Certified Translation Services in Lansing, Michigan
Apostille Authentications prepares certified translations for people in Lansing, Michigan, starting at $65 per page. Most are finished in 1 to 2 business days and each carries a signed certificate of accuracy. We have no Lansing office: the work is done remotely from the Portland, Oregon area, with documents uploaded through our quote form and translations returned electronically or by mail. Lansing is also where Michigan’s apostille and state vital records offices sit, which this page explains.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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The apostille office is in Lansing
Michigan apostilles are issued by the Department of State’s Office of the Great Seal, and that office is in Lansing, in the Richard H. Austin Building at 430 W. Allegan St. For a Lansing resident this means the state’s authentication counter is in town, although it is not a walk-in service. In-person visits are by appointment on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., booked online or at (888) 767-6424. The Department of State also lists a Lansing Secretary of State office on East Michigan Avenue among the branches that take authentication appointments.
Mailed requests go to a different address: Michigan Department of State, Office of the Great Seal, 7064 Crowner Drive, Lansing, MI 48918. The office quotes 1 to 2 weeks for mail, handles requests in date order and says it has no expedited option.
| Fee | $1 per document, check or money order payable to State of Michigan |
|---|---|
| Form | Authentication Request Form, completed and signed |
| Mail extras | Pre-addressed, stamped return envelope |
| Not for use | Inside the United States |
Route to a Michigan apostille for a translated document
The Great Seal office authenticates signatures of Michigan notaries, county clerks and deputy clerks, and the Michigan State Registrar. It requires that every element of a notarization be in English and asks for a written English translation of documents in foreign text. Notarizations must show the notary’s full name, original signature, date, commission expiration date and county of commission.
When your translation has to be notarized for Michigan, we hire a notary commissioned in Michigan to notarize the translator’s statement. We can also help with the apostille request. Ask for details when you request a quote.
State vital records on South Grand Avenue
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Vital Records office is in downtown Lansing, on the 1st floor of the South Grand Building at 333 S Grand Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933. MDHHS describes the building as standing on the northeast corner of Grand Avenue and Kalamazoo Street, with customer parking on the east side off Kalamazoo Street and no parking validation.
This matters for apostilles because the Great Seal office accepts a birth, death, marriage or divorce record only as a certified copy from a county clerk or the State Registrar. MDHHS also issues statements of no marriage for Michigan residents marrying abroad, a document that foreign authorities often want translated.
Secretary of State and USCIS document rules
If you are applying for a Michigan license or ID at a Lansing branch, the Secretary of State’s checklist says foreign documents must be translated or have English subheadings. A foreign passport with English subtitles or a translation can serve as proof of identity. A foreign marriage license with a translation can support a name change. A foreign driver’s license shows driving experience only.
Immigration filings follow the federal rule at 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3): a full English translation, certified by the translator as complete and accurate, with a statement that the translator is competent in both languages. The certificate we issue contains both statements.
Notaries and translated documents in Michigan
A Michigan notary’s acts are limited by MCL 55.285 to acknowledgments, oaths and affirmations, and witnessing or attesting signatures. The notary does not check the translation. State law at MCL 55.291 also forbids notaries from using the title ‘notario publico’ in advertising or claiming authority to advise on immigration matters. The Department of State’s notary guidance adds that a notary may notarize a foreign-language document but may ask for an English translation to be attached.
Lansing by the numbers
Census Reporter’s profile of Lansing, drawn from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2024 one-year estimates, shows a population of 113,466. An estimated 14.2 percent of residents were born outside the United States, with a margin of error of 3.2 points. That is well above the statewide figure of 7.7 percent.
Michigan State University, in neighboring East Lansing, lists admissions support for international applicants in Portuguese, Korean, Spanish, Arabic and Russian. Ask the admissions office you are applying to how it wants foreign academic records translated before you order.
Ordering from Lansing
Upload a scan or photo of your document through the quote form in PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word format. We confirm the price and delivery time, translate and certify the document, then send it back electronically or by mail. Our most requested languages are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech, out of 100 offered. For any other language, ask. You can reach us at (971) 514-3743 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Related services for Lansing
- Michigan document translation services: the statewide rules for courts, notaries, vital records and driver licensing
- Michigan apostille service
- All document translation services
Lansing translation questions
Apostille Authentications serves Lansing remotely from the Portland, Oregon area. You upload the document, and the certified translation is returned electronically or by mail, from $65 per page.
The Office of the Great Seal is in the Richard H. Austin Building, 430 W. Allegan St., Lansing. Visits are by appointment on Mondays and Wednesdays, and mailed requests go to 7064 Crowner Drive, Lansing, MI 48918.
The Michigan Department of State charges $1 per document, paid by check or money order payable to the State of Michigan.
The Department of State lists in-person authentication service by appointment only, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are booked online or at (888) 767-6424.
MDHHS Vital Records is on the 1st floor of the South Grand Building, 333 S Grand Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933, at the corner of Grand Avenue and Kalamazoo Street.
The Secretary of State’s checklist says foreign documents must be translated or have English subheadings. This applies at every branch, including those in Lansing.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Michigan Department of State: Document authentication and apostille
- Michigan Department of State: Document authentication FAQ
- MDHHS Vital Records: Driving directions
- MDHHS Vital Records: Additional information
- Michigan Secretary of State: License and ID document requirements
- MCL 55.291, notary prohibited conduct
- Michigan Department of State: Notary FAQ
- 8 CFR 103.2, eCFR
- Census Reporter: Lansing, MI profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- Michigan State University international admissions
Get your Lansing 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.