York City or Albany.
A family member cannot go there for you.
I cannot go there for you.
It’s gotta be you, plus your paperwork proving your imminent travel deadline. (The honor system this is not.)
For directions and other helpful tips for finding the Department of State’s office, scroll down to the end of my pre-pandemic blog post about apostilles.
Step 5: Congratulations, You’re Done!
“How long will it take to get my apostille(s)?” The Department of State’s office has been pretty speedy during the pandemic, but it’s always good to plan ahead. I would budget a good 4 weeks from the date they receive your documents, and I wouldn’t panic until after 8 weeks.
I hope this has helped demystify the apostille-by-mail process for you. If you’ve found this blog post helpful, please consider buying me a coffee to say thanks. Literally thousands of people per month just like you gain assistance from this post, which is both free and ad-free, so I would be truly grateful if you could chip in a few bucks to keep it running and to support future posts. Many thanks!
“I have additional questions about apostilles!” You’re welcome to leave your question in the buy me a coffee comments, and I’ll respond as soon as I can.