Michigan Diploma & Transcript Apostille Guide

An apostille on an Educational Diploma / Transcript authenticates a signature and seal — usually an in-state notary's, who attests that your copy is a true copy, or the school registrar's where the state keeps that signature on file. It does NOT verify your grades, the validity of your degree, or the school's accreditation. A diploma is the certificate awarding your degree; a transcript is the registrar's record of courses and grades. The institution or employer abroad decides which one it wants — and sometimes asks for both — so confirm their requirement before you start, then obtain that specific document.

There is no government office to order an educational record from — your school or its registrar provides the official copy. Request it, then check it against what the apostille step needs:

• Sealed official copy: An official diploma or a registrar-sealed transcript — kept in the school's sealed envelope where required.
• A signature to authenticate: An apostille authenticates a signature/seal — usually the in-state notary who attests the copy, or the school registrar's signature where the state keeps it on file.
• Accredited institution: Issued by an accredited school, college, or university.

Where a transcript is issued in a sealed envelope, leave it sealed — opening it can void it. A document from an unaccredited institution or diploma mill will not be accepted.

Because the apostille authenticates a signature, your copy needs one the state can recognize. There are two routes:

• Notarized true copy: Most common: an in-state notary attests a true copy of the diploma/transcript (or the school official signs before a notary); the state then apostilles the notary's signature.
• Registrar-certified copy: Some states authenticate the school registrar's signature directly when it is on file — no notary needed.

The notarized route is the usual path: an in-state notary attests a true copy of your diploma or transcript, or a school official signs in front of the notary, and Michigan apostilles that notary's signature. The registrar route skips the notary when the registrar's signature is already on file with the state. Confirm which route Michigan and your school both support before you pay any fees.

If you use the notarized route, the notary must be an in-state Michigan notary so the state can authenticate the commission. For context on the county offices that source certified local records in Michigan's authentication chain: MDHHS vital records page confirms county clerk offices are record-source channels for certified birth/death/marriage records. Explicit "accepted county clerk signer list" for apostille was NOT FOUND on retrieved SOS page text.

• Wayne County
• Oakland County
• Macomb County
• Kent County
• Genesee County

Submit your notarized (or registrar-certified) copy to the state apostille authority:

1. 1.
   The document

   the original sealed/certified report or copy — not a plain photocopy

2. 2.
   Request form

   Required forms (download: https://www.michigan.gov/sos/-/media/Project/Websites/sos/15lawensn/Apostille_Request_Form.pdf), stating the destination country

3. 3.
   Payment

   for the apostille fee (see Fees below)

4. 4.
   Return envelope

   self-addressed; add a prepaid tracked label for return

As of 2026-02-25: "In-person requests are currently being completed and mailed by the next business day. Mail requests are currently taking approximately four weeks." Remember that getting the sealed copy from your school and having it notarized adds its own time before the apostille clock even starts, so plan the stages together. Queue times drift, so check the official page for the current turnaround before you mail.

Many destination countries require a certified translation of your diploma or transcript and its apostille, and some also require a credential evaluation that maps your degree to their own system. The receiving country or institution sets these requirements, not Michigan, so confirm what they expect before you submit. If a translation or evaluation is needed, arrange it so the certified copy, the apostille, and the translation travel together as one accepted package.