Do I Need to Visit the Massachusetts Secretary of State's Office to Apostille My Documents?

The short answer is no. You do not need to personally visit the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office to get your documents apostilled. While walking in is always an option, most people choose to either mail their documents or work with a professional apostille service that handles the entire process on their behalf. Understanding all three options will help you choose the path that best fits your schedule and deadline.

The Three Ways to Submit Your Documents

The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth is the only office in the state authorized to issue apostilles for documents going to foreign countries. That office is located at One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, MA 02108, with additional regional walk-in offices in Fall River and Springfield. Here is how each submission method works:

Walk-In Submission is the fastest route if you are local and can make the trip. Up to three documents can be processed while you wait, and anything beyond three is typically ready for pickup the next business day after 3:00 PM. Documents dropped off after 4:00 PM are also held for the following business day, with no exceptions.

Mail-In Submission is a convenient option if visiting the office is not practical. You will need to include a completed apostille request form, a check made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at $6.00 per document, and a prepaid self-addressed return envelope. The downside is that mail-in requests typically take two to three weeks to complete once transit time is factored in.

Professional Apostille Service is the best option for most people. A service like ApostilleDepot.com acts as your personal courier, hand-delivering your documents directly to the Secretary of State's office in Boston and picking them up once completed. This eliminates mail delays and dramatically speeds up the process.

Why Most People Skip the Trip Entirely

Driving to downtown Boston, finding parking, and navigating a government office is a real inconvenience for most people, especially those outside the Greater Boston area. By using ApostilleDepot.com, you simply mail or ship your documents to our team, and we handle everything from there. Our staff reviews your documents before submission to catch common errors like missing notarizations, expired notary seals, or improper certifications that would otherwise result in rejection and a full restart of the process. Learn more about how the process works on our How It Works page.

What Documents Need to Be Ready Before Submission

Regardless of how you submit, your documents need to meet specific requirements before the Secretary of State will accept them. Here is what to have in order:

• Birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates must be certified copies issued by the appropriate government authority

• University transcripts and diplomas must be certified by the school registrar and notarized by a Massachusetts notary before apostille submission

• FBI background reports require federal-level processing before a state apostille can be applied

• Personal documents such as Social Security benefit letters and utility bills may require notarization depending on the destination country

Visit our FAQ page for a full breakdown of requirements by document type.

One Important Thing to Know About Out-of-State Documents

Massachusetts will not apostille documents that were issued in another state. If your birth certificate was issued in Florida or your diploma came from a university in Texas, those documents must be apostilled by the Secretary of State in the state where they were originally issued. This is another area where ApostilleDepot.com adds real value, as we have agents in all 50 states and can handle multi-state apostille requests under one single service order.

Get Started Without Leaving Your Home

You never need to set foot in a government office to get your documents apostilled. Submit your request today at ApostilleDepot.com or contact our team to get a fast quote and a clear timeline for your specific documents.