Mississippi Apostille: How to Authenticate Business Documents for Use Abroad

A foreign bank, buyer, court, or government agency sometimes wants proof that your Mississippi company exists and that its paperwork is genuine. The document they usually ask for is an apostille. In Mississippi, the Secretary of State issues apostilles and authentications for documents going to foreign countries. This guide explains what qualifies, what it costs, and how to send a mail-in mississippi apostille request that will not be sent back.

Informational only. This article is general information about Mississippi procedures. It is not legal or tax advice. Each destination country sets its own rules about what it accepts, so confirm requirements with the receiving office, and talk with a qualified attorney or CPA before you ship originals or rely on a document for a transaction with legal or tax consequences.

What an Apostille Does and Does Not Do

An apostille is a certificate attached to a public document. It confirms that the signature and seal on that document are genuine and that the official who signed had authority to sign. Countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention accept an apostille in place of a longer chain of legalizations. For destinations outside that treaty, the Secretary of State's office issues authentications instead, so the same office handles both.

An apostille does not confirm what the document says, and it does not translate the document. Many countries also require a certified translation, which is a separate step. Ask the receiving party what they need before you order anything.

Which Mississippi Documents Qualify

The Secretary of State will apostille a document only if it is notarized by a Mississippi notary or bears the signature of a Mississippi public official. That rule shapes what you can send.

• Certificates and certified copies from Business Services. These are the most common business documents, such as a filed Certificate of Formation for an LLC (Form F0100) or Articles of Incorporation for a corporation (Form F0001). Before you send one, call the Notary Division at 601-359-1615 and ask whether a certificate ordered from Business Services needs a separate notarization. Do not assume either answer.
• Internal company records. An operating agreement, a member or board resolution, or a power of attorney needs to be signed in front of a Mississippi notary before it can be apostilled. Send the notarized original.
• Personal records a notary cannot certify. A notary cannot certify a copy of a birth or death certificate, driver license, passport, or Social Security card. If a foreign office asks for one of these, do not assume a notary can solve the problem. Ask the Secretary of State how to proceed.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Apostille or authentication	$5.00 per document	Check or money order payable to Secretary of State
Notarization	Set by the notary	Ask the notary for the fee before signing
Certificate or certified copy from Business Services	Confirm on the fee schedule	This guide does not list a current figure
LLC Certificate of Formation	$50	Only if you still need to form the company (Form F0100)
Prepaid return envelope	Your cost	Needed if you use FedEx or UPS to get the document back

Check the Secretary of State business document fee schedule for the current charge on a certified copy before you order it.

Step by Step: Requesting an Apostille

1. Confirm the destination's requirement. Ask the receiving office whether they need an apostille or a different legalization, and which document they want. Get the answer in writing.
2. Get the right original. For company records, order from Business Services through the Mississippi business search or the online filing portal. Confirm the company is current first (see the next section).
3. Notarize if required. Have a Mississippi notary complete the notarization, or confirm with the Notary Division that the Business Services certificate is accepted without one.
4. Complete the apostille request form. Get the current apostille request form from the Secretary of State's website, or ask the Notary Division at 601-359-1615 where to find it. Fill in every field.
5. Enclose the fee. Include $5.00 for each document in a check or money order payable to Secretary of State. Do not send cash.
6. Mail the originals. Send originals, not photocopies, with the form and payment to:
   Secretary of State
   Attn: Notary/Apostille/Authentication
   660 North Street
   Jackson, MS 39202
7. Add a return envelope if needed. If you use FedEx or UPS to get the document back, include a prepaid return envelope.

Ask the Notary Division for the current turnaround before you set a deadline. Allow time for mail in both directions and for the foreign office's own processing.

Confirm the Company Is Current First

An apostille on a company record is only useful if the company is up to date with state filings. Each year:

• LLCs: file the MS LLC Annual Report (Form F0108) by April 15. It may be filed on or after January 1, it must be filed online, and it carries no fee.
• Corporations: file the Corporate Annual Report (Form F0008) by April 15 for profit corporations, or by May 15 for nonprofit corporations. The fee is $25, and it must be filed online.

Missing an annual report can lead to administrative dissolution, which will complicate any certificate you need to send abroad. Check your status on the business search before you order.

Common Problems That Delay a Request

• Sending a photocopy instead of the original.
• Leaving out notarization on a document that requires it.
• Sending a notarized copy of a birth certificate, driver license, passport, or Social Security card, which a notary cannot certify.
• Sending cash, or a check made out to anyone other than Secretary of State.
• Forgetting the prepaid return envelope when using FedEx or UPS.
• Ordering documents for a company that has missed its annual report.

Other Mississippi Filings That Come Up With Foreign Paperwork

Foreign counterparties often ask for a full picture of the company. These Mississippi points are frequently confused:

• No state general business license. Mississippi does not issue one. Registering an LLC or corporation with the Secretary of State is a registration, not a license.
• City and county licenses. Every city, town, and village issues its own privilege license under Miss. Code 27-17. Counties license only businesses outside municipalities. Confirm with your city or county clerk.
• Sales tax permit. Businesses making retail sales register with the Department of Revenue. The permit is a tax registration and carries no fee, although a bond may be required for applicants with no permanent Mississippi location. The state sales tax is 7%, with no county add-on. City levies apply only in Jackson and Tupelo.
• Trade names. A fictitious (assumed) business name is filed with the Secretary of State, not the county. The Fictitious Business Name Registration (Form F0070) costs $25.
• Franchise tax. The franchise tax applies to corporations, not to an LLC taxed as a partnership. For tax year 2026 it is $0.50 per $1,000 of capital above $100,000, with a $25 minimum, and it is repealed effective January 1, 2028. Confirm details with the Department of Revenue.
• Minimum wage. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law.

Next Steps

Start with the destination's requirement, then confirm your company's annual report status, then call the Notary Division at 601-359-1615. Getting the document right the first time costs far less than mailing it twice.

For a complex transaction, a foreign contract, or a question about whether a particular document qualifies, have a qualified attorney or CPA review the plan before you mail anything. This guide is informational only and is not legal or tax advice.

Official resources: Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division and the Mississippi Department of Revenue.