Apostilles are used as transmittals on documents executed in one subscribing country that is being sent to another subscribing country.

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An Apostille is used to authenticate public documents, certifying the authenticity of the issuing official’s or notary public’s signature on the document, the capacity in which the person has acted, and identifies the seal/stamp which the document bears. Per the Hague Conference on Private International Law, an Apostille can only be issued by a country's Designated Competent Authority. In California, that is the Secretary of State's Office