New York apostille: county clerk, then Department of State
New York is not a one-stamp state. In many counties, a notarized document must be authenticated by the county clerk (the clerk verifies the notary's signature on file) before the New York Department of State will attach an apostille. Skipping the county clerk is a common reject.
How the appointment works
- Read the current DOS apostille instructions for your document type and county.
- Vital record: get a certified copy from NYC or rest-of-state vital records. Do not notarize a photocopy of a birth certificate.
- Private document: book a New York notary commissioned in the county whose clerk will authenticate. Sign in their presence. Fee is $2 plus travel.
- Take the notarized paper to that county clerk for authentication, then to DOS for the apostille, unless DOS says that document type skips a step.
The extra New York step
The notary is commissioned in a New York county and files a signature with that county clerk. The clerk's authentication proves the notary to the Department of State. Then DOS issues the apostille. New York City filers often use the county clerk in the borough where the notary filed.
Vital records (NYC vs rest-of-state) have their own certified-copy path. Do not ask a notary to notarize a photocopy of a birth certificate and expect DOS to apostille it.
Fees at the notary
New York's statutory notary fee for a traditional act is $2 (Exec. Law § 136). Electronic notarial acts have a separate $25 cap. County clerk and DOS apostille fees are extra. Travel in the five boroughs is a separate written fee.
Official instructions: New York Department of State apostille. Statewide notary rules live on the New York notary hub.
City pages: New York City, Buffalo, Rochester.