Is Your Wisconsin Document Ready for an Apostille?

Wisconsin Birth, Death & Marriage Certificates

Obtain an official certified copy from Wisconsin Vital Records or an authorized Wisconsin register of deeds.

• Use the issued certified record with the appropriate official certification.
• Do not submit a hospital keepsake birth certificate, church marriage certificate, ordinary photocopy, or notarized photocopy of a vital record.
• Confirm whether the receiving country requires a recently issued copy.

Next step: If you have only a photocopy or commemorative certificate, order the correct certified record first.

Wisconsin Divorce Decrees & Court Orders

Request an appropriately certified copy from the Wisconsin court or clerk responsible for the record.

• Check that the certification is complete and legible.
• A printed online docket or uncertified copy is not the same as a court-certified record.
• Ask the recipient whether a recent certified copy is needed.

Next step: Contact the issuing court if your copy has no official certification.

University of Wisconsin Transcripts & Diplomas

Documents properly issued or certified by an authorized University of Wisconsin registrar or president may be accepted directly by the Wisconsin Secretary of State.

• Confirm the official’s signature and certification are included.
• Do not assume every student-portal printout qualifies.
• For electronic transcripts, ask about eligibility for Wisconsin’s e-apostille process before printing.

Next step: Request an appropriately certified record from your UW campus.

Private Colleges, Technical Colleges & K–12 Schools

For Wisconsin schools outside the UW system, the Secretary of State generally requires the school registrar or authorized faculty member to certify the record and a Wisconsin notary to notarize that official’s signature.

• The school official’s signature and title must appear.
• The Wisconsin notary must complete a proper notarial certificate.
• If the school cannot arrange this, contact SSK before using an alternative notarized statement or copy.

Next step: Ask the school how it prepares documents for a Wisconsin apostille.

Powers of Attorney, Affidavits & Personal Documents

Documents submitted on the basis of a Wisconsin notarization must have a complete, valid notarial act.

• Check the Wisconsin venue (state and county), notarial statement, date, signature, seal, and commission expiration information as applicable.
• The notary must perform the appropriate act; a stamp and signature alone are not enough.
• For paper apostilles through the Secretary of State, the notarial signature and stamp or embossing must be wet ink or physical, not electronic.

Next step: Correct incomplete notarizations before shipping.

Wisconsin Business & Corporate Documents

Articles, certificates, and other business records may require official certification from the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions or another authorized custodian.

• Confirm the document is an official certified record rather than a website printout.
• Check whether the Secretary of State or DFI is the appropriate Wisconsin apostille authority for your document.
• Do not ask a notary to certify a company’s legal status.

Next step: Contact SSK if you are unsure which certified business record to obtain.

FBI Background Checks & Other Federal Records

Wisconsin’s Secretary of State does not apostille federal documents, including FBI background checks, federal court records, or federal citizenship records.

Next step: These generally require the appropriate federal authentication/apostille process. Contact us before shipping them to SSK for Wisconsin processing.

Documents Issued Outside Wisconsin

Birth certificates, court records, and other official records issued by another state or country generally must go to the issuing jurisdiction.

Next step: Confirm the correct authority before ordering. A Wisconsin notarization does not turn an out-of-state vital record into a Wisconsin-issued vital record.