SEC Filing & Certification Apostille

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Issuing agency

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

We can obtain it?

No — you request certified copies from the SEC

Certification first?

Yes — SEC-certified copies, not EDGAR downloads

Also known as

SEC filing, certified filing, EDGAR record

Foreign securities regulators, exchanges, and counterparties sometimes require authenticated SEC documents — certified copies of filings, or certifications about a registrant's status — as part of a cross-border offering, listing, or corporate transaction.

The distinction that decides whether your document works is the same one that catches people on patents and trademarks: a public download isn't a certified copy.

What SEC documents can be authenticated

The SEC maintains the public filings of registered companies through EDGAR, and can issue certified copies of documents in its records. What the Department of State authenticates is a document bearing the SEC's own certification — not a PDF pulled from EDGAR, however official the filing itself may be.

Commonly requested items include certified copies of registration statements and periodic reports, and certifications regarding a registrant's filing status.

Why it needs an apostille abroad

A foreign regulator or exchange cannot verify an SEC record independently. The apostille certifies the SEC's certification and seal as genuine across the 120-plus Hague Convention countries. Non-Hague destinations require that authentication followed by embassy or consulate legalization.

Getting certified copies from the SEC

Certified copies are requested from the SEC's records office, with fees per document. Be specific about which filing and which date, since foreign regulators usually ask for particular documents rather than a general set.

Once the certified copies arrive, send them to us and we authenticate them — batched where several are needed, which is faster and cheaper than running them one at a time.

Federal vs. state corporate documents

Cross-border corporate files almost always mix two routes, and mixing them up costs weeks:

We authenticate Florida state documents directly; documents from other states need an apostille from their own Secretary of State first, and for non-Hague destinations we can then handle the U.S. Department of State and embassy steps.

Document preparation requirements

• Order SEC-certified copies — not EDGAR downloads.
• Submit them exactly as certified, with certification intact.
• Do not notarize them — a notary can't certify a federal record.
• Don't laminate, staple across the certification, highlight, or annotate.
• Confirm with the foreign regulator exactly which filings they require certified.

The step-by-step process

1. Confirm what the foreign regulator needs

   Which filings, which dates, and whether state corporate documents are required alongside.

2. Request certified copies from the SEC

   Order the specified documents from the SEC's records office.

3. Send them to us & we review

   We verify each certification is in a form the Department of State will authenticate.

4. Federal authentication in D.C.

   We hand-deliver the certified documents to the Office of Authentications, batched where possible.

5. Apostilles issued

   You receive apostilles (Hague) or authentication certificates (non-Hague) on each document.

6. Embassy legalization & translation, if required

   For non-Hague destinations we handle legalization, and arrange certified translation where the regulator requires it.

Common rejection reasons — and how to avoid them

Common uses

• Foreign securities registration — supporting an offering or listing abroad.
• Cross-border corporate transactions — mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures.
• Foreign exchange listings — documenting U.S. registrant status.
• Regulatory filings overseas — where a foreign authority requires certified U.S. records.
• Due diligence — where counterparties require authenticated documentation.

Hague vs. non-Hague countries

Pick your destination below, or see all countries we serve.

Official references: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · U.S. Department of State — Authenticate Your Document. Government fees are set by these agencies and are separate from our service fee.