John P. McDonough, Secretary of State ~ Brian R. Moe, Deputy Secretary of State
Welcome to Certifications
There are several types of
certifications processed in the Office of the Secretary of State. We certify
the incumbency of persons the Governor appoints to various Commissions and
Cabinet positions; elected officials; and portions of the
Annotated Code of Maryland.
Some documents (birth/death,
marriage/divorce, police records, corporate good-standing certificates)
submitted to this office are being used internationally for adoptions, dual
citizenship, doing business, transferring school records, etc.
Whether or not a country will accept
the apostille form of certification, depends on whether that country signed
the Hague Treaty. The Hague Treaty is an international treaty agreeing to
accept the signature of the Secretary of State of each state, without having
it certified by the U.S. Secretary of State.
Countries which
signed the Hague Treaty accept the Apostille form of certification and for those which did not, the
standard form is used. For a more complete explanation of the Hague
Convention, visit the site of the
U.S. State
Department.
Statutory Authority: State Government Article,
ยง7-106 and by virtue of the Secretary's being a member
of the Board of State Canvassers.
Cover letter to use when sending documents to the Office of the Secretary of State
Frequently Asked Questions
