SD County, CA Secretary of State, to Authenticate International and Domestic Partnership Documents, August 12

San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk (ARCC) Jordan Z. Marks, in partnership with California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, will host a one-day, Apostille Pop-up Shop from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 12 at the San Diego County Administration Center. Free underground parking is available at the entrance on Ash Street. No appointment is necessary.

Apostille is the process that certifies the authenticity of various documents for international use, including birth, death and marriage certificates, educational documents for university students’ international travel, military documents and other documents required for cross-border business transactions. The authentication involves a signature by a public official. Officials with the California Secretary of State will attend the event to certify documents.

Currently, in-person apostille services are available only at state offices in Sacramento and Los Angeles. Marks said the San Diego apostille pop-up shop saves local residents from traveling to state offices in Sacramento or Los Angeles for in-person apostille processing. Apostilles can be requested by mail, but processing typically takes four-to-six- weeks. Plus, there’s a chance of not filling out documents correctly without review by a government worker.

Documents must be originals, no photocopies. Fees charged by the Secretary of State include $20 for processing each apostille document, plus $6 special handling fee for each public official’s authentication signature. Non-cash payments can be made with Visa or MasterCard, personal check or money order.

Also available on Aug. 12 will be California domestic partnership registration services, which is a voluntary legal status couples can choose to formalize their relationship. State officials said domestic partners are two adults who have chosen to share one another’s lives in an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring. Under California law, registered domestic partners generally have the same rights, protections, and benefits, and are subject to the same responsibilities, obligations and duties under law as are granted to and imposed upon spouses.

“These apostille events have been very successful and we’re grateful for Jordan Marks and his staff who have helped us serve the people of California in the best way possible,” said Weber.

Marks said the partnership reflects the county’s commitment to making state services more accessible.

“As your elected advocate, I sought this partnership to bring a Sacramento service directly to San Diego and save residents the time and expense of traveling out of town,” Marks said. “San Diego is an international community, and these events help our military families, students, businesses and residents cut through red tape and get the services they need quickly.”

Previous pop-up events have assisted military personnel preparing for overseas deployment, couples certifying marriage documents and international students verifying diplomas before returning home.

“Our Apostille Pop-Up Shop shows there is strong demand for this service in San Diego,” Marks said. “Working with Secretary of State Dr. Weber, we will continue advocating to make this a permanent local option.”

For additional details, call 619-236-3771 or visitwww.sdarcc.gov/apostillepopup.