city in Suffolk County
Boston residents can use our mail-in document review, submission, tracking, and secure-return service for eligible U.S. documents intended for mainland China.
Local document context
Boston City Hall and the Registry Division issue local vital records; Suffolk court records must be obtained as certified copies from the appropriate clerk.
Local institutions and record sources: Boston University, Northeastern University, Berklee College of Music. References identify possible document sources only; there is no affiliation or endorsement.
Route check
A Massachusetts residence does not make every document a Massachusetts document. Massachusetts records use eligible Massachusetts signatures; another state's records go to that state; FBI and certain other federal records generally go to the U.S. Department of State.
Massachusetts official Apostille guidance →Identify the state, court, school, agency, or federal department that issued the document.
Prepare the correct original, certified copy, or properly notarized document.
Check whether an intermediate clerk or other authentication is required for the signature.
Create an order on the main site and select a service speed.
Mail documents only to the case-specific address shown in your account instructions.
Our team reviews, submits, tracks, and securely returns the completed documents.
Obtain the correct original or certified copy, confirm the signature is eligible, create an order, and follow the case-specific mailing instructions. Massachusetts-issued records generally go to the Secretary of the Commonwealth; federal and out-of-state records use other authorities.
The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth issues Apostilles for eligible Massachusetts signatures. Our service is private and is not that government office.
For many eligible U.S. public documents used in mainland China, an Apostille replaces the former consular-legalization chain because the Convention entered into force for China on November 7, 2023. Confirm the current requirement with the receiving organization.
Often yes, when you have an eligible certified copy carrying an authenticable Massachusetts registrar or clerk signature. We review the copy before submission.
Often, but the school registrar may first need to certify the record in the presence of a Massachusetts notary. The school controls how its records are issued.
An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document and generally follows the U.S. Department of State Apostille route, not the Massachusetts route.
Some private or school documents do; certified public records usually follow the issuing custodian's signature. Do not add a notarization to a federal document unless the issuing authority instructs you to do so.
Not for every document. The signature and document type determine whether an intermediate step is needed, so we check the actual record rather than applying a blanket rule.
Create your order before mailing originals. Your account will provide case-specific instructions.
