Foreign Acknowledgement

Pursuant to Civil Code §1183, the proof or acknowledgment of an instrument may be made outside the United States, before any of the following:

  • A minister, commissioner, or charge d'affaires of the United States, resident and accredited in the country where the proof or acknowledgment is made
  • A consul, vice consul, or consular agent of the United States, resident in the country where the proof or acknowledgment is made
  • A judge of a court of record of the country where the proof or acknowledgment is made
  • Commissioners appointed by the Governor or Secretary of State for that purpose
  • A notary public
    If the proof or acknowledgment is made before a notary public, the signature of the notary public shall be proved or acknowledge 
    • before a judge of a court of record of the country where the proof or acknowledgment is made, or 
    • by any American diplomatic officer, consul general, consul, vice consul, or consular agent, or
  • by an apostille (certification) affixed to the instrument pursuant to the terms of The Hague Convention Abolishing the 

    An Apostille must be in the form of a square with sides at least 9 centimeters long and must contain the information as shown.

     
    APOSTILLE
     

    (Convention de La Haya du 5 Octobre 1961)

       

    1. Country: ________________________

       

    This public document

       

    2. has been signed by _______________        
    3. acting in the capacity of____________
    4. bears the seal/stamp of____________

       

    5. at________ 6. ___________________        
    7. by_____________________________
    8. No.____________________________
    9. Seal/Stamp_____________________
    10. Signature_______________________

     


    Authentication, by Apostille, is only acceptable if the Apostille originated in a country that has signed the Hague Convention.

    For an updated list of contracting countries refer to the HCCH website:    www.hcch.net        


Legal Advice
The office of the Clerk-Recorder is prohibited from giving legal advice; nor can staff assist the public in the preparation of legal documents.  If you have questions concerning which document form is appropriate for your transaction, or if you are in need of assistance in the preparation of that document, you should consult an attorney or obtain other professional advice.