Certified Translation Services for Raleigh, North Carolina
Apostille Authentications prepares certified translations for Raleigh residents and businesses from $65 per page, and most are ready in 1 to 2 business days. The work is done remotely from the Portland, Oregon area, so there is no Raleigh office to visit: you upload the document and get the translation back electronically or by mail. Every translation includes a signed certificate of accuracy. Below are the Raleigh and Wake County offices your documents are likely to pass through.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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Raleigh is the state capital: the apostille office is downtown
North Carolina issues apostilles from one place, the Secretary of State’s Authentication Office at 2 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-2903. For someone in Raleigh that means hand delivery is a practical choice. The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and says you may bring documents for processing without an appointment. It also says hand-delivered documents are generally processed more quickly than mailed ones, which generally take five business days longer.
Two other state offices that matter for translated documents are in the city as well: North Carolina Vital Records, which issues certified birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates, and the Judicial Branch Office of Language Access Services at the North Carolina Judicial Center.
Apostille checklist for a Raleigh document
The Secretary of State asks for the following with each request:
| By mail | Authentication Office, NC Secretary of State, PO Box 29622, Raleigh, NC 27626-0622 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 919-814-5400 |
- Cover letter. Include the country where the document will be used.
- Fee. $10.00 per document, by check or money order payable to North Carolina Secretary of State.
- The document. The original with its certifications. Sign before a North Carolina notary, or use a certified copy from the issuing office such as a Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court or NC Vital Records.
- Translation. A certified or notarized English translation if the document is in a language other than English.
- Return. A prepaid return envelope or carrier label.
Wake County Register of Deeds: certificates and marriage licenses
Certified copies of Wake County birth, death and marriage certificates come from the Wake County Register of Deeds, on the 1st floor of the Wake County Justice Center, 300 S. Salisbury St., Suite 1700, Raleigh, NC 27601. Vital records hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the phone number is 919-856-5460.
| Wake County certificate | $10 each |
|---|---|
| Certificate from another NC county | $24 for the first copy, $15 each additional; in person at the downtown office only |
| Out-of-county coverage | Births anywhere in North Carolina from 1971; deaths from 2021 |
| Marriage license | $60.00 |
| Other pickup points | Regional centers in Zebulon, Wake Forest and Fuquay-Varina, and 5809 Departure Drive in Raleigh, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
Courts serving Raleigh
Raleigh is in Wake County, which is Superior Court District 10 and District Court District 10. The Wake County Courthouse is at 316 Fayetteville St. Mall, Raleigh, NC 27601 (phone 919-792-4000), open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. The Judicial Branch notes that all civil matters except marriages are conducted there, while criminal matters and marriages are held at the Wake County Justice Center.
Interpreters in state court are arranged through the Office of Language Access Services, not by the parties directly. Under the Judicial Branch Standards for Language Access Services, the state pays for interpreters in court proceedings for parties, victims and testifying witnesses, but written translations at state expense are provided only in limited circumstances. If you plan to file or present a foreign-language document, ask the clerk or your attorney what translation the court expects.
For federal cases, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina has a clerk’s office in Raleigh (919-645-1700).
Consular and language facts for Raleigh
Mexico’s foreign ministry lists the Consulado General de Mexico en Raleigh at 431 Raleigh View Road, Raleigh, NC 27610. Consulates set their own rules for translations and apostilles, so check with the consulate before ordering.
Census Bureau estimates (ACS 2024 one-year) give Raleigh a population of 499,637, with 14.9 percent of residents born outside the United States. Statewide, 14.4 percent of people speak a language other than English at home.
For immigration filings, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) requires that any foreign-language document sent to USCIS come with a full English translation certified by the translator as complete and accurate, along with the translator’s statement of competence.
Ordering your translation from Raleigh
Upload a scan or clear photo through the quote form (PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word). Tell us the language pair and who will receive the translation: USCIS, a court, a school, a consulate or the Secretary of State. We reply with the price, starting at $65 per page, and a delivery date, usually within 1 to 2 business days.
Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech are requested most often among the 100 languages we handle; ask if yours is not named here. When a translation has to be notarized for North Carolina, such as for an apostille from the office on Salisbury Street, we hire a notary commissioned in North Carolina to notarize the translator’s statement. We can help with the apostille request too. The receiving agency decides what it accepts, so confirm its requirements before you order. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Related services for Raleigh
- North Carolina document translation services: the statewide rules for courts, notaries, vital records and driver licensing
- North Carolina apostille service
- All document translation services
Raleigh translation questions
The North Carolina Secretary of State’s Authentication Office is at 2 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-2903. It is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Secretary of State says you may bring documents for processing without an appointment. Hand-delivered documents are generally processed more quickly than mailed ones; check the office’s website for current turnaround.
The Wake County Register of Deeds at 300 S. Salisbury St. issues Wake County birth certificates for $10 each. It can also issue North Carolina births from 1971 onward from other counties, in person, for $24.
Apostille Authentications has no office in Raleigh. It serves Raleigh customers remotely from the Portland, Oregon area, with documents uploaded online and translations returned electronically or by mail.
Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page for certified translation, and most orders are ready in 1 to 2 business days.
The Secretary of State asks for a certified or notarized English translation of a foreign-language document. When notarization is needed, Apostille Authentications hires a North Carolina notary to notarize the translator’s statement.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- NC Secretary of State: Authentications
- NC Secretary of State: Apostille Certificates
- NC Secretary of State: Turn Around Times
- Wake County Register of Deeds: certificates
- Wake County Register of Deeds: hours and location
- Wake County: marriage license
- NC Judicial Branch: Wake County Courthouse
- NC Judicial Branch: Standards for Language Access Services
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of NC: locations
- Consulado General de Mexico en Raleigh
- Census Reporter: Raleigh (ACS 2024)
- 8 CFR 103.2 (eCFR)
Get your Raleigh translation started
Upload your document for a quote, or call (971) 514-3743 and tell us where the translation is going. We confirm the level of certification you need before any work begins.