An apostille issued by the New York State Secretary of State is a one page document embossed with the Great Seal of the State of New York. The apostille includes the facsimile signature of the individual issuing the certificate.

All birth and death records originating from the five boroughs of New York City (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island) must be certified together with a Letter of Exemplification by contacting the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013. The Letter of Exemplification must be requested when ordering the birth or death certificate. The telephone number of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is (212) NEW YORK. This service is not available online. The original document must then be presented to the New York County Clerk’s office to verify the signature of the City Clerk. The New York County Clerk is located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007. The document can then be presented to the New York State Department of State for authentication.

All marriage records originating from the five boroughs of New York City (Bronx, Kings, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island) must be obtained from the Marriage Bureau, Municipal Center, 1 Centre Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10007. Obtain a certified copy of the marriage certificate with an original signature of the City Clerk. The document must then be presented to the County Clerk's Office in the county where the document was obtained to verify the signature of the City Clerk. The document can then be presented to the New York State Department of State for authentication.

All birth, death, marriage and divorce records issued outside of the five counties of New York City can be obtained from the New York State Department of Health, Certification Unit, Vital Records Section, PO Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. The document can then be presented to the New York State Department of State for authentication.

Birth, death, marriage and divorce records issued outside of the five counties of New York City may also be obtained directly from the local registrar or town clerk of the city, town or village where the birth, death, marriage or divorce occurred. The original document must then be presented to the county clerk's office in the county where the document was obtained for certification. (It is suggested that you contact the county clerk's office prior to obtaining the records to determine if their office can certify documents obtained from a local authority.) The document can then be presented to the New York State Department of State for authentication.

Education documents (transcripts, diplomas or certificates) must be obtained from an official of the school, college or university who must certify that the document is an official record or a true copy of the original document. The official's signature must be notarized by a notary public. The document must then be presented to the County Clerk's Office in the county where the notary public is qualified to certify the signature of the notary public. The document can then be presented to the New York State Department of State for authentication.

All other documents submitted to the New York State Department of State for authentication must first be notarized and then have the notary's signature certified at the county clerk's office where the notary is qualified. The county clerk's office will affix its seal and signature to the document.