Apostille pop-up shops in San Diego
The Secretary of State visits San Diego a few times a year. Here is how the pop-up shops work, what to bring, and what to do when the dates do not line up with your deadline.
There is no permanent apostille counter in San Diego. The California Secretary of State issues apostilles from Sacramento and Los Angeles, and visits San Diego periodically with a traveling “pop-up shop”, hosted with the County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk. If the timing works, it is the cheapest way to get an apostille. If it does not, there are two other routes.
The three ways to get a California apostille in San Diego
| Route | Speed | Cost | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pop-up shop, when one is scheduled | Same day | State fee only, $20 per apostille | Only on the published dates, walk-in line, you do all the work and must bring the right documents |
| Mail to Sacramento | Weeks | State fee only, plus postage | Cannot be expedited; a backlog plus transit each way; a mistake means it comes back unprocessed |
| We hand-carry it | About 5–7 business days, or about 3 expedited | From $195, travel and notary visit included | Costs more than doing it yourself |
About the pop-up shops
They are run by the Secretary of State with the County ARCC, usually at the County Administration Center at 1600 Pacific Highway, and they are walk-in rather than appointment-based, so expect a line.
Dates are published by the Secretary of State and change. Check the official schedule at sos.ca.gov before traveling – we are not the authority on it.
If you go yourself, bring the right things
- Original documents only. A certified copy from the county recorder or state registrar for vital records, or an original notarized document. Photocopies are refused.
- A completed cover sheet naming the destination country. This is required, and the country determines whether an apostille is even the right certificate.
- The fee. $20 per apostille. Check accepted payment methods in advance, as they differ by location.
- Everything for every document. Each document needs its own apostille and its own fee.
The most common wasted trip: arriving with a document that was never notarized, or with a photocopy of a birth certificate instead of a certified copy. If you are not certain your document is in the right form, call or text us at (858) 888-8060 and describe it. We will tell you either way, whether or not you end up hiring us.
When using us makes sense
When there is no pop-up date before your deadline, when the mail backlog is longer than you can wait, when the document still needs notarizing first, when you cannot take a weekday morning off, or when you simply want someone to take responsibility for it being right. We notarize the document wherever you are, prepare the submission and return the finished apostille to you. From $195 for the first document, with travel and the notary visit included. See apostille services.
Pop-up schedules, processing times and state fees are set by the California Secretary of State and change without notice. Always confirm current details at sos.ca.gov. Reviewed October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next apostille pop-up in San Diego?
The Secretary of State publishes the schedule on sos.ca.gov and the dates change through the year. Because they move, we do not list a date here that might be stale by the time you read it. Check the official page, or call us and we will look it up with you.
How much does the state charge for an apostille?
$20 per apostille. There is also a special handling fee for authenticating the signatures of additional different public officials on in-person requests. If you use a service like ours, that state fee is passed through at cost on top of the service fee.
Is the pop-up shop free?
The event is free to attend but the $20 per apostille state fee still applies. What you save is a service fee, and what you spend is your own morning in line.
Can I mail my documents to Sacramento instead?
Yes, and it costs only the state fee plus postage. The trade-off is time: mail requests are processed in the order received and cannot be expedited, so allow for the current backlog plus transit in both directions. Check the Secretary of State's processing-times page for where they have reached.
Next step
Tell us what you need
We will come back with a time and a firm price. If it is urgent, call or text (858) 888-8060.