West Virginia Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for people and businesses in West Virginia 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 document through the quote form and we return the translation electronically or by mail. Every certified 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.
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What a certified translation is and who asks for one in West Virginia
A certified translation is a complete translation with a signed statement from the translator that it is accurate and that the translator is competent in both languages. The federal immigration rule sets the pattern most offices follow. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS must come with a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, along with the translator’s certification of competence to translate from the foreign language into English.
State and local offices set their own requirements, so check with the office that will receive your document before you order. We cannot promise that any agency will accept a particular translation.
West Virginia apostilles: the Secretary of State's rules
The West Virginia Secretary of State authenticates documents for use abroad from a single office at the State Capitol Building in Charleston. It can certify originals or certified copies signed by a proper West Virginia officer, such as a notary public, a county clerk or the State Registrar. Plain copies cannot be certified.
For a translation, the route usually runs through a notary: the translator’s signed statement is notarized, and the Secretary of State then certifies the notary’s signature. The office says a notarized document needs a proper notary statement, the notary’s original signature and the notary’s rubber stamp seal. When a translation needs to be notarized for West Virginia, for example for a West Virginia apostille, we hire a notary commissioned in West Virginia to notarize the translator’s statement.
| Fee | $10 for the first certification by one official, $5 for each additional document certified by the same official |
|---|---|
| Request form | Apostille and Certification Request, Form AC-1 |
| By mail | State Capitol Building, Charleston, WV 25305. Include the original document, Form AC-1, payment, the destination country and a return address |
| In person | Same address, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Processing | About 48 business hours by mail; walk-in requests usually take minutes, depending on volume |
| County clerk documents | Need an original signature and a raised impression seal |
Vital records: where certified copies come from
If you are sending a West Virginia birth, death or marriage record abroad, start with a certified copy. The state Vital Registration Office issues certified copies of births, deaths, marriages and stillbirths for $12 per copy. Its walk-up counter is in the main lobby at 350 Capitol Street in Charleston and offers same-day service. Mail requests go to Vital Registration Office, 350 Capitol Street, Room 165, Charleston, WV 25301-3701, with check or money order only.
The CDC’s guide to West Virginia records notes that the state office has birth and death records from 1917, and that earlier records may be held by the county clerk. County clerks also hold marriage records for licenses issued in their county. Certified copies of divorce records are not available from the state office; they come from the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the divorce was granted.
Records issued in another country work the other way: the foreign record is translated into English for the West Virginia office that needs it.
Courts and interpreters
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia provides interpreters for people with limited or no English proficiency in hearings, trials and motions at the court’s expense, whatever the person’s ability to pay. Requests are made on the Request for Foreign Language Interpreter/Translation Services Form, available at county clerk offices, and the Circuit and Family Court Services Division answers language access questions at 304-558-0145.
The court system says it translates certain vital documents itself, including consent forms, notices about rights or eligibility and final orders, and a judge may order others translated. That covers the court’s own paperwork. Evidence and records you file yourself, such as a foreign marriage certificate or contract, are a separate matter, so ask the clerk or your attorney what form of translation the judge expects.
Driver licensing and foreign licenses
The Division of Motor Vehicles publishes Form DMV-10-DLT, Driver’s License Certified Translation. On it the translator states that they understand and speak both languages, are competent to translate and that the information is an accurate translation of the attached license. A notary public signs the form, and copies of both the applicant’s and the translator’s driver’s licenses must be attached.
A second form, DMV-8-FL, is an affidavit for applicants who bring a foreign language interpreter to the licensing test. It bars the interpreter from rephrasing questions or supplying answers and states that the test is recorded and reviewed.
What West Virginia notaries can and cannot do
A notary verifies a signature. A notary does not vouch for the accuracy of a translation. West Virginia Code 39-4-23 bars a notary who is not an attorney from giving legal advice, drafting legal records or acting as an immigration consultant, and from using the terms ‘notario’ or ‘notario publico’ in advertising. A non-attorney notary who advertises must include a statement that they are not an attorney and may not give advice on legal matters, including immigration.
The Secretary of State’s notary handbook also says a notary may not certify copies of vital records or other public documents that the official custodian can supply.
Languages and how to order from anywhere in West Virginia
Census Reporter’s profile of American Community Survey data shows about 2.5 percent of West Virginia residents speak a language other than English at home, compared with roughly 22 percent nationally.
We translate 100 languages. The most requested are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech. If your language is not on that list, ask us before you order.
We have no office in West Virginia, and you do not need to visit one.
- Upload. Send a scan or clear photo through the quote form as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file.
- Quote. Translation starts at $65 per page. Tell us who will receive it and whether you need notarization or an apostille.
- Delivery. Most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days and are returned electronically or by mail.
- Questions. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Translation pages for West Virginia cities
We have a page for each of these West Virginia cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Charleston · Huntington · Morgantown · Parkersburg
- West Virginia apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
West Virginia document translation questions
USCIS does not require a state license. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) the translator must certify that the English translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.
The West Virginia Secretary of State charges $10 for the first certification by one official and $5 for each additional document certified by the same official.
The office lists about 48 business hours for standard processing. Walk-in requests at the State Capitol Building in Charleston usually take minutes, depending on volume.
A notary notarizes the translator’s signature and does not certify the translation’s accuracy. State law also bars non-attorney notaries from giving immigration or legal advice and from advertising as a ‘notario publico’.
The DMV publishes Form DMV-10-DLT, Driver’s License Certified Translation, which a competent translator completes and a notary signs. Copies of the applicant’s and translator’s licenses must be attached.
The Vital Registration Office at 350 Capitol Street in Charleston issues certified copies for $12 each, in person or by mail.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- West Virginia Secretary of State: Authentication of Documents for International Use
- Apostille and Certification Request, Form AC-1
- 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), eCFR
- West Virginia Vital Registration: Certificate Requests
- CDC: Where to Write for Vital Records, West Virginia
- West Virginia Judiciary: Access to Justice
- West Virginia Code 39-4-23, Prohibited Acts
- West Virginia Notary Handbook
- WV DMV Form DMV-10-DLT
- WV DMV Form DMV-8-FL
- Census Reporter: West Virginia
Get your West Virginia 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.