Santa Ana · Orange County · Mobile
Apostille and mobile notary work, done right the first time.
Most apostille problems are not hard, they are just expensive to get wrong. I tell you which certification your document actually needs, what it costs, and how long it really takes, before you spend a dollar on a government fee.
- California & federal apostille, walked through in person
- Jail, hospital, and care-facility signings across OC and LA
- FD-258 ink fingerprint cards, mobile or at a neutral venue
- Certified translation handled alongside the notarization
What do you need?
Pick one and I’ll ask only the questions that apply to it.
No payment on this step. You’ll see the price and the realistic timeline first.
Services
Eight things I do, and I do them properly
Every one of these is by appointment, prepaid, and quoted before I start. Travel is already in the price, so there are no surprise trip charges.
Apostille Services
Certification that makes a U.S. document legally usable abroad. Birth and marriage certificates, powers of attorney, FBI background checks, diplomas, corporate records.
Learn moreMobile Notary
On-site notarization at hospitals, care facilities, attorney offices, correctional facilities, and neutral meeting locations. Appointment and prepayment required.
Learn moreJail & Correctional Signings
Powers of attorney, custody authorizations, property transfers, and estate documents notarized inside select Orange County and Los Angeles County facilities.
Learn moreHospital & Bedside Signings
Advance directives, powers of attorney, and estate documents notarized at the bedside. Hospitals, hospice, skilled nursing, and memory care.
Learn moreFD-258 Ink Fingerprinting
FD-258 ink fingerprint cards for out-of-state licensing, background checks, adoption, CCW applications, and federal agencies. In office, at a public venue, or mobile for schools and groups.
Learn moreTrust & Estate Signings
Full trust packages, grant deeds, advance health care directives, and powers of attorney. Notarized with the witnesses and journal entries done correctly.
Learn moreCertified Translation
Certified translations paired with notarization and apostille so your documents are accepted the first time abroad.
Learn moreWedding Officiant
Licensed officiant for civil ceremonies, elopements, and courthouse-style weddings, with the marriage license filed correctly afterward.
Learn moreGeneral notary services
The everyday documents, handled properly
Powers of attorney, advance health care directives, grant deeds and the rest of what a notary actually gets asked for. Mobile, by appointment, travel already in the price.
Estate & family
- Power of attorney, general, durable, financial and health care
- Advance health care directive
- Living trusts, amendments, certifications of trust
- Guardianship and custody authorizations
- Parental and minor travel consent
Property & real estate
- Grant deeds and quitclaim deeds
- Interspousal transfer deeds
- Deeds of trust and reconveyances
- Loan and refinance packages
- Vehicle title transfers and DMV forms
Financial & everyday
- Affidavits and sworn statements
- Contracts, agreements and addenda
- Bank, retirement and beneficiary forms
- Single status affidavits
- School, licensing and employment forms
The apostille work
An apostille is not the right answer for every country.
An apostille is a certificate that makes a U.S. document valid in another country that belongs to the Hague Convention. If your destination country is not a member, an apostille will not be accepted, no matter who issues it. The document needs consular legalization instead, which is a different process with different fees.
That distinction matters enormously here. Two things have changed recently that most people have not caught up with:
- China joined the Convention in November 2023. Documents that used to need consular legalization now take an apostille.
- Canada joined in January 2024, replacing the older authentication route.
- Vietnam and Taiwan are still not members. For Little Saigon families, that means legalization. Not the apostille the internet keeps recommending.
A California apostille, issued by the Secretary of State.
Pricing
What things cost, before you call
The common jobs are priced below and travel is already in the number, so there is nothing to work out at the door. Anything unusual is quoted on the phone before it is booked, and you hear it before you commit.
What’s fixed by law
- California caps most notarial acts at $15 per signature.
- Government and agency filing fees are billed at cost, never marked up.
What it costs
- Travel is included. It only changes after business hours, or on Sundays and holidays.
- A $25 deposit confirms most appointments; some are arranged by phone.
- Correctional facility signings are paid in full before the visit and are non-refundable.
Jail & correctional signings
When someone is in custody, the paperwork cannot wait.
A power of attorney, a custody authorization, a property transfer. These are the documents families need signed while someone is inside, and most notaries will not go. I will, at six facilities across Orange County and Los Angeles County.
Get the documents finished first
Every blank filled in except the signature. I cannot prepare, correct, or advise on the content, that is your attorney’s job or yours.
Confirm the inmate can sign
Valid ID on file at the facility, aware of what they are signing, and willing. If any of that fails at the window, the trip still happened.
Prepay and I go
Travel is prepaid and non-refundable because the visit is made whether or not the facility produces the signer. You get confirmation as soon as it is done.
Service area
Where I go
Mobile service to hospitals, care facilities, attorney offices, correctional facilities, and neutral public meeting spots throughout Orange County and nearby Los Angeles County. Meeting locations are arranged when you book.
Guides
Answers before you call
Plain-language guides to the questions that cost people the most time and money.
Vietnam Doesn't Accept Apostilles. Here's What Your Documents Actually Need
Vietnam isn't a Hague Convention member, so an apostille will be refused. The correct route is consular legalization. What that involves, how long it takes, and why so much online advice gets it wrong.
ReadHow to Get an Apostille in California, Start to Finish
The full process for California and federal apostilles. Which office handles your document, what version of it they'll accept, what it costs, and how long each track really takes.
ReadApostille for Mexico: What Mexican Authorities Actually Check
Mexico accepts apostilles, but its registries are strict about the version of the document and how recent it is. What to get, in what order, and the two things that cause rejections.
ReadFAQ
Questions people actually ask
How long does a California apostille take?
When I walk your document into the Secretary of State's office, a straightforward California apostille is usually back within a few business days. Federal documents processed through the U.S. Department of State take considerably longer. Often several weeks. Which is why I tell you which track you're on before you pay anything.
Do I need an appointment?
Yes. Every service here is by appointment: apostille, hospital and jail signings, ink fingerprinting, and general mobile notary. A $25 deposit confirms most appointments; for some services the deposit is arranged by phone. Correctional facility signings are the exception, those are paid in full before the visit.
What ID do I need to be notarized?
A current government-issued photo ID. Driver's license, state ID, passport, or consular ID that satisfies California requirements. The signer has to be physically present, alert, coherent, and signing willingly. If any of those are in question, I'm required to decline.
Do you come to homes?
No residential appointments. Mobile appointments are for hospitals, care facilities, correctional facilities, attorney offices, and neutral public meeting locations, arranged when you book. That policy keeps everyone safe and it's not negotiable.
My documents are going to Vietnam. Is an apostille the right thing?
No. this is the single most common mistake I fix. Vietnam is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so documents headed there need consular legalization, not an apostille. Bring them to me before you pay a state fee for a certification that won't be accepted.
Can you notarize for someone who is in jail?
Yes, at select Orange County and Los Angeles County facilities including Santa Ana Jail, Theo Lacy, James Musick, Anaheim Detention, and Century Regional. Documents must be completely filled out before I go, the inmate needs valid ID on file and must be willing to sign, and travel is prepaid because the trip happens whether or not the facility produces the inmate.
What does it cost?
Apostille service starts at $250 per document, plus the government filing fee at cost. Jail and correctional facility signings are $225 for the first hour, then $75 per hour, paid in full before the visit. Hospital and bedside signings are $125 for up to five notarizations. Ceremonies start at $200. Travel is already included, so there is no separate trip charge, and the only time that changes is after business hours, or on Sundays and holidays. California caps most notarial acts at $15 per signature by law, and government filing fees are billed at cost, never marked up.
What if the signer does not speak English?
California requires me to communicate directly with the signer, and a family member cannot interpret for a notarial act. If the signer is not comfortable in English, we arrange a qualified interpreter before the appointment so the trip is not wasted. Certified translation of the document itself is handled separately, through vetted translators, alongside the notarization and apostille.
Next step
Tell me what you need notarized
Answer a few questions and you'll see the price and the realistic timeline before you pay anything. Most quotes take under two minutes.
Travel is included in every price. Nothing is booked before you hear the number.