Certified Translation Services for San Francisco, California
Certified translation for San Francisco is available from Apostille Authentications at $65 per page and up. Most translations are finished in 1 to 2 business days and carry a signed certificate of accuracy. We work remotely from Lake Oswego, in the Portland, Oregon area, and have no San Francisco location. You send the document through our quote form, and the finished translation reaches you electronically or by mail. Here is what official San Francisco sources say about records, courts, schools and apostilles.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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San Francisco's Language Access Ordinance and what it does not cover
San Francisco is unusual in having a city law on language. Under the Language Access Ordinance, city departments must serve the public in languages that reach a set number of limited English proficient speakers. A 2024 update lowered that number from 10,000 to 6,000. Chinese, Spanish and Filipino were already certified languages. The city reports that Vietnamese met the threshold in January 2026, with departments expanding Vietnamese services from July 1, 2026 and full compliance due by July 1, 2027.
The ordinance governs how the city communicates with you. It does not turn your own foreign-language birth certificate, diploma or contract into an English document. When a federal agency, a court, a school or an employer asks for one in English, the translation is yours to arrange.
City Hall: the County Clerk and your vital records
San Francisco is both a city and a county, so county functions sit in City Hall at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102. The Office of the County Clerk issues marriage, birth and death certificates and handles notary filings. Its published hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For a person over 3 who was born in San Francisco after 1906, the city lists four ways to get a birth certificate: start online and finish in person with ID, walk in to the County Clerk at City Hall, Room 160, apply by mail with a notarized form, or order through VitalChek. The city says mail applications take 4 to 6 weeks. Recorded documents such as deeds are kept by the separate Office of the Assessor-Recorder.
Getting a California apostille when you live in San Francisco
City Hall does not issue apostilles. The California Secretary of State does, and it has no San Francisco counter.
- By mail. Send the original document, the apostille cover sheet naming the destination country, a $20 check or money order per apostille and a self-addressed envelope to Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001. Requests are processed in the order received. Expedited mail service is not offered.
- In person. Sacramento, 1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor, or the Los Angeles regional office at 300 South Spring Street. Both offer same-day service. Add a $6 special handling fee for each different public official’s signature.
- Vital records. The state authenticates signatures of county clerks, county recorders and the State Registrar. A birth or death certificate signed by a local health officer or registrar may need county clerk certification first.
- Other languages. A document in a language other than English can be apostilled if its notarization is in English. The Secretary of State does not translate.
Where translation fits with notarization
Some foreign authorities ask for the translator’s signed statement to be notarized before the apostille. We can arrange that notarization and help with the apostille request. Tell us the destination country when you ask for a quote so the paperwork is prepared in the right order. The receiving authority sets the requirements, so confirm them with it first.
San Francisco courts
| Civic Center Courthouse (Superior Court) | 400 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 |
|---|---|
| Hall of Justice (Superior Court) | 850 Bryant St., San Francisco, CA 94103 |
| Interpreter Division | 850 Bryant St. Requests go by email with the case name and number, language, date and location. |
| Notice for an interpreter | At least two business days for Spanish and five business days for other languages |
| U.S. District Court, Northern District of California | 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102 |
University rules on foreign transcripts
Policies differ by school and by program, so read the one that applies to you.
- UCSF Graduate Division. Transcripts translated into English support only a preliminary admission decision. Once admitted, students with non-U.S. transcripts must have them evaluated by ECE, IEE or WES.
- University of San Francisco. International first-year applicants need a transcript from each school attended, plus a certified translation if the transcript is not in English.
- UC Law San Francisco. LL.M. applications are submitted through LSAC. Check the program’s checklist for how foreign transcripts are handled.
Languages spoken, and how to order
Census Reporter’s ACS profile gives San Francisco a population of about 827,500, with 43.9 percent of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 34.2 percent foreign-born.
We translate 100 languages. Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech are requested most. Ask us about Filipino or any language not on that list.
To order from San Francisco, upload a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file through the quote form. We confirm the price, from $65 per page, and the timing. The certified translation is then delivered electronically or mailed to you. You can also call (971) 514-3743 during office hours, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Related services for San Francisco
- California document translation services: the statewide rules for courts, notaries, vital records and driver licensing
- California apostille service
- All document translation services
San Francisco translation questions
Apostille Authentications provides certified translation to San Francisco customers remotely from the Portland, Oregon area. Translations include a signed certificate of accuracy and are delivered electronically or by mail.
Our price starts at $65 per page, and most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days.
No. Apostilles are issued by the California Secretary of State, by mail to Sacramento or in person in Sacramento or Los Angeles, at $20 per apostille. City Hall is where the County Clerk issues birth, death and marriage certificates.
Chinese, Spanish and Filipino are certified languages, and the city reports Vietnamese reached the 6,000-speaker threshold in January 2026. The ordinance applies to city services, not to translating your personal documents.
Yes, if the document contains a foreign language. 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) requires a full English translation with the translator’s certification of completeness, accuracy and competence.
Email the Superior Court’s Interpreter Division with your case details at least two business days ahead for Spanish and five business days for other languages. The division’s page covers interpreting at hearings and does not offer document translation.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- City and County of San Francisco: Office of the County Clerk
- SF.gov: get a birth certificate for someone over 3
- SF.gov: Vietnamese certified under the Language Access Ordinance
- SF.gov: San Francisco language diversity data
- San Francisco Superior Court: Interpreter Division
- San Francisco Superior Court: locations
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California: court locations
- UCSF Graduate Division: international admission requirements
- University of San Francisco: international first-year admission
- UC Law San Francisco: LL.M. applications
- Census Reporter: San Francisco city profile (ACS)
- California Secretary of State: Request an Apostille
- California Secretary of State: Apostille FAQs
- 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), translation rule (eCFR)
Get your San Francisco 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.