Washington Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for people and businesses in Washington state, from $65 per page. Most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days. We work remotely from the Portland, Oregon area: you upload your documents through the quote form and receive the translation electronically or by mail. Each translation comes with a signed certificate of accuracy, and the translator’s statement can be notarized when the receiving office asks for that. We translate 100 languages.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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What Washington state agencies say about translated documents
Washington has no single rule for translations. Each agency sets its own, so check with the office that will receive your document before you order. These are the published rules we could confirm on official sites.
- USCIS filings. Federal rule 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) says any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS must come with a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, plus the translator’s certification of competence to translate from that language into English.
- Driver licenses. The Department of Licensing gives new residents 30 days after moving to Washington to get a driver license. Holders of a valid license from another U.S. state, British Columbia (Class 5), Germany or South Korea can skip the tests. For Taiwan and Japan, the DOL page says a translated certification is required and directs applicants to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle or the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle.
- Courts. General Rule 11 covers interpreting and language access in Washington courts. The Administrative Office of the Courts credentials court interpreters in two categories, certified and registered. That program covers spoken interpreting, and its pages do not set up a separate credential for written document translation.
- DSHS. The Department of Social and Health Services Language Testing and Certification Program lists ‘Document Translator – Certified’ among the credentials it issues, alongside social service and medical interpreter credentials.
Where certified Washington vital records come from
A translation is only as good as the record it is made from. If you need a Washington birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate translated for use abroad, start with a certified copy.
| Issuing agency | Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics |
|---|---|
| Records issued | Births, deaths, stillbirths, fetal deaths, marriages and divorces that took place in Washington |
| Office | 111 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501 (by appointment only) |
| Mailing address | PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507 |
| Mail order fee | Starts at $25, nonrefundable; shipped within 6 to 8 weeks |
| Online or phone order | Starts at $40.50 through VitalChek ($25 certificate, $8.50 VitalChek fee, $7 DOH processing fee); shipped within 3 to 7 business days of DOH receiving the order |
| In person | Through local health departments; most orders are filled the same day |
Washington Secretary of State apostille: fees, timing and addresses
The Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division, issues apostilles and certificates of authentication for Washington documents going to another country. The office states that these certificates are not valid for use inside the United States.
| Fee | $15.00 per document |
|---|---|
| Standard processing | Typically 7 to 10 business days |
| Expedited | $15.00 per document plus $100 per 10 documents; typically 2 to 3 business days |
| Same day, in person | $15.00 per document plus $150 for the first 10 documents; processed while you wait |
| Mailing address | PO Box 40234, Olympia, WA 98504-0234 |
| Western Regional Branch | 243 Israel Rd SE, Tumwater, WA 98501; Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; also the address for UPS and FedEx deliveries |
| Eastern Regional Branch | 960 Washington St, Cheney, WA 99004; same day service only; Monday to Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Thursday |
| Phone | 360-725-0377, option 3 |
| Payment by mail | Check or money order payable to the Secretary of State |
The route to a Washington apostille, by document type
What the Secretary of State will accept depends on the kind of document.
- Vital records. Only an original, unaltered record or a certified copy can be apostilled. The Department of Health can also take the apostille request with your certificate order: $15 plus the cost of the certificate, with the country of use stated on the order.
- Notarized documents. The notary certificate must be complete, signed and stamped by a Washington State notary public, and the statement of the notarial act must be in English.
- Court documents. A certified document issued by a Washington court is accepted.
- School records. Public school documents need an original stamp and signature; private school documents must be notarized by a Washington notary. Official college transcripts must be signed by the registrar.
- FBI background checks. These go to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. The Washington office has no authority over federal background checks.
Notarized translations in Washington
Washington’s notary statute, RCW 42.45.140, sets out short form certificates for acknowledgments, verifications on oath or affirmation, witnessed signatures, and certified copies of a record. A notary acts on the signature or the copy. In a notarized translation, the notary notarizes the translator’s signed statement, not the wording of the translation.
The Secretary of State’s apostille guidance tells people to have personal documents notarized by a Washington State notary before requesting an apostille. If your translation needs an apostille, tell us when you request the quote so we can explain how the notarization and apostille steps apply to your document.
Languages spoken in Washington
According to the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, as published by Census Reporter, 22.3 percent of Washington residents speak a language other than English at home, about 1.68 million people. The same release puts the foreign-born share of the state’s 7,958,180 residents at 16.1 percent.
We translate 100 languages. The most requested are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech.
How to order a translation from anywhere in Washington
We do not have an office in Washington. Everything is handled online, by phone and by mail from 5 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 400, Lake Oswego, OR 97035.
- 1. Upload. Send a scan or clear photo of each page through the quote form. PDF, JPEG, PNG and Word files are accepted.
- 2. Confirm. We reply with the price and delivery date. Translation starts at $65 per page.
- 3. Receive. Most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days and are returned electronically or by mail, with a signed certificate of accuracy.
- Questions. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Translation pages for Washington cities
We have a page for each of these Washington cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Seattle · Olympia · Spokane · Tacoma · Vancouver · Bellevue · Everett · Kent
- Washington apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
Washington document translation questions
Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page for certified translation for Washington customers. Most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days and are delivered electronically or by mail.
Yes. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), any foreign language document submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator certifies as complete and accurate, with a statement that the translator is competent to translate into English. The rule is federal and applies the same way in every state.
The Washington Secretary of State charges $15.00 per document. Expedited service adds $100 per 10 documents, and same day in person service adds $150 for the first 10 documents.
The Secretary of State says standard requests are typically processed in 7 to 10 business days and expedited requests in 2 to 3 business days. Mailing time is extra.
The Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics issues certified birth certificates, by mail starting at $25 or online and by phone through VitalChek starting at $40.50. Local health departments also issue them in person, usually the same day.
No. The Washington Secretary of State says FBI background checks must be sent to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., because the state office has no authority to apostille federal background checks.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Washington Secretary of State: Apostilles Services and Information
- Washington Secretary of State: Apostille FAQ
- Washington Secretary of State: Corporations and Charities contact and locations
- Washington Secretary of State: Apostille request form (PDF)
- Washington Department of Health: Ordering a Vital Record
- Washington Department of Health: Vital Records
- Washington Department of Health: Apostilles
- 8 CFR 103.2 (eCFR)
- Washington Department of Licensing: Do I need to take a test?
- Washington Department of Licensing: Moving to Washington
- Washington Courts: General Rule 11
- Washington Courts: Court Interpreter Program
- DSHS: Language credentials issued
- RCW 42.45.140
- Census Reporter: Washington profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
Get your Washington translation started
Upload your document for a quote, or call (971) 514-3743 and tell us where the translation is going. We confirm the level of certification you need before any work begins.