Montana Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for people and businesses in Montana, from $65 per page, with most translations ready in 1 to 2 business days. We are based in Lake Oswego, in the Portland, Oregon area, and serve Montana remotely: you upload your document through the quote form and receive the translation electronically or by mail. Each translation carries a signed certificate of accuracy. This page sets out the Montana 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 a certified translation is, and the federal rule behind it
A certified translation is a full translation with a signed statement from the translator that it is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent in both languages. That wording comes from federal immigration rules. 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) says any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS shall be accompanied by a full English language translation which the translator has certified as complete and accurate, together with the translator’s certification of competence to translate from the foreign language into English.
The rule does not ask for a notary stamp. Other receivers, such as a foreign authority asking for a Montana apostille, may ask for the translator’s statement to be notarized, so check with whoever will receive the document before you order.
How apostilles work in Montana
Apostilles and authentications are issued by the Notary and Certifications Division of the Montana Secretary of State in Helena. The office says Montana uses a universal certificate that works as an apostille for Hague Convention member countries and as an authentication for other countries.
| Fee | $10 per document or notarization, regardless of the number of pages |
|---|---|
| Request form | State Certification Apostille or Authentication Request Form, or the Secretary of State’s online portal |
| Payment | Check or money order by mail or in person, card through the online portal; cash is not accepted |
| Processing | Normally 3 to 5 business days from receipt by the division |
| Notary and Certifications Division, Montana Secretary of State’s Office, PO Box 202801, Helena, MT 59620-2801 | |
| FedEx or UPS | 1301 E. 6th Ave, Helena, MT 59601 |
| In person | Secretary of State’s Office, Room 260, Montana State Capitol Building, Helena; same-day service only by appointment made in advance |
| Return | Include a pre-addressed stamped envelope or prepaid shipping label |
What the Secretary of State says about translations and foreign-language documents
The office states plainly that it does not provide translation services. It also states that if the notarization has been done in English, as required by Montana law, it does not matter what language the document itself is written in: the apostille or authentication can still be issued.
For a translation, that means the apostille attaches to the notarization of the translator’s signed statement, not to the translation’s content. When a translation needs to be notarized for Montana, we hire a notary commissioned in Montana to notarize the translator’s statement.
The division lists four elements of a properly completed notarial certificate: the venue, the statement of particulars, the notary’s official signature and the notary’s official stamp. It offers a free pre-check of notarized documents by email before you submit them, and it will not book a same-day appointment until documents have been pre-checked.
The office cannot certify FBI background checks, and it says federal court documents should be authenticated by the federal court that issued them.
Montana vital records and county offices
Birth and death certificates come from the Office of Vital Records at the Department of Public Health and Human Services, 111 N Sanders, Room 6, Helena, with mail to PO Box 4210, Helena, MT 59604. The office states that all certificates cost $16, and that you can order by mail, online or by phone through its listed vendors, or in person at any Montana county Clerk and Recorder’s office.
If the record is going abroad, the office asks you to note on the application that it is intended for an apostille. It issues long-form certificates in that case, and it requires a separate payment to each agency: one for the certificate and one for the Secretary of State’s $10 apostille fee.
Marriage and divorce records are different. The Secretary of State directs you to the Clerk of District Court in the county where the marriage, divorce, adoption or name change took place. It also recommends that certified copies of official records be issued within the last five years. No county-level certification step is described for certified copies from these offices.
What Montana notaries can and cannot do
Montana Code Annotated 1-5-625 sets the limits. A notary may not certify a copy of an official record issued by a public entity, such as a birth, death or marriage certificate, a court record or a school transcript, unless the notary works for the entity that issues or holds the original. A notary who is not a Montana-licensed attorney may not use the term “notario” or “notario publico”, and a notary commission does not authorize anyone to act as an immigration consultant or to give legal advice.
Secretary of State guidance adds that a document for use abroad may be notarized if the notarial block is in English, and that the language of the document is not what decides whether the notarial act can be performed. Notaries are told never to fill in a notarial block written in another language. A notary’s stamp on a translator’s statement confirms the signature, not the quality of the translation.
Courts and driver licensing
Montana Judicial Branch Policy 890 on court interpretation services provides for a qualified interpreter in civil or criminal proceedings, paid by the Office of Court Administrator, and says forms and brochures shall be translated as needed. We did not find a statewide Montana court rule on certified translations of exhibits, so ask the clerk of the court handling your case what it expects before filing a foreign-language document.
On driving, MCA 61-5-104 allows a nonresident aged at least 15 who holds a valid license from a home state or country to drive a non-commercial vehicle in Montana. The Motor Vehicle Division lists reciprocity agreements with Taiwan and the Republic of Korea, under which a valid license can be transferred without knowledge or skills testing. The division pages we read do not publish a translation requirement for foreign documents, so confirm with the exam station before your appointment.
Languages in Montana and how to order
Census Bureau QuickFacts reports that 4.2% of Montanans aged 5 and over speak a language other than English at home and that 2.3% of residents are foreign born (2020 to 2024).
We translate in 100 languages. The most requested are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech; ask about any other language.
- Upload. Send a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file through the quote form.
- Confirm. Tell us who will receive the translation and whether it needs a notarized statement or an apostille.
- Receive. Get the certified translation electronically or by mail. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. with questions.
Translation pages for Montana cities
We have a page for each of these Montana cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Helena · Billings · Missoula · Bozeman
- Montana apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
Montana document translation questions
The Notary and Certifications Division of the Montana Secretary of State in Helena issues apostilles and authentications. The fee is $10 per document or notarization.
The Secretary of State gives a normal processing time of 3 to 5 business days from receipt. Same-day service at the State Capitol is by advance appointment only, after documents have been pre-checked.
The federal rule, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), requires a full English translation with the translator’s certification of completeness, accuracy and competence. It does not mention notarization.
A Montana notary can notarize a translator’s signature on a statement, but under MCA 1-5-625 cannot certify a copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate unless employed by the office that holds the record.
Yes, according to the office: if the notarization is in English as Montana law requires, the language of the document itself does not matter. The office does not translate documents.
Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page for certified translation ordered from Montana, and most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days. The work is done remotely from the Portland, Oregon area.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Montana Secretary of State: About Apostilles and Authentications
- Montana Secretary of State: Certification Request Form
- Montana DPHHS: Birth and Death Certificates
- Montana DPHHS: Apostilles for vital records
- MCA 1-5-625, notary prohibited acts
- Montana Secretary of State: notarizing documents for use abroad
- Montana Judicial Branch Policy 890, Court Interpretation Services
- MCA 61-5-104, driver license exemptions
- Montana Motor Vehicle Division: Getting a Montana Driver License
- 8 CFR 103.2, eCFR
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Montana
Get your Montana 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.