ILLINOIS
Illinois Secretary of State
Eligible Illinois public records and documents properly notarized by an Illinois Notary follow Illinois. Out-of-state and federal documents do not.
APOSTILLE FOR CHINA · CHICAGO & ILLINOIS
Chicago Apostille Service for Documents Used in China
Mail-in Apostille assistance for Chicago and Illinois residents who need eligible U.S. documents prepared for use in China.
Create an order and follow the case-specific mailing instructions displayed in your account. Our team reviews documents, identifies the correct state or federal authority, submits eligible documents, tracks progress, and securely returns completed documents.
No walk-in Apostille for China office in Chicago. Create an order before mailing originals.
China Apostille Convention update
The Apostille Convention entered into force for China on November 7, 2023. Many eligible U.S. public documents for mainland China now use an Apostille from the competent U.S. authority instead of the former consular chain. An Apostille authenticates a signature, capacity, and seal; it does not certify content or guarantee acceptance. Confirm document version, issue date, translation, and attachments with the final recipient. This site does not provide legal advice.
The document origin determines the authority
Where you live does not control the path. The issuing jurisdiction and public-official or notary signature do.
Document services for use in China
Eligibility begins with the issuing office, signature, seal, and recipient requirements.
Declarations & identity evidence
Often used for family, residence, banking, property, or succession matters. Private declarations generally need correct notarization.
- Overseas Chinese residence declaration
- Single-status or no-spouse declaration
- Same-person declaration
- Domicile or residence declaration
- Proof-of-life or general declaration
- Property gift or inheritance renunciation declaration
Powers of attorney
The signing and notarization jurisdiction determine the state path. Confirm recipient form and translation requirements before signing.
- General power of attorney
- Property sale or home purchase power of attorney
- Bank account power of attorney
- Child foster-care power of attorney
- Criminal-record application power of attorney
- Other or custom power of attorney
Vital, identity & court records
Vital and court records generally require an eligible certified copy with the correct official signature and seal.
- Illinois birth, death and marriage certificates
- Cook County marriage record
- Divorce decree, court order or judgment
- Probate and name-change documents
- Passport or driver's-license copy where eligible
- State or local background record
Educational documents
A school records official commonly signs a certification before an Illinois Notary; institution-specific preparation must be confirmed.
- Diploma, degree and transcript
- Enrollment verification or graduation letter
- School record
- Notarized educational document
- Professional license where eligible
Business & corporate documents
Corporate records may be certified public filings or private records that need proper notarization.
- Articles and certified Illinois filings
- Certificate of Good Standing
- Corporate resolutions and bylaws
- Banking and eligible tax records
- Contracts, agency and partnership agreements
- Eligible manufacturing, logistics and import/export records
Federal & background documents
Federal documents use the U.S. Department of State or the document-specific federal path—not Illinois.
- FBI background check
- Federal court document
- Federal agency record
- Certificate of Naturalization under the applicable procedure
- Eligible IRS or Social Security letter
- Other eligible federal document
Illinois Apostille requirements
- Illinois authenticates eligible Illinois public-official and Illinois Notary signatures.
- Out-of-state vital, court, and public records return to the issuing state.
- Federal court, FBI, and federal agency documents use the federal path.
- Illinois marriage certificates need an eligible County Clerk, Local Registrar, or Illinois State Registrar signature.
- Birth and death records must be eligible certified copies.
- Private powers of attorney, declarations, agreements, and translations usually need correct Illinois notarization.
- Illinois does not provide document translation.
- Do not detach an Apostille or add pages after attachment.
- Clerk or intermediate certification is document-specific—not identical for every Illinois document.
Eight-step mail-in process
- 1
Identify who issued, certified, or notarized the document
- 2
Classify it as Illinois, federal, Indiana, Wisconsin, another-state, or foreign
- 3
Obtain the correct original, certified copy, or properly notarized document
- 4
Complete any required clerk, court, or intermediate certification
- 5
Create an order and choose the service level
- 6
Wait for case-specific mailing instructions
- 7
Mail documents only to the address shown in the account
- 8
Our team reviews, submits, tracks, and securely returns the documents
Chicago-area education documents
Preparation depends on the institution and recipient. Apostille for China is not affiliated with or endorsed by any college or university named here.
- University of Chicago
- Northwestern University
- University of Illinois Chicago
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Loyola University Chicago
- DePaul University
- Columbia College Chicago
- Roosevelt University
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Northeastern Illinois University
- Harper College
- College of DuPage
- Oakton College
Clear private-service pricing
Private service fees are separate from Illinois, federal, other-state, county, court, notary, translation, courier, and third-party fees. Estimates begin only after complete acceptable documents arrive and are not guaranteed.
Standard
$200about 2 weeks · per documentStart an OrderExpedited
$280about 1 week · per documentStart an OrderExpress
$380about 3 days · per documentStart an Order$25 flat return shipping per order
Serving Chicago, Cook County and the Greater Chicagoland Area
Chicago community areas and neighborhoods are not separate municipalities. Suburban cities, villages, towns, counties, Indiana, and Wisconsin remain distinct jurisdictions.
- Albany Park
- Archer Heights
- Armour Square
- Ashburn
- Auburn Gresham
- Austin
- Avalon Park
- Avondale
- Belmont Cragin
- Beverly
- Bridgeport
- Brighton Park
- Burnside
- Calumet Heights
- Chatham
- Chicago Lawn
- Clearing
- Douglas
- Dunning
- East Garfield Park
- East Side
- Edgewater
- Edison Park
- Englewood
- Forest Glen
- Fuller Park
- Gage Park
- Garfield Ridge
- Grand Boulevard
- Greater Grand Crossing
- Hegewisch
- Hermosa
- Humboldt Park
- Hyde Park
- Irving Park
- Jefferson Park
- Kenwood
- Lake View
- Lincoln Park
- Lincoln Square
- Logan Square
- Loop
- Lower West Side
- McKinley Park
- Montclare
- Morgan Park
- Mount Greenwood
- Near North Side
- Near South Side
- Near West Side
- New City
- North Center
- North Lawndale
- North Park
- Norwood Park
- O'Hare
- Oakland
- Portage Park
- Pullman
- Riverdale
- Rogers Park
- Roseland
- South Chicago
- South Deering
- South Lawndale
- South Shore
- Uptown
- Washington Heights
- Washington Park
- West Elsdon
- West Englewood
- West Garfield Park
- West Lawn
- West Pullman
- West Ridge
- West Town
- Woodlawn
- Evanston
- Skokie
- Lincolnwood
- Wilmette
- Winnetka
- Kenilworth
- Northfield
- Glencoe
- Glenview
- Morton Grove
- Niles
- Park Ridge
- Des Plaines
- Mount Prospect
- Prospect Heights
- Northbrook
- Wheeling
- Palatine
- Arlington Heights
- Rolling Meadows
- Schaumburg
- Streamwood
- Barrington
- Hoffman Estates
- Oak Park
- River Forest
- Forest Park
- Berwyn
- Cicero
- Elmwood Park
- River Grove
- Franklin Park
- Schiller Park
- Rosemont
- Northlake
- Melrose Park
- Bellwood
- Maywood
- Broadview
- Westchester
- Hillside
- Brookfield
- La Grange
- La Grange Park
- Western Springs
- Riverside
- North Riverside
- Lyons
- Summit
- Oak Lawn
- Evergreen Park
- Burbank
- Bridgeview
- Chicago Ridge
- Justice
- Hickory Hills
- Palos Hills
- Palos Heights
- Palos Park
- Orland Park
- Tinley Park
- Lemont
- Worth
- Alsip
- Blue Island
- Calumet City
- Dolton
- South Holland
- Harvey
- Homewood
- Flossmoor
- Hazel Crest
- Country Club Hills
- Matteson
- Chicago Heights
- Lansing
- Naperville
- Aurora
- Elmhurst
- Oak Brook
- Lombard
- Villa Park
- Addison
- Bensenville
- Wood Dale
- Itasca
- Roselle
- Bloomingdale
- Carol Stream
- Wheaton
- Glen Ellyn
- West Chicago
- Winfield
- Warrenville
- Lisle
- Downers Grove
- Woodridge
- Darien
- Westmont
- Hinsdale
- Waukegan
- North Chicago
- Highland Park
- Lake Forest
- Lake Bluff
- Libertyville
- Vernon Hills
- Mundelein
- Buffalo Grove
- Deerfield
- Lincolnshire
- Gurnee
- Grayslake
- Round Lake
- Lake Zurich
- Antioch
- Fox Lake
- Zion
- Winthrop Harbor
- Joliet
- Naperville
- Bolingbrook
- Romeoville
- Plainfield
- Lockport
- New Lenox
- Mokena
- Frankfort
- Homer Glen
- Shorewood
- Crest Hill
- Manhattan
- Channahon
- Wilmington
- Braidwood
- Aurora
- Elgin
- St. Charles
- Geneva
- Batavia
- South Elgin
- Carpentersville
- East Dundee
- West Dundee
- Hampshire
- Huntley
- Sugar Grove
- North Aurora
- Gilberts
- Pingree Grove
- Crystal Lake
- McHenry
- Woodstock
- Algonquin
- Lake in the Hills
- Cary
- Fox River Grove
- Huntley
- Harvard
- Marengo
- Johnsburg
- Richmond
- Spring Grove
- Oswego
- Yorkville
- Plano
- Montgomery
- Newark
- DeKalb
- Sycamore
- Sandwich
- Genoa
- Cortland
- Morris
- Minooka
- Coal City
- Diamond
- Gardner
- Gary
- Hammond
- East Chicago
- Whiting
- Munster
- Highland
- Griffith
- Merrillville
- Crown Point
- Schererville
- Dyer
- St. John
- Hobart
- Lake Station
- Lowell
- Cedar Lake
- Valparaiso
- Portage
- Chesterton
- Burns Harbor
- Hebron
- Kouts
- Kenosha
- Pleasant Prairie
- Racine
- Mount Pleasant
- Lake Geneva
Chicago Apostille frequently asked questions
Obtain an eligible original, certified copy, or properly notarized Illinois document; create an order; then follow the case-specific mailing instructions.
The Illinois Secretary of State Index Department authenticates eligible Illinois public-official and Illinois Notary signatures.
No. We are a private mail-in assistance service and do not claim a Chicago walk-in office.
Yes. Create an order first and use only the case-specific mailing instructions shown in the account.
An eligible certified copy from a county clerk, local registrar, or the Illinois Department of Public Health may use the Illinois path.
An eligible certified copy carrying an accepted clerk or registrar signature may use the Illinois path.
Private mail-in assistance—not a Chicago government office
Apostille for China serves Chicago, Cook County, and Chicagoland by mail. We do not claim a Chicago walk-in office, government approval, guaranteed processing, or guaranteed acceptance in China.
Start an Order
No walk-in Apostille for China office in Chicago. Create an order before mailing originals.