Idaho Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for people and businesses in Idaho, from $65 per page, with most translations ready in 1 to 2 business days. We work remotely from our office in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in the Portland area: you upload your document, and we return the translation electronically or by mail with a signed certificate of accuracy. This page also sets out the Idaho rules that affect translated documents, from apostilles to driver licensing.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
Upload Your Documents For Translation
What a certified translation is and what USCIS requires
The federal rule that governs immigration filings is 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). It 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 from the foreign language into English.
Every translation we deliver carries a signed certificate of accuracy written to that standard. If the receiving office asks for a notarized translator’s statement, we can add one. When the notarization has to be an Idaho one, we hire an Idaho notary to complete it. Each agency makes its own decision on what it accepts, so check the receiving office’s instructions before you order.
Idaho apostilles: the Secretary of State in Boise
Apostilles and authentication certificates for Idaho documents are issued by the Idaho Secretary of State. An apostille is used for countries that follow the 1961 Hague Convention, and an authentication certificate is used for countries that do not. The office states it can only certify documents issued by Idaho officials or notarized by Idaho notaries.
| Fee | $10 per document. Card payments carry a $1 nonrefundable processing fee. |
|---|---|
| Form | Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form, available in English and Spanish |
| In person | By appointment only at 450 N 4th Street, Boise, ID 83702. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| By mail | Secretary of State’s Office, Attn: Notary Department, PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0080 |
| Processing | Requests are processed daily as received and returned by first-class mail. Enclose a prepaid air bill for overnight return. |
| Payment | Check or money order payable to the Secretary of State, or credit card |
| Phone | (208) 334-2301 |
- Notarized documents. The document must be an original notarized by an Idaho notary public, or a certified copy.
- Vital records. The Secretary of State directs you to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare for birth certificates and similar records. The state birth certificate request form offers special handling for a $10 fee, under which Vital Records sends the certificate and your completed apostille application to the Secretary of State.
- School records. School documents must be signed by a school official and notarized.
- Federal documents. FBI clearance letters go to the U.S. Department of State authentications office, not to Idaho.
- Return shipping. The request form says the office cannot mail documents out of the country.
Getting certified Idaho vital records
Certified copies of Idaho birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates come from the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, part of the Department of Health and Welfare. The mailing address is Idaho Vital Records, PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0036, and the phone number is (208) 334-5980.
A certified copy costs $16. The department lists 3 to 5 weeks for standard orders and 2 to 3 weeks with express service, which adds $10. Orders can be placed by mail or in person with the certificate request form, or online through VitalChek, which adds its own fee.
The state issues marriage and divorce certificates filed from May 1947 to the present. Earlier records are held by the county recorder where the event took place. For a copy of a divorce decree, the department tells you to contact the county where the divorce was granted.
Idaho notaries, translations and 'notario publico'
Idaho Code 51-125 says a notary commission does not authorize a person to give legal advice, draft legal records, or act as an immigration consultant or an expert on immigration matters. A notary who is not an Idaho-licensed attorney may not use the term ‘notario’ or ‘notario publico’. Non-attorney notaries who advertise must include a statement that they are not attorneys, in each language used in the advertisement.
The Idaho Notary Public Handbook adds three points that matter for foreign documents. The notarial certificate must be in English whatever language the document is in. Notaries do not copy or certify birth certificates, death certificates or marriage licenses. The maximum fee for a notarial act is $5.
In practice a notary witnesses the translator’s signature on a statement. The notary does not check or vouch for the translation itself.
Idaho courts: interpreters and translated documents
Court interpreters in Idaho are governed by Idaho Court Administrative Rules 52 and 52.1. If you need an interpreter for a hearing, the Idaho Supreme Court tells you to contact the court holding the hearing as soon as possible. The statewide Language Access Office can be reached at (208) 947-7554.
The Court Interpreter Policy Manual sets four roster credentials: Certified Master Level, Certified, Conditionally Approved and Registered, the last for languages that have no oral certification exam. Interpreters are paid from the county district court fund. For written work, the manual says court forms should be translated by an ATA certified translator or another professionally certified translator.
Foreign driver's licenses at the Idaho DMV
The Idaho Driver’s Handbook says new residents must apply for an Idaho license within 30 days. Drivers with a license from Germany do not have to surrender it or take a skills test. Drivers from Korea or Taiwan keep their license only if they take the skills test. All other foreign drivers take a skills test, and no foreign driver is exempt from the knowledge test.
The knowledge test is offered in English, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Korean, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Swahili, Vietnamese and American Sign Language. The licensing chapter states that a document not written in English must be accompanied by an acceptable English-language document or an acceptable certified translation. The Idaho Transportation Department does not issue international driving permits.
How to order a translation from Idaho
According to the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, about 11.4% of Idaho residents speak a language other than English at home and about 6.3% were born abroad. We translate in 100 languages. The ones requested most are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech. For any other language, ask us.
- 1. Upload. Send your document through the quote form as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file.
- 2. Confirm. We confirm the price, from $65 per page, and the delivery date. Most jobs take 1 to 2 business days.
- 3. Receive. You get the certified translation electronically or by mail.
- 4. Ask. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., including for help with an apostille.
Translation pages for Idaho cities
We have a page for each of these Idaho cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Boise · Meridian · Nampa · Idaho Falls · Coeur d’Alene
- Idaho apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
Idaho document translation questions
The Idaho Secretary of State issues apostilles and authentication certificates. The office is at 450 N 4th Street in Boise and accepts requests by appointment or by mail.
The Idaho Secretary of State charges $10 per document. Credit card payments carry an extra $1 nonrefundable processing fee.
An Idaho notary can notarize a translator’s signed statement, but the notary does not verify the translation. The state handbook also requires the notarial certificate to be in English.
Yes. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), any foreign-language document sent to USCIS needs a full English translation with the translator’s certification of accuracy and competence, wherever you live.
Yes. Apostille Authentications serves Idaho remotely from the Portland, Oregon area: you upload the document and receive the certified translation electronically or by mail.
No, not for non-attorneys. Idaho Code 51-125 bars a notary who is not an Idaho-licensed attorney from using the terms ‘notario’ or ‘notario publico’ and from acting as an immigration consultant.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Idaho Secretary of State: Apostille and Authentication
- Idaho apostille request form
- Idaho Code 51-125, Prohibited Acts
- Idaho Notary Public Handbook
- Idaho Supreme Court: Language Access and Court Interpreters
- Idaho Court Interpreter Policy Manual
- Idaho Health and Welfare: vital records processing times and fees
- Idaho Health and Welfare: marriage and divorce records
- Idaho Driver’s Handbook
- 8 CFR 103.2
- Census Reporter: Idaho profile (ACS 2024)
Get your Idaho 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.