What makes same-day possible
The California Secretary of State operates a public counter in Sacramento (and an office in Los Angeles) where apostilles can be issued while you wait, for a small additional handling fee beyond the standard per-apostille fee. Mail submissions go into a queue; counter submissions are processed on the spot.
We're about an hour from the Sacramento counter, which is why we can offer genuine same-day service — we drive the documents in. No amount of expedited shipping replicates this for an out-of-state service.
What can genuinely be done same-day
- A document already notarized in California — bring it in, apostille issued that day.
- A document you can sign today (power of attorney, affidavit, sworn statement, diploma certification) — notarize in the morning, apostille in the afternoon.
- A California vital record you already hold as a proper authorized certified copy — straight to the counter.
- A California corporate record — certified copies can often be obtained and apostilled in the same trip.
What cannot be done same-day
- Federal documents — FBI checks, IRS Form 6166 and similar go to the US Department of State in Washington, DC. The fastest realistic route is an expedited DC courier channel at roughly 5–10 business days. There is no same-day federal option.
- Documents from other states — an Ohio birth certificate must be apostilled by Ohio. With a local courier walking it into that state's counter, 2–5 business days is often achievable, but not same-day from California.
- Records you don't have yet — if a certified copy must be ordered first, that retrieval step has its own clock. Counter pickup at the issuing county can sometimes make even this same-week.
- Documents with a defective notarization — an expired commission, missing certificate wording, or an illegible seal can't be fixed at the counter; the document must be re-signed before a new notary.
Realistic rush timelines
| Document type | Fastest realistic |
|---|---|
| California-notarized document | Same day |
| California vital record (copy in hand) | Same day |
| California vital record (needs ordering) | 1–3 days if collected at the county counter |
| Other-state document | 2–5 business days via local courier |
| Federal document (FBI, IRS) | About 5–10 business days via DC channel |
| Consular legalization (non-Hague country) | Typically 2+ weeks; embassy-dependent |
Add international shipping — usually 2–4 business days by express courier to most destinations — on top of any of these.
What to prepare for a rush order
- A clear photo of the document, including signature and seal areas, so we can verify it will actually pass before anything moves.
- The destination country and the specific receiving office.
- The genuine deadline — the date it must be in hand abroad, not the date you'd like it shipped.
- Whether translation is required, since that adds a step after the apostille.
An honest note about rush pricing
Rush service costs more because it consumes a person's day rather than a mail slot. What it buys is real: a document that would sit in a queue for two weeks gets handled in hours. But if your deadline allows standard processing, we'll tell you that — paying rush rates for a timeline that doesn't need them isn't something we'll quietly let happen.
Want it handled?
Send us a photo of your document along with your destination country, the receiving office, and your deadline. Free quote within 30 minutes during business hours — and if you don't need our help, we'll say so.
Related guides: FBI background check · California birth certificate · Dual citizenship · Apostille vs. legalization · All guides