Certified Translation Services in Buffalo, NY
Apostille Authentications provides certified translation for people in Buffalo, New York, from $65 per page, and most orders are ready in 1 to 2 business days. Each translation comes with a signed certificate of accuracy. We work remotely from the Portland, Oregon area and have no office in Buffalo: you upload your document through the quote form and receive the translation electronically or by mail. Below are the Buffalo and Erie County offices, courts and rules that matter for translated documents.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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Where Buffalo records come from before translation
A translation is only as useful as the record behind it, so start with a clean certified copy. For births and deaths recorded in the city, the City of Buffalo lists its Vital Statistics office at 65 Niagara Square, Room 1308, phone 716-851-5431, and gives a cost of $10 per certificate on its apostille page.
Notarized papers and county level certifications go through the Erie County Clerk at 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY 14202.
| City vital records | Buffalo Vital Statistics, 65 Niagara Square, Room 1308 |
|---|---|
| County Clerk | Erie County Clerk, 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY 14202 |
| State apostille walk-in | NY Department of State, 295 Main Street, 8th Floor, Suite 821, Buffalo, NY 14203 |
Getting a New York apostille without leaving Buffalo
Buffalo is one of five places where the New York Department of State offers walk-in apostille service, alongside New York City, Albany, Binghamton and Utica. The Buffalo office is open 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with a limit of 10 documents per customer for same-day service. Drop-off is only allowed in Albany and New York City.
When a translation needs to be notarized for New York, we hire a notary commissioned in New York to notarize the translator’s statement. We can help you with the apostille steps that follow.
- Step 1. A birth, death or marriage certificate signed by a local registrar must first be certified by the County Clerk of the county where it was issued. Erie County charges $3 per authentication.
- Step 2. A notarized document must be certified by the County Clerk of the county where the notary is qualified.
- Step 3. Submit the Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form and $10 per document to the Department of State, in person at 295 Main Street or by mail to PO Box 22001, Albany, NY 12201-2001.
- Exception. Certificates signed by the State Registrar or Director of Vital Statistics skip the County Clerk step.
Courts in Buffalo and papers in another language
New York’s Civil Practice Law and Rules, Rule 2101(b), requires papers served or filed to be in English. An affidavit or exhibit in a foreign language must come with an English translation and an affidavit by the translator stating their qualifications and that the translation is accurate. Ask the clerk or your attorney what a specific part expects.
Interpreters for hearings are a separate matter: the court system provides them free of charge, and you request one from the Chief Clerk’s office of your court.
| Erie County Supreme Court | 25 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202 |
|---|---|
| Buffalo City Court | 50 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202 |
| U.S. District Court, Western District of New York | 2 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202 |
USCIS filings from Buffalo
Federal regulation 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) says any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, along with the translator’s certification of competence to translate into English. Our certificate of accuracy is written to cover both points. The decision on any filing rests with USCIS.
University at Buffalo and other school paperwork
The University at Buffalo tells international first-year applicants that any document not written in English must be accompanied by an English translation. Check the instructions for your own program before ordering, since graduate departments can add their own requirements.
For school records going abroad, the Department of State requires a school official to certify the record as official or a true copy, with that signature notarized, before the County Clerk and state steps. The University at Buffalo registrar and law school publish apostille instructions for their graduates.
Languages in Buffalo
About 14 percent of Buffalo residents were born outside the United States, according to American Community Survey 2024 one-year estimates, against 7.9 percent for the Buffalo metro area. Buffalo Public Schools reports more than 100 languages spoken by its students, and its translation office names Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Dari, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Pashto, Rohingya, Somali, Spanish and Swahili as the most common.
We translate 100 languages. The ones we are asked for most are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech. For any other language, including those on the school district’s list, ask us before you order.
How to order a translation from Buffalo
- Upload. Send a scan or clear photo through the quote form as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file.
- Confirm. We reply with the price, starting at $65 per page, and the delivery date. Most jobs take 1 to 2 business days.
- Receive. The certified translation arrives electronically, or by mail if you need paper.
- Questions. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or write to 5 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 400, Lake Oswego, OR 97035.
Related services for Buffalo
- New York document translation services: the statewide rules for courts, notaries, vital records and driver licensing
- New York apostille service
- All document translation services
Buffalo translation questions
Apostille Authentications serves Buffalo remotely from the Portland, Oregon area. You upload the document through the quote form and receive a certified translation with a signed certificate of accuracy electronically or by mail.
Our translations start at $65 per page. Most are ready in 1 to 2 business days.
Yes. The New York Department of State offers walk-in apostille service at 295 Main Street, 8th Floor, Suite 821, Buffalo, NY 14203, with a fee of $10 per document and a limit of 10 documents for same-day service.
Yes, if it is signed by the local registrar. The Erie County Clerk at 92 Franklin Street authenticates the signature for $3, and then the Department of State issues the apostille.
Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), a foreign language document needs a full English translation certified by the translator as complete and accurate, with a statement that the translator is competent to translate into English.
New York’s CPLR Rule 2101(b) requires an English translation and a translator’s affidavit of qualifications and accuracy with any foreign language affidavit or exhibit. Court interpreters for hearings are provided free by the court system.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- NY Department of State: Apostille or Certificate of Authentication
- NY Department of State: Obtain an Apostille
- Erie County Clerk: Apostilles
- City of Buffalo: Apostille Seal
- 8 CFR 103.2 (eCFR)
- CPLR Rule 2101 (NY Senate)
- NY Courts: Language Help (Interpreters)
- Erie County Supreme Court
- Buffalo City Court
- U.S. District Court WDNY: Accessing the Court
- University at Buffalo: International First-Year Criteria
- Buffalo Public Schools: Translation and Interpretation
- Census Reporter: Buffalo, NY
Get your Buffalo 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.