Michigan Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation for people and businesses in Michigan, from $65 per page, with most translations ready in 1 to 2 business days. Each one comes with a signed certificate of accuracy. We work remotely from the Portland, Oregon area: you upload your document through the quote form and receive the translation electronically or by mail. This page also sets out what Michigan agencies publish about apostilles, notaries, vital records and identity 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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Who issues apostilles in Michigan
Apostilles and certificates of authority for Michigan documents come from the Michigan Department of State, Office of the Great Seal, in Lansing. The office explains that an apostille exists under the Hague Convention of 1961 and is issued only for documents going to countries that are party to it. It cannot be used inside the United States.
The published fee is $1 per document, paid by check or money order made payable to the State of Michigan. Every request needs a completed and signed Authentication Request Form. Mailed requests also need a pre-addressed, stamped return envelope. The office says requests are processed in the order received, that the usual turnaround by regular mail is 1 to 2 weeks, that it has no expedited service and that sending by courier does not speed up processing.
Besides the Office of the Great Seal itself, the Department of State lists Secretary of State offices that take document authentication appointments in Clinton Township, Detroit (West Grand Boulevard), Flint (Fenton Road), Grand Rapids (28th Street), Lansing (East Michigan Avenue), Livonia, Marquette and Pontiac. Appointments are offered on Mondays and Wednesdays and are booked online or by phone.
| Issuing office | Michigan Department of State, Office of the Great Seal |
|---|---|
| Fee | $1 per document |
| Mail to | 7064 Crowner Drive, Lansing, MI 48918 |
| Great Seal office | Richard H. Austin Building, 430 W. Allegan St., Lansing |
| In person | By appointment, Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Appointment phone | (888) 767-6424 |
What the Great Seal office accepts, and what it says about foreign-language documents
The office authenticates the signatures of Michigan notaries public, county clerks and deputy clerks, city clerks in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, and the Michigan State Registrar. Its guidance says documents from court clerks and records from other states need to be notarized before it can act on them.
A notarized document must carry an original signature. Stamped, photocopied and facsimile signatures are rejected. The notarization has to show the notary’s full name, signature, the date, the commission expiration date and the county of commission.
For documents in another language, the office states that all elements of the notarization must be in English and asks applicants to provide a written English translation. That is the point where a certified translation is usually prepared. When a translation needs to be notarized for Michigan, for example for a Michigan apostille, we hire a notary commissioned in Michigan to notarize the translator’s statement.
Michigan vital records
Birth, death, marriage and divorce records sent for an apostille must be certified copies issued by a county clerk or by the Michigan State Registrar, not the original keepsake document. The state office is the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records, whose customer service counter is on the 1st floor of the South Grand Building, 333 S Grand Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933. MDHHS also issues official statements of no marriage (single status) for Michigan residents who plan to marry abroad. County clerks issue certified copies of records filed in their county.
If the record is going to a country that does not use English, the receiving authority normally decides whether it wants the translation attached, so check its instructions before ordering.
What Michigan notaries may and may not do
Under MCL 55.285 a Michigan notary may take acknowledgments, administer oaths and affirmations, and witness or attest to a signature. Certifying that a translation is accurate is not on that list. A notary on a translated document is notarizing the translator’s signature on the accuracy statement.
MCL 55.291 bars a notary from using the term ‘notario publico’ or any equivalent non-English term in a business card, advertisement, notice or sign, and from claiming powers the office does not have, including the power to counsel on immigration matters. A notary who is not an attorney and advertises in another language must include a statement, in that language, that he or she is not an attorney and has no authority to give advice on immigration or other legal matters.
The Department of State’s notary guidance says a notary may notarize a document written in a foreign language but urges caution, and suggests asking for an English translation to be attached. It also notes that a county clerk can certify a true copy only of a document kept in that clerk’s office.
Driver's licenses, state IDs and immigration filings
The Michigan Secretary of State’s document checklist says foreign documents must be translated or have English subheadings. A valid foreign passport with English subtitles or a translation can be shown as proof of identity, and a foreign marriage license with English subtitles or a translation can support a legal name change. A foreign driver’s license counts as proof of driving experience only and cannot be used to prove identity or legal presence.
For immigration filings, federal regulation 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) requires any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS to come with a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, along with the translator’s certification of competence to translate from that language into English. Our certificate of accuracy is written to cover both statements.
Michigan’s State Court Administrative Office runs the Foreign Language Interpreter Certification Program for interpreters who work in the state’s courts. That program concerns spoken interpretation in court proceedings. If a Michigan court asks you for a translated document, follow that court’s own instructions.
Languages spoken in Michigan
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 one-year estimates, as published by Census Reporter, put Michigan’s population at 10,140,459. About 11.1 percent of residents, roughly 1,063,000 people, speak a language other than English at home, and 7.7 percent of residents were born outside the United States.
We translate 100 languages. The ones requested most often are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech. If your language is not on that short list, ask us.
How to order a translation from anywhere in Michigan
- 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 time. Most jobs take 1 to 2 business days.
- Receive. The certified translation arrives electronically, or by mail if you need paper.
- Add-ons. Tell us if the translator’s statement must be notarized or if the document needs a Michigan apostille.
- Questions. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Translation pages for Michigan cities
We have a page for each of these Michigan cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Lansing · Detroit · Grand Rapids · Ann Arbor · Dearborn · Warren · Sterling Heights
- Michigan apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
Michigan document translation questions
Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page for certified translation and most orders are ready in 1 to 2 business days. The work is done remotely from the Portland, Oregon area and delivered electronically or by mail.
The Michigan Department of State, Office of the Great Seal, in Lansing issues apostilles and certificates of authority. The fee it publishes is $1 per document.
The Office of the Great Seal says mailed requests usually take 1 to 2 weeks and are processed in the order received. It does not offer expedited service.
Michigan law lets a notary take acknowledgments, administer oaths and witness signatures, so the notary notarizes the translator’s signature on the accuracy statement and does not vouch for the translation itself. Michigan notaries are also barred from advertising as a ‘notario publico’.
Its checklist says foreign documents must be translated or have English subheadings. A foreign driver’s license is treated as proof of driving experience only, not as proof of identity or legal presence.
Yes. Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) every foreign-language document sent to USCIS needs a full English translation certified as complete and accurate by a translator who also certifies competence in both languages, wherever the applicant lives.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Michigan Department of State: Document authentication and apostille
- Michigan Department of State: Document authentication FAQ
- Michigan Department of State: Notary FAQ
- MCL 55.291, notary prohibited conduct
- MCL 55.285, notarial acts
- MDHHS Vital Records
- Michigan Secretary of State: License and ID document requirements
- Michigan courts: Foreign Language Interpreter Certification Program
- 8 CFR 103.2, eCFR
- Census Reporter: Michigan profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
Get your Michigan 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.