How to Apostille Articles of Organization and Other Company Documents (2026): Certified Copy vs. Notarized Attestation, Any State, Any Country

November 5, 2026 · DC Mobile Notary™ — Washington, DC

Quick answer

There are two ways to apostille Articles of Organization, Articles of Incorporation or any other company document, and the right one depends on who will receive it.

Route 1: state-certified copy. Order a certified copy from the registry where the company was formed and have that state apostille it. This is the version foreign company registries, banks and notaries most often ask for, because the state itself vouches for the document. Delaware issues the certified copy and the apostille in one order; Virginia charges $6 for the copy and $10 for the apostille.

Route 2: notarized attestation page. A company officer signs a one-page statement confirming that the attached copy is true and complete, a commissioned notary notarizes that signature, and the notary's state apostilles it. This is the only route for documents that were never filed with any state (operating agreements, bylaws, board resolutions, incumbency certificates, powers of attorney, commercial invoices, certificates of origin), and it is the fast route for a company formed in a distant state. DC Mobile Notary™ can do the notarization at our Washington, DC or Arlington offices, at your location, or online by video, then obtain the physical apostille and courier it anywhere in the world.

Either way, the apostille comes from a U.S. state, never from the U.S. Department of State, and for non-Hague countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Egypt the document continues to federal authentication and embassy legalization. We handle every step for any state and any country. Call 202-247-0837 or upload your document for a free 24-hour pre-check.

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Company document apostille at a glance

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Which company document do you have?

The same document goes by different names in different states, and the name on the recipient's checklist is often a translation of what their own country calls it. Match the name before you order anything.

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Route 1: apostille a state-certified copy of your Articles

Every state registry will issue a certified copy of any document on file for a company, stamped and signed by the Secretary of State, the Clerk of the Commission or the Superintendent of Corporations. Because that signature belongs to a state official, the same state's apostille office authenticates it directly, with no notary involved. This is the version to use when a foreign registry says “certified copy,” “official copy,” “copia certificada” or “extrait,” and it is what we recommend for company registration, branch or subsidiary setup and most bank onboarding.

How to order a certified copy

• Virginia: Clerk's Information System, $6 per request, instant download, with no per-page charge online. The Secretary of the Commonwealth requires the copy to be issued within the past 12 months, signed by the Clerk of the Commission and not notarized, and recommends telling the SCC that it is for international authentication.
• Washington, DC: CorpOnline (Access DC), Certificates & Certified Copies, $50 per certified copy for LLCs and corporations. Mail-in orders are not accepted.
• Maryland: SDAT, $1 per page plus $20 for the certification, by Maryland Business Express or written request.
• Delaware: Division of Corporations, $50 per document plus $2 per page, through the Document Filing and Certificate Request Service or a mailed memo. Add the $30 apostille to the same order and Delaware returns the certified copy, gold-foil seal and apostille together; 24-hour service adds $40 and same-day $50 per entity file number.
• New York: Department of State, Division of Corporations, by written request; the Department of State then apostilles it for $10.
• Every other state: the Secretary of State's corporations division (or the equivalent in Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin). Our 50-state table lists the issuing agency and apostille office for each.

Rules that matter

• One document, one apostille. Delaware will not apostille several documents certified under a single cover certification; each one is certified and apostilled separately. Most states apply the same logic, so order the Articles and each amendment as separate certified copies.
• Do not notarize a certified copy. Virginia and Delaware reject state documents that have been notarized, and a notarized state copy elsewhere makes the apostille authenticate the notary instead of the state official.
• Keep it intact. No staples to other documents, no lamination, no highlighting. The apostille is attached permanently to the copy.
• Age limits. Virginia's 12-month rule applies to SCC copies. Other states publish no cutoff, but the receiving registry usually wants a copy issued within the last 3 to 6 months.

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Route 2: apostille a notarized attestation page

An attestation page (also called a certification of copy, affidavit of true copy or declaration of authenticity) is a short statement signed by a member, manager, officer or director of the company:

I, [name], [title] of [company], declare under penalty of perjury that the attached [number]-page document is a true, complete and unaltered copy of the [Articles of Organization] of [company], filed with the [state registry] on [date].

The signer signs in front of a commissioned notary, who administers an oath, verifies ID, completes the notarial certificate and seals it. The attestation page is stapled to the copy, and the notary's state apostilles the package by authenticating the notary's commission. The apostille office never reviews the underlying document; it authenticates the notary, and the notary has witnessed the officer's sworn statement.

Why an attestation page, not a plain notarized photocopy

Many states restrict notaries from certifying copies of documents that a government office holds. Maryland's notary handbook tells notaries not to certify a copy when the original is kept by a recording agency, Pennsylvania notaries must decline when a government custodian can issue the copy, and New York notaries cannot certify copies at all. Articles of Organization are exactly that kind of record, so a notary stamp reading “true copy” on your Articles can be refused by the notary, the apostille office or the recipient. With an attestation page, the notary is certifying something every state allows, a sworn signature, and Virginia's authentication office explicitly lists a client's notarized written declaration certifying a copy as an acceptable document. We prepare the attestation page for you; you only sign it.

When Route 2 is the right choice

• The document was never filed anywhere. Operating agreements, bylaws, resolutions, incumbency certificates, powers of attorney, invoices and certificates of origin have no state custodian. An officer's notarized signature is the only way to authenticate them.
• The company is formed in another state. A Wyoming LLC owned by someone in Virginia can have its Articles attested and notarized in Arlington today and apostilled by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, instead of mailing the certified copy to Cheyenne and back.
• The deadline is tight. Notarization takes ten minutes. DC apostilles are typically back within five business days by mail and faster by hand delivery; Maryland and Virginia follow a similar pattern.
• The recipient accepts it. Visa applications, tenders, distributor registrations, product registrations and many bank compliance teams accept a notarized, apostilled copy. Company registries and some banks insist on a state-certified copy, which is why we ask you to send us their checklist first.

In person, mobile or online

You can sign the attestation page at our offices at 2001 L Street NW in Washington or 5315 Langston Boulevard in Arlington, have a mobile notary come to your office in DC, Northern Virginia or Maryland, or sign on camera from anywhere in the world through remote online notarization.

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Online notarization plus a physical apostille

Most online notary platforms stop at a PDF, which foreign governments rarely accept. Our process ends with a paper original and a paper apostille in your hands, or in the recipient's:

1. Book a video session and upload the attestation page and the company document. Your part takes about ten minutes.
2. Verify your identity on camera. U.S. ID holders answer a short identity quiz; many international passports are accepted after a check, so ask before you book.
3. Sign on camera. A commissioned notary witnesses the signature and completes the electronic notarial act on a government-authorized platform, with a recorded session, tamper-evident digital signature and full audit trail.
4. We convert it into a paper original the state will authenticate and obtain the apostille in person. Standard turnaround is five business days after the notarization; expedited service is typically two to three.
5. We courier the original to you or to any address abroad, with tracking.

Why the notary's state matters. Virginia's authentication office cannot apostille an electronic notarization, and Delaware refuses documents notarized remotely or electronically. We route online notarizations through a state whose apostille office authenticates them, so you are never left with a PDF nobody will accept. Signers may be in any U.S. state or abroad, subject to identity verification and the document's requirements.

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Certified copy or attestation page: how to decide

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Step by step: apostille your Articles of Organization

1. Get the recipient's checklist in writing. Certified copy or notarized copy, how recent, how many originals, apostille or legalization, translation or not. Send it to us with the document for a free pre-check.
2. Confirm the company is active. Registries will not issue certified copies for administratively dissolved entities until they are reinstated, and a certified copy of the Articles is usually requested together with a certificate of good standing.
3. Choose the route. State-certified copy from the state of formation, or attestation page signed before a notary in DC, Maryland or Virginia, in person or online.
4. Order or sign. Route 1: order each document as a separate certified copy, marked for international use where the system allows. Route 2: we draft the attestation page, you sign it before our notary.
5. Submit for the apostille in the right state, naming the destination country, with the state fee and a prepaid return mailer. We hand-deliver in DC, Maryland and Virginia and work with the Delaware Division of Corporations directly.
6. Non-Hague destination? Continue to the U.S. Department of State ($20 per document) and the embassy. See embassy legalization.
7. Translate last. Spain, Italy, Brazil, Mexico and most of Latin America want a certified or sworn translation of the document and the apostille. See certified translations.

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Mistakes that get company documents rejected

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Typical document packages we apostille together

• Opening a foreign bank account: certified Articles, certificate of good standing, incumbency certificate, board or member resolution naming the signatories, notarized passport copies of the signatories, sometimes the operating agreement.
• Registering a branch or subsidiary abroad: certified Articles and all amendments, certificate of good standing, resolution approving the registration, power of attorney for the local representative.
• Exporting or registering products: commercial invoice, certificate of origin, certificate of free sale, ISO or GMP certificates, distributor agreement, with chamber of commerce certification where the embassy requires it.
• Owner or executive visa: Articles or certificate of incorporation, good standing, employment or ownership letter, often an apostilled FBI background check for the individual.
• Litigation, arbitration or probate abroad: certified Articles, resolution authorizing counsel, corporate power of attorney.

Everything in a package can be notarized in one session, in person or online, and apostilled together. We check every page against the recipient's list before anything is filed.

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Non-Hague countries: UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and more

If the destination is outside the Apostille Convention, the state issues a certification instead of an apostille, the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications adds its certificate, and the destination country's embassy in Washington legalizes it. Commercial documents headed to the Gulf often also need a chamber of commerce certification before the embassy will accept them. Because the embassies are here, we complete the whole chain from one office. Country guides: United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Ethiopia and Thailand (apostille from February 28, 2027).

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How DC Mobile Notary™ handles company documents

• Any state. We retrieve certified copies in DC, Maryland, Virginia and New York, order online from Delaware and most other states, and submit to the apostille office in the state of formation through our nationwide team in New York, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Dallas and Los Angeles.
• Any country. Apostilles for Hague members; certification, U.S. Department of State authentication and embassy legalization for everyone else; certified translations when the recipient needs them.
• Any way you want to sign. In our Washington, DC or Arlington offices, at your location with a mobile notary, or on camera from anywhere through remote online notarization that ends in a physical apostille.
• Hand delivery, not mail queues. Our staff submit in person at the DC, Maryland and Virginia apostille offices and carry federal and embassy steps through the same day where possible.
• Free pre-check, full refund guarantee. We review the document and the recipient's requirements within 24 hours, tell you which route they will accept, and if we cannot complete your order, you do not pay.
• Built for firms that do this often. Law firms, formation agents, relocation companies and corporate secretaries use a business account for standing instructions, one contact and consolidated billing.

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Order an apostille for your Articles or company documents

Washington, DC office: 2001 L Street NW, Suite 545, Washington, DC 20036
Arlington, VA office: 5315 Langston Boulevard, Suite B, Arlington, VA 22207
Phone: 202-247-0837 | Email: support@dcmobilenotary.com

→ Get a quote
→ Notarize online, apostille mailed worldwide
→ State apostilles in all 50 states
→ Free 24-hour pre-check

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Frequently asked questions

Can Articles of Organization be apostilled?
Yes. Either as a certified copy from the state that holds them, apostilled by that state, or as a copy attached to a notarized attestation page, apostilled by the notary's state.

Do I need the original Articles of Organization for an apostille?
No. States keep the original filing. You order a certified copy from the registry, or an officer attests to your copy before a notary.

Who apostilles Articles of Incorporation?
The state where the corporation was formed, through its Secretary of State or equivalent, if you use a state-certified copy. If you use a notarized attestation page, the state where the notary is commissioned.

Can a notary certify a copy of my Articles of Organization?
In many states, not directly, because the state registry is the custodian of the record. The accepted alternative is an attestation page: an officer swears before the notary that the copy is true and complete, and the notary notarizes that signature.

Can I notarize company documents online and still get an apostille?
Yes, through our remote online notarization service. We convert the electronic notarization into a paper original that the state apostille office will authenticate, then courier it anywhere. Virginia and Delaware do not authenticate electronic notarizations, so we route online sessions through a state that does.

Does the signer have to be in the United States?
No. Signers can be in any U.S. state or abroad, subject to identity verification. U.S. ID holders complete a short identity quiz; many international passports are accepted after a check, so ask before you book.

Which is better, a certified copy or a notarized copy?
A state-certified copy is the stronger document and the one foreign registries and most banks expect. A notarized attestation page is faster, works for any state and is the only option for documents no registry holds. Send us the recipient's checklist and we will tell you which one they will accept.

How much does it cost to apostille Articles of Organization?
State fees are small: $6 for a Virginia certified copy plus $10 for the apostille, $50 for a DC certified copy plus $15, $50 plus $2 per page in Delaware plus a $30 apostille. Notary fees, service fees, expedite fees, embassy fees and shipping are separate. Ask for a quote with the destination country.

How long does it take?
Delaware can issue the certified copy and apostille within a day on expedited service. DC apostilles are typically back within five business days by mail, Virginia 7 to 10, Maryland 7 to 14 by regular mail, and hand delivery shortens each. Online notarization adds about ten minutes of your time; the apostille follows in about five business days, or two to three expedited.

What about the EIN letter, Form 6166 or an FBI background check?
Those are federal documents and are apostilled by the U.S. Department of State, not by a state office. We handle them through our federal apostille service.

Can operating agreements, bylaws and resolutions be apostilled?
Yes. Because no state holds them, an officer signs the document or an attestation page before a notary, and the notary's state apostilles it.

Do I need a translation?
Only if the receiving country requires one. Order it after the apostille so the translation covers the apostille too.

What if the country is not in the Hague Convention?
The state issues a certification instead of an apostille, the U.S. Department of State authenticates it, and the embassy legalizes it. We run the whole chain in Washington.

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Official sources

• Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth — Authentications, types of documents (SCC copies, notarized declarations, electronic notarizations): https://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/official-documents/authentications/types-of-documents/
• Virginia State Corporation Commission — Certificates and copies: https://www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/about-the-clerks-office/business-copies-and-certificate-documents/
• DC Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications — Mail-in service guide FY26: https://os.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/os/service_content/attachments/ONCA_Mail_In_Service_Request_Guide_2026_0.pdf
• Maryland Secretary of State — Certifications and authentication: https://sos.maryland.gov/Certifications/Pages/default.aspx
• Maryland Secretary of State — Authorized remote notary information: https://sos.maryland.gov/Notary/Pages/RemoteNotaryInfo.aspx
• Maryland SDAT — Fee schedule (copies and certification): https://dat.maryland.gov/businesses/Documents/FEES.pdf
• Delaware Division of Corporations — Certifications, apostilles and authentication: https://corp.delaware.gov/apost_info/
• Delaware Division of Corporations — Fee schedule revised August 1, 2026: https://corpfiles.delaware.gov/Fee_Schedule/AugustFee2026.pdf
• U.S. Department of State — Office of Authentications: https://travel.state.gov/en/replace-certify/authenticate-documents/request-services.html
• Hague Conference on Private International Law — Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41

This article is general information about document authentication procedures, not legal advice. State fees, forms and requirements change, and whether a notarized copy is accepted depends on the receiving authority. Confirm what your recipient requires before you submit.