A New York Requirement You Cannot Ignore
The "County Clerk Step"
New York State Secretary of State DOES NOT keep records of individual Notaries, City Clerks, or Health Registrars. They ONLY keep records of County Clerks.
Therefore, BEFORE you use this form:
- Your document must be authenticated by the County Clerk of the county where it was issued/notarized.
- Only AFTER the County Clerk attaches their page/seal can you send it to the State.
Special Rules for NYC Documents
If your document is from the 5 boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island), extra steps apply:
- Birth/Death Certificates: Must be the "Long Form" with a Letter of Exemplification attached. You must request this specifically when ordering the copy.
- Marriage Certificates: Must be the "Extended Form" (usually blue/color border) for apostille use from the City Clerk.
- Divorce Decrees: Must be a Certified Copy from the Supreme Court, then authenticated by the County Clerk.
Fill Out Form DOS-1917-F (Step-by-Step)
Section 1 — Requestor Information
This is where they will mail your documents back.
- Name (Person or Company)
- Address (P.O. Boxes are accepted)
- Email Address (use a real one — they validly use this for questions)
Section 2 — Document Details
List the country where the document will be used.
Multiple Countries? If you have documents for different countries, group them clearly or use separate forms to avoid confusion.
Section 3 — Payment Calculation
New York charges a flat fee.
Method: Check or Money Order ONLY.
Payable to: "N.Y.S. Department of State"
NO CASH. NO CREDIT CARDS (for mail requests).
Mailing Checklist
Assemble in this order:
- Completed Form DOS-1917-F
- Your Document(s) — With County Clerk authentication attached
- Payment — Check/Money Order for $10 × Quantity
- Return Envelope — Self-addressed, postage prepaid (FedEx/UPS/USPS)
Common Rejection Reasons (NY-Specific)
- Missing County Clerk Auth — Sending a Notary or City Clerk signature directly to Albany (Automatic Rejection).
- Missing Exemplification — NYC Birth Cert without the Letter of Exemplification (County Clerk will refuse it).
- Wrong Payee — Check must be to "N.Y.S. Department of State".
- Short Form Birth Cert — Sending the "wallet size" or short form (Must be Long Form).
Where to Mail
Division of Licensing Services
Apostille and Authentication Unit
P.O. Box 22001
Albany, NY 12201-2001