Ohio & International Connection – What’s an Apostille?

In Middle French, the word apostiller meant to add notes, usually in the margins of some document. Today, the term has a specific meaning in international law. Under the 1961 Hague Convention – officially known as the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirements of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents – member countries will accept an apostille, a certification for a document being used overseas. The apostille certifies the authenticity of the signature or seal of a person or authority on a public document, although it doesn’t vouch for the contents of the document itself. Apostilles may be used for documents like articles of incorporation, adoption paperwork, and diplomas. What’s the Ohio connection? The Ohio Secretary of State is responsible for issuing apostilles for all Ohio documents.