Massachusetts Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for people and businesses in Massachusetts, from $65 per page, with most translations ready in 1 to 2 business days. We work remotely from our office in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in the Portland area: you upload your document through the quote form and we return the translation electronically or by mail. Each translation carries a signed certificate of accuracy, and the translator’s statement can be notarized when the receiving office asks for that.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
Upload Your Documents For Translation
What Massachusetts agencies ask for in a translation
Requirements differ by office, so check with the one receiving your document before you order. These are the published rules we could confirm.
- USCIS. 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.
- Registry of Motor Vehicles. The RMV accepts documents that are not in English when they are accompanied by a certified translation. The translation and the certification must be on the letterhead of the certifying entity and include the translator’s printed name, full address, telephone or email, signature, date, a statement of qualifications, a statement that the translation is complete and accurate, and the document type and source language.
- Who the RMV accepts. Its flyer lists language service providers, bilingual teachers at accredited Massachusetts colleges or language schools, bilingual notaries public, the local consulate of the document’s country, community-based and non-profit organizations, and government agencies.
- Trial Court. The Office of Language Access translates court forms and signage and assigns interpreters, but it does not translate documents presented as evidence in a case. Parties arrange their own professional translation for those.
Driving on a foreign license
The RMV says a driver whose foreign license is not in English must carry an International Driving Permit, the RMV’s ‘Translation into English of a Foreign License’ document, or another translation document with a photo and English text that closely matches an IDP. That license form cannot be used for a learner’s permit or license application. Applications need the RMV’s Translation Certification Format instead.
Massachusetts converts licenses without a written or road test for drivers from Canada, Mexico, U.S. territories, the Republic of Korea, Germany, France and Taiwan. The RMV lists the conversion fee as $115 for a Class D license. International Driving Permits cannot be converted.
Apostilles from the Secretary of the Commonwealth
Massachusetts apostilles are issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Commissions Section. For countries in the Hague Convention the certificate is called an apostille. Other countries receive a certification.
The office certifies only documents carrying the original signature of a Massachusetts notary public, justice of the peace, city or town clerk or assistant, court clerk or assistant, or the Registrar of Vital Records. Photocopied signatures are not accepted, and federal and out-of-state documents cannot be authenticated in Massachusetts. The published list goes straight from those signers to the Secretary’s office and names no county step.
For notarized documents the office checks that the notary signed with the name on the commission, completed the notarial certificate, showed the commission expiration date and affixed a legible seal. A Massachusetts school transcript must be certified by the registrar before a notary. Out-of-state transcripts and diplomas cannot be certified here.
A translation follows the notarized-document route. When a translation has to be notarized for Massachusetts, for example for a Massachusetts apostille, we hire a notary commissioned in Massachusetts to notarize the translator’s statement. We can also help with the apostille request.
| Fee | $6.00 per document |
|---|---|
| Form | Apostille/Certification Request Form, which asks for the country where the document will be used |
| Payment by mail | Check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
| Mail and main counter | Commissions Section, Room 1719, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108 |
| Springfield office | 436 Dwight Street, Room 102, Springfield, MA 01103 |
| Fall River office | 218 South Main Street, Suite 206, Fall River, MA 02721 |
| Counter service | Up to three documents per customer at the Boston counter. The office says volumes and turnaround vary at the regional offices. |
| Mail processing | Two to three weeks, according to the office |
| Return | Self-addressed stamped envelope, prepaid express envelope and label, or pickup |
Where certified vital records come from
The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics is at 150 Mount Vernon Street, 1st Floor, Dorchester, MA 02125, phone (617) 740-2600, open Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. It holds records from 1936 onward. Published fees are $20 per copy in person, $32 per copy by mail, and $54 for the first copy ordered online or by phone, with additional copies at $42.
City and town clerks also issue certified copies of births, deaths and marriages recorded locally, and their signatures are among those the Commissions Section certifies. The apostille office points people to district court clerks for divorce decrees.
Translate from the certified copy you plan to submit, so that names, dates and registration numbers match the record the foreign authority will see.
Notaries, translations and 'notario publico'
Under M.G.L. c. 222, section 17, a notary public who is not licensed to practice law in Massachusetts may not literally translate the title ‘notary public’ or the word ‘licensed’ into another language without regard to its true meaning. A non-attorney notary may not give legal advice, advise on immigration status or file immigration forms for a client, and must disclose: ‘I am not an attorney licensed to practice law. I may not give you legal advice or advise you about immigration policies or procedures.’
The same section allows a notary to translate the questions on an immigration form and write in the answers at the person’s explicit direction. A notarization on a translation confirms who signed the translator’s statement. It does not check the translation itself.
Court interpreters and languages spoken statewide
The Trial Court Office of Language Access, Two Center Plaza, 9th Floor, Boston, is the only body authorized to certify and credential Trial Court interpreters. Credentials run for two years and rely on National Center for State Courts written and oral examinations. Interpreters for court proceedings are provided through the office at no cost. Its Public Release Roster lists interpreters people may hire for out-of-court work.
Census Reporter’s 2024 American Community Survey figures put the state population at 7,136,171, with 18.8 percent born outside the United States and 25.9 percent speaking a language other than English at home. The Office of Language Access says its most requested languages include Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Mandarin and Arabic.
How to order from anywhere in Massachusetts
Upload a scan or clear photo through the quote form as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, and tell us which office will receive the translation. We reply with a price and delivery date. Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech are our most requested languages out of 100. Ask about any other language, including Portuguese or Haitian Creole. Phone (971) 514-3743, office hours 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We have no office in Massachusetts.
Translation pages for Massachusetts cities
We have a page for each of these Massachusetts cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Boston · Worcester · Springfield · Cambridge · Lowell · Brockton
- Massachusetts apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
Massachusetts document translation questions
The Secretary of the Commonwealth, Commissions Section, issues them. The main office is at One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, with offices in Springfield and Fall River.
The Secretary of the Commonwealth charges $6.00 per document. Mailed requests are paid by check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Yes. The RMV accepts documents that are not in English when a certified translation on the certifying entity’s letterhead accompanies them, with the translator’s name, address, contact details, signature, qualifications and a statement of completeness and accuracy.
No, unless the notary is also an attorney licensed in Massachusetts. M.G.L. c. 222, section 17 bars a literal translation of ‘notary public’ into another language without regard to its true meaning.
No. The Trial Court Office of Language Access translates court forms and supplies interpreters, but it does not translate case documents offered as evidence, so parties hire their own translator.
Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page and most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days. The work is done remotely from the Portland, Oregon area and returned electronically or by mail.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Secretary of the Commonwealth: Apostilles and Certification of Documents
- Apostille/Certification Request Form
- Information on Apostilles (Secretary of the Commonwealth)
- M.G.L. c. 222, section 17
- Registry of Vital Records and Statistics: order a certificate
- RMV Translation Certification Requirements
- RMV: Driving in Massachusetts on a foreign license
- RMV: Transfer a license from a foreign country
- Trial Court Office of Language Access
- Court Interpreter Credentialing Program
- 8 CFR 103.2 (eCFR)
- Census Reporter: Massachusetts
Get your Massachusetts 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.