Cook County Notary Services

The Hague Convention, also known as the Hague Apostille Convention, is an international treaty established in 1961 that simplifies the process of authenticating public documents for use in foreign countries. The treaty's main objective is to abolish the need for diplomatic or consular legalization, also known as the chain certification process, for foreign public documents. The Apostille is a certificate that replaces the chain certification process and verifies the origin of a public document by confirming the signature, seal, or stamp of the public official who issued the document. The Apostille allows for the legal recognition of public documents in foreign countries that are party to The Hague Convention.

To obtain an Apostille, a document must first be notarized by a Notary Public. A Notary Public is a public officer appointed by the state government who can witness and certify the signing of documents, as well as provide other services such as administering oaths and affirmations, taking acknowledgments, and certifying copies of documents. Notarization by a Notary Public is necessary to confirm the identity of the signer and the validity of the signature. The Notary Public will then attach their seal or stamp to the document, making it eligible for the Apostille process.

A Mobile Notary can come to your location to provide notarization services, saving you the time and hassle of finding a Notary and traveling to their office. With a Mobile Notary, customers can conveniently have their documents notarized and collected for Apostille processing. This can be especially beneficial for busy professionals, elderly individuals, or those with limited mobility.

Cook County Notary Services provides Apostille services for documents that need to be used internationally. I will visit your location to notarize your documents and collect them for processing. Once the Apostille process is complete, your documents will be promptly returned to you.

 

Documents commonly Apostilled

  • Adoption documents

  • School records  (School transcripts, report cards or diplomas must be signed by a school official and the official's signature must be notarized)

  • Power of Attorney

  • Deeds of Assignment

  • Distributorship Agreements

  • References and Job Certifications

  • Criminal Background Checks (from the Illinois State Police, county sheriffs or local police departments must be signed by an official from that office and his or her signature must be notarized)

  • Vital Records (Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Death, Verification of No Marriage Letter) bearing the signature of the county clerk, local registrar or Illinois State Registrar obtained from your local county clerk or Department of Public Health / Vital Records Division.

  • Documents Signed by a Circuit Clerk or Circuit Judge (Divorce decrees, legal name change) must include the official’s seal and signature, their printed name, and title.

  • Articles of Incorporation or Organization

  • Certificates of Limited Partnership

  • Certificates of Merger

  • Assumed Name Certificates Registration of Trademarks

  • Certificates of Existence or Fact (issued by the Corporation Division)

 

Hague Treaty Convention Countries

    • Albania

    • Andorra

    • Antigua and Barbuda

    • Argentina

    • Armenia

    • Australia

    • Austria

    • Azerbaijan

    • Bahamas

    • Bahrain

    • Barbados

    • Belarus

    • Belgium

    • Belize

    • Bolivia

    • Bosnia and Herzegovina

    • Botswana

    • Brazil

    • Brunei Darussalam

    • Bulgaria

    • Burundi

    • Cape Verde

    • Chile

    • China, People's Republic of

      (Hong Kong & Macao Only)

    • Colombia

    • Cook Islands

    • Costa Rica

    • Croatia

    • Cyprus

    • Czech Republic

    • Denmark

    • Dominica

    • Dominican Republic

    • Ecuador

    • El Salvador

    • Estonia

    • Fiji

    • Finland

    • France

  • Georgia

  • Germany

  • Greece

  • Grenada

  • Guatemala

  • Guyana

  • Honduras

  • Hungary

  • Iceland

  • India

  • Indonesia

  • Ireland

  • Israel

  • Italy

  • apan

  • Jamaica

  • Kazakhstan

  • Korea, Republic of

  • Kosovo

  • Kyrgyzstan

  • Latvia

  • Lesotho

  • Liberia

  • Liechtenstein

  • Lithuania

  • Luxembourg

  • Malawi

  • Malta

  • Marshall Islands

  • Mauritius

  • Mexico

  • Moldova, Republic of

  • Monaco

  • Mongolia

  • Montenegro

  • Morocco

  • Namibia

  • Netherlands

  • New Zealand

  • Nicaragua

  • Niue

  • North Macedonia, Republic of

  • Norway

  • Oman

  • Pakistan

  • Palau

  • Panama

  • Paraguay

  • Peru

  • Philippines

  • Poland

  • Portugal

  • Romania

  • Russian Federation

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis

  • Saint Lucia

  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

  • Samoa

  • San Marino

  • Sao Tome and Principe

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Senegal

  • Serbia

  • Seychelles

  • Singapore

  • Slovakia

  • Slovenia

  • South Africa

  • Spain

  • Suriname

  • Swaziland

  • Sweden

  • Switzerland

  • Tajikistan

  • Tonga

  • Trinidad and Tobago

  • Tunisia

  • Turkey

  • Ukraine

  • United Kingdom of Great Britain

    and Northern Ireland

  • Uruguay

  • Uzbekistan

  • Vanuatu

  • Venezuela

 

Contact Cook County Notary Services

At Cook County Notary Services, I take pride in providing the highest quality notary and apostille services to our community. Please fill out the form below and I will be in touch to dicuss your needs.

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DISCLAIMER

"I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY LICENSED TO PRACTICE LAW IN ILLINOIS. I AM NOT ALLOWED TO DRAFT LEGAL DOCUMENTS OR RECORDS, NOR MAY I GIVE LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY MATTER, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, MATTERS OF IMMIGRATION, OR ACCEPT OR CHARGE FEES FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THOSE ACTIVITIES."