Maine Apostille Guide — How to Authenticate Documents

Who issues Maine apostilles?

The Maine Secretary of State issues apostilles and authentications for State of Maine documents through the Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions. An apostille verifies the signature and capacity of a Maine official so the document is recognized in countries that belong to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention; an authentication (sometimes called a legalization, incumbency, or certification) does related work for destinations that are not Hague members and may then need further embassy or consulate legalization. The office keeps oath-of-office records on file so it can certify that an office-holder held a particular office at a particular time. Officials covered include Maine notaries public, high-level appointees such as commissioners, members of boards and commissions, Dedimus Justices, legislators, Constitutional Officers, and certain county-level offices. The Division also provides special certifications on vital record documents (birth, marriage, divorce, or death records) issued by municipal, court, and state officials, and on documents certified by Maine notaries. Maine cannot apostille federal documents such as FBI background checks, IRS records, or U.S. passports; those go to the U.S. Department of State. Documents issued or notarized in another state go to that state’s Secretary of State. An apostille only authenticates the signature and seal on the document; it does not certify the content and cannot be used for recognition inside the United States.

Getting the right signature on your document

This is the step that decides whether a Maine request is accepted. You must submit the original notarized or vital-record document that needs legalization. According to the Secretary of State, the most common reason requests are rejected is a notary error—especially the lack of a notarial statement. A notarial statement must appear on or attached to the document and identify the steps the notary performed. The two most common forms are a jurat (the signer swore or affirmed the truthfulness of the contents and signed in the notary’s presence) and an acknowledgment (the signer acknowledged the document as their free act and deed). Sample jurat and acknowledgment wording is published on the official Authentications and Apostilles page. If you need a vital record (birth, marriage, divorce, or death), order it from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services; when ordering by mail, ask that they forward the documents to the Secretary of State, and if you ordered through Vitalchek, contact Maine Vital Records afterward to request forwarding. You may email the completed request form to CEC.Notaries@maine.gov with credit card information for that forwarding workflow, but original documents still have to reach the office.

Typical steps

1) Order or prepare the document: a certified Maine vital record (with forwarding to the Secretary of State when helpful), or a document properly notarized by a Maine notary with a complete notarial statement (jurat or acknowledgment), printed notary name, seal, and commission expiration. 2) Confirm the destination country so the office knows whether to issue an apostille or an authentication. 3) Download and complete the official Request for Authentications/Apostilles form, and prepare payment ($10 per special certification, payable to the Secretary of State in U.S. funds; a credit card payment voucher is also available). 4) Include prepaid return materials so the originals can come back to you. 5) Mail the package to Secretary of State, 101 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0101, or send by courier to Secretary of State, 6 E. Chestnut Street, Augusta, ME 04330. Call 207-624-7752 to make an appointment if you are submitting more than five documents.

Walk-in vs mail vs courier

Maine’s published instructions emphasize mail and courier delivery to Augusta rather than a same-day walk-in window like some other states. Use USPS to the State House Station address (101 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0101) and courier services (FedEx, UPS, and similar) to the street address at 6 E. Chestnut Street, Augusta, ME 04330. For batches of more than five documents, call 207-624-7752 to schedule an appointment so the office can process the request in a timely manner. The Bureau follows State of Maine holiday closures—confirm open days before you plan a drop-off or courier run. Because return shipping is typically on you, a tracked prepaid label is the practical way to know when originals are coming back. A courier or apostille service helps with multi-document batches, clients outside Augusta or overseas, notary corrections, vital-record ordering and forwarding, and non-Hague destinations that need embassy legalization after the Maine certificate.

Fee and timeline estimates

Treat these as estimates and verify on the official Maine Secretary of State Authentications and Apostilles page before you send originals. The state fee is $10.00 per special certification (apostille or authentication), payable to the Secretary of State in U.S. funds. Processing time is currently stated as 10–15 business days from receipt of a complete package; that window does not include outbound or return mailing time, and the office does not publish a separate paid rush tier on the Authentications page. Budget separately for the certified vital record or court copy, any notary fee, the $10 state fee per document, outbound tracked postage, a prepaid return label, courier fees, and embassy legalization for non-Hague countries. Fees, forms, addresses, and holiday closures can change, so confirm on maine.gov/sos before filing.

When an expedited courier helps

Maine lists a 10–15 business day processing window and an appointment phone line for large batches rather than a published same-day walk-in guarantee. If you cannot assemble a clean mail package yourself, a local courier can deliver to 6 E. Chestnut Street in Augusta, coordinate appointments for more than five documents, and send originals back overnight. Couriers and apostille services are most useful when a notarization still needs a proper jurat or acknowledgment statement, when you have several documents from different counties, for consular or visa deadlines, overseas job or university start dates, international adoption files, and corporate packages headed to non-Hague countries that also need embassy legalization. Compare turnaround quotes, insurance for originals, and whether the $10 state fee is listed separately from the service fee.

Expedited courier options (Maine)

All listings below are EXAMPLE placeholders — not real companies or phone numbers.

• EXAMPLE — Augusta Chestnut Street Document Courier

  EXAMPLE placeholder — not a real company.

  Augusta / Kennebec County (EXAMPLE)

  • SOS courier drop-off / pickup
  • Overnight return shipping
  • Multi-document batch appointments

• EXAMPLE — Pine Tree State Apostille Assist

  EXAMPLE placeholder — not a real company.

  Maine statewide / Portland / Bangor / Augusta / out-of-state clients (EXAMPLE)

  • Vital record ordering & forwarding help
  • Notarial statement review
  • County document runs
  • Embassy legalization referral

FAQ

How much does a Maine apostille cost?

The Maine Secretary of State charges $10.00 per special certification (apostille or authentication). Certified copies, notary fees, shipping, prepaid return labels, and any courier or embassy fees are extra. Confirm the current fee on maine.gov/sos before you send payment.

How long does a Maine apostille take?

The office currently states processing time as 10–15 business days after it receives a complete package. That estimate does not include mail time in either direction, so plan extra buffer for visa or enrollment deadlines.

Why was my Maine notarized document rejected?

The most common rejection reason is a notary error—especially a missing notarial statement. The document needs a jurat or acknowledgment (or equivalent) that identifies what the notary did, plus the notary’s signature, printed name, seal, and commission expiration.

Where do I send documents for a Maine apostille?

For USPS: Secretary of State, 101 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0101. For courier delivery: Secretary of State, 6 E. Chestnut Street, Augusta, ME 04330. Include the completed request form, the original documents, the $10-per-document fee, and prepaid return materials. Call 207-624-7752 to appoint if you have more than five documents.

Can Maine apostille an FBI background check?

No. FBI background checks and other federal documents go to the U.S. Department of State. Maine only authenticates signatures it has on file for Maine officials and eligible Maine vital records / notarized documents.

What is the difference between an apostille and an authentication in Maine?

Both verify a Maine official’s signature and capacity. An apostille is the Hague Convention form for member countries; an authentication is used for destinations outside that system, which often require an additional embassy or consulate legalization step.