COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The Secretary of State continues to process all documents received, including Apostilles. You are encouraged to submit your request by mail including a check or money order. Apostilles can be submitted through the mail following the instructions on our website at www.sos.ca.gov/notary/request-apostille.

California notaries public are encouraged to follow guidance provided by public health officials at the federal, state, and local levels. California notaries public are not prohibited from performing a notarial act during the COVID-19 pandemic.  However, preservation of the public health and safety of Californians, including all notaries public, is of the utmost concern so it is recommended that each notary public continue to stay apprised of and operate under any health directives from the Department of Public Health as the situation raised by the COVID-19 pandemic remains fluid.

California Law does not provide the authority for California notaries public to perform a remote online notarization. The personal appearance of the document signer is required before the notary public. However, California citizens who wish to have their documents notarized can seek a mobile California notary public.

During this unprecedented time, those seeking notarization may do so safely by contacting a mobile notary. Mobile notaries are individual notaries who travel to a customer's location to perform notarizations. When a mobile notary arrives at an agreed-upon location, they may practice physical distance while observing a customer sign a document. All California notaries public may consider the following guidelines to assist in maintaining proper social distancing:

1. When you arrive at the customer's location or an individual appears before you, let them know that you want to maintain a safe distance to adhere to CDC guidelines.

2. From a safe distance, verify the identity of the individual appearing before you.

3. From a safe distance, perform the notarial act, including all journal entries.

4. After you have made your journal entries, you may wish to step back to a safe distance while the individual signs your journal and enters their thumbprint, if needed, while still maintaining control and direct line of sight of your journal.

5. Once the notarization is complete, return the notarized document back to the customer.

Yes. Although our Sacramento public counter services are currently suspended, the Secretary of State continues to accept and process submissions received online, by mail or placed in the document drop-off box on the first-floor lobby of our Sacramento office. You are encouraged to use our enhanced online services at bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov for faster service or mail your submissions to our Sacramento office. Customers with questions are encouraged to ask Eureka – our award winning online chatbot (the bear in the righthand corner of our bizfile.sos.ca.gov) who now speaks Spanish or submit your inquires via email when possible. Telephone wait times are longer than usual while we continue to operate with limited staff in office to preserve the health and safety of our customers and staff.

Online Expedite service is available for Corporations, Limited Liability Companies and Limited Partnerships at bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov. At the end of the online forms, you will be provided an option for online expedite service: 24-Hour or Same Day (if in by 9:30 a.m. out by 4:00 p.m.). Expedite and Preclearance Services are suspended for paper submissions.

Although our public counter services are currently suspended, the Secretary of State continues to accept and process submissions received online, by mail or placed in the document drop-off box on the first-floor lobby of our Sacramento office. You are encouraged to utilize our online services at bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov for faster service.

Yes. You may order good standing certificates and certified copies online at bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov.

In addition, free plain copies of more than 17 million images of Corporation, Limited Liability Company and Limited Partnership documents filed with our office are available online at bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov. These documents are available through our California Business Search to view and print from home for free and can be a simpler solution to obtaining copies of documents when a good standing certificate is not necessary.

You may file either a required or amended (out of required filing period) Statement of Information for your LLC or Corporation online at bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov.

Yes. You can form your limited liability company or corporation online at bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov.  In addition to these filings, you can file over 70 Online forms, with a convenient shopping cart for easy payment.