Illinois Document Translation Services

Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for people and businesses in Illinois, from $65 per page, with most orders ready in 1 to 2 business days. Each translation comes with a signed certificate of accuracy. We work remotely from our office in Lake Oswego, in the Portland, Oregon area: you upload your documents through the quote form and receive the translation electronically or by mail. We have no office in Illinois. This page explains the Illinois rules that affect translated documents.

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 federal rules say about translated documents

Immigration filings follow a federal rule that applies the same way in every state. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, together with the translator’s certification of competence to translate from that language into English.

Immigration courts have a parallel rule. Under 8 CFR 1003.33, a foreign language document offered in a proceeding must come with an English translation and a signed, typed or legibly printed certification that the translator is competent and that the translation is true and accurate to the best of the translator’s abilities.

Our certificate of accuracy is written to cover those points. Each agency makes its own decision on what it accepts, so check the instructions for your specific form or filing.

Getting an apostille in Illinois

Illinois apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State’s Index Department. The Cook County Clerk describes an apostille as certifying the validity of an Illinois notary public, county clerk, circuit clerk or local registrar. That tells you which documents qualify: a notarized document, or a certified record signed by one of those officials.

The fee quoted by the Cook County Clerk, the University of Illinois and Loyola University Chicago is $2 per document. The Secretary of State publishes an application for authentication or apostille (form I-213) to send with your documents.

Springfield office	Index Department, 111 E. Monroe, Springfield, IL 62756, (217) 782-7017
Chicago office	Index Department, 17 N. State St., Suite 1010, Chicago, IL 60602, (312) 814-2067
Fee	$2 per document
By mail	Send the document, the fee and a self-addressed stamped return envelope (per University of Illinois Student Legal Services)
Walk-in	Both offices, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. as listed by University of Illinois Student Legal Services
County step for notarized papers	County clerk certificate confirming the notary is in good standing; $2 per document in Cook and Sangamon counties

Translations, notaries and the apostille

An apostille does not review the wording of a translation. It confirms the signature and office of the Illinois official who signed the document. To put a translation on the apostille route, the translator’s signed statement is notarized, and the notary’s signature is what the state certifies.

When a translation needs to be notarized for Illinois, for example for an Illinois apostille, we hire a notary commissioned in Illinois to notarize the translator’s statement. We can also help with the apostille request itself.

The Cook County Clerk sets out the order for notarized documents: the clerk’s office authenticates the notary’s signature and issues a certificate that the notary is in good standing, and the Secretary of State then issues the apostille. Ask the Index Department whether your document needs the county certificate before you send it.

The University of Illinois registrar advises confirming with the receiving country which documents and which form of authentication it requires, since not every country is part of the Hague Convention.

Illinois vital records: where certified copies come from

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Division of Vital Records in Springfield holds birth and death records from 1916 onward. IDPH says mail requests take approximately 12 weeks to process. County clerks and local registrars also issue certified copies, and their fees differ from the state’s.

IDPH does not issue certified marriage or divorce records. It can verify the facts of a marriage or dissolution from 1962 onward; certified marriage copies come from the county clerk where the license was issued, and divorce records from the circuit court clerk. For records going abroad, IDPH refers people to the Secretary of State Index Department at 800-252-8980.

IDPH Division of Vital Records	110 W. Lawrence Avenue, Springfield
Birth certificate, long form	$15 first copy, $2 each additional
Birth certificate, short form	$10 first copy, $2 each additional
Death certificate	$19 first copy, $4 each additional
Marriage or dissolution verification	$5

Illinois courts and interpreters

The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts runs the statewide Language Access Program for the state’s 24 judicial circuits and keeps a public Court Interpreter Registry. Interpreters qualify through a two-day orientation, a written exam with an 80 percent pass mark and an oral exam: a score of 70 percent or higher earns certified status and 60 to 69 percent earns registered status.

Under the Illinois Supreme Court Language Access Policy, no fee may be charged to a limited English proficient person for an appointed interpreter, and courts are to prefer certified interpreters, then qualified, then registered. That program covers spoken interpreting in court. It does not translate your exhibits for you, so ask the circuit clerk or your attorney what the judge expects for documents in another language.

Notaries, notario publico and driver's licenses

An Illinois notary verifies identity and witnesses a signature. A notary does not certify that a translation is accurate. The Illinois Attorney General warns that in the United States notaries or notarios are not licensed attorneys and cannot give legal advice on immigration matters. The Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312/3-103) regulates how notaries who are not attorneys may advertise in languages other than English.

For drivers, University of Illinois Student Legal Services advises having a home country license translated into English, with the translation certified, if the license is not written in English, and carrying both together. Secretary of State Driver Services facilities set the document requirements for an Illinois license, so confirm with them what they need.

Illinois languages and how to order

Census Bureau estimates (ACS 2024, one year) put the Illinois population at 12,710,158. About 24.5 percent of residents speak a language other than English at home and 15.4 percent were born outside the United States. The state’s language access plan lists the most spoken languages after English as Spanish (more than 1.6 million speakers), Polish (more than 169,000), Chinese (more than 106,000), Filipino or Tagalog (more than 86,000) and Arabic (more than 67,000).

We translate 100 languages. The ones requested most often are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech. For any other language, including Polish or Tagalog, ask us when you request a quote.

Everything is handled remotely, so it works the same from Chicago, Springfield, Rockford or Carbondale.

Phone	(971) 514-3743
Office hours	9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Office	5 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 400, Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Upload. Send a scan or clear photo through the quote form as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file.
Confirm. We reply with the price, starting at $65 per page, and the delivery date. Most orders take 1 to 2 business days.
Receive. You get the certified translation electronically, by mail, or both.
Add notarization or an apostille. Tell us if the receiving office wants the translator’s statement notarized or the document apostilled.

Translation pages for Illinois cities

We have a page for each of these Illinois cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:

Springfield · Chicago · Aurora · Naperville · Joliet · Rockford · Elgin · Peoria

Illinois apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
All document translation services

Illinois document translation questions

Who issues apostilles in Illinois?

The Illinois Secretary of State’s Index Department issues apostilles, with offices at 111 E. Monroe in Springfield and 17 N. State St., Suite 1010 in Chicago.

How much does an Illinois apostille cost?

The Cook County Clerk and Illinois universities list the Secretary of State fee as $2 per document. A county clerk certificate for a notary’s signature, where needed, is a separate $2 in Cook and Sangamon counties.

Does USCIS require a certified translation for documents filed from Illinois?

Yes. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), any foreign language document sent to USCIS needs a full English translation with the translator’s certification that it is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent. The rule is federal and applies in every state.

Can an Illinois notary certify a translation?

No. An Illinois notary can notarize the translator’s signature on a statement of accuracy, but the notary does not vouch for the translation itself.

Where do I get a certified Illinois birth certificate before translating or apostilling it?

From the IDPH Division of Vital Records in Springfield, which charges $15 for a long form copy, or from the county clerk or local registrar where the birth was recorded. IDPH says mail requests take about 12 weeks.

How much does certified document translation cost in Illinois?

Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page for certified translation, and most orders are ready in 1 to 2 business days. The work is done remotely and delivered electronically or by mail.