Do I really need a Registered Agent?

Yes. Every state requires every LLC, Corporation, and similar entity to designate a Registered Agent. Without one in good standing, the state may suspend or dissolve your entity, and lawsuits can be served by publication, which is hard to defend.

Can I be my own Registered Agent?

In most states, yes, but it is rarely a good idea. Your name and home address go on the public state record, you have to be available at that address during business hours every day, and Service of Process gets delivered at potentially awkward times. A professional Registered Agent solves all three problems.

What is Service of Process?

Service of Process is the formal delivery of a lawsuit, subpoena, or similar legal document to your business. Missing service can result in a default judgment against you. Service is one of the main reasons a reliable Registered Agent matters.

How quickly will I see mail when it arrives?

Mail received by 4 PM local time is opened, scanned, and uploaded to your account by 6 PM. Service of Process and other urgent documents trigger an immediate SMS and email alert. You can also choose to have originals forwarded weekly.

Does this include foreign qualification?

Foreign qualification (registering to do business in a state other than your formation state) is a separate filing, but we pair it with Registered Agent service in that state automatically. On Growth and Enterprise, both services are included at no additional cost.

What happens if I have multiple entities?

On Starter, you pay per entity per state. On Growth and Enterprise, all of your entities in all of your states are covered under one subscription. The Compliance Suite tracks every filing across every entity from one dashboard.

What does Apostille involve?

This page covers Apostille — including what it is, who needs it, how to file or apply, typical costs, deadlines, and how File.Business handles it for you end-to-end.

How much does Apostille cost with File.Business?

Pricing is shown on this page. We always disclose state filing fees separately from our service fee, with no surprise add-ons at checkout.

How long does Apostille take?

Turnaround depends on the state agency. Standard processing typically takes a few business days; rush options are available where the agency offers expedited service.

Is this service available in all 50 states?

File.Business handles filings across all 50 US states and DC. State-specific rules, fees, and forms are built into the workflow so you don't have to research them yourself.

Home/Services/Apostille + Certified Documents

New · Concierge service

47 states same-week · 190+ countries served

Apostille and certified docs. Anywhere in the US, same week.

Banking abroad. International contracts. Foreign-country business registration. M&A diligence. Visa applications. Each requires US business documents (Certificate of Good Standing, certified Articles, certified resolutions) certified by Apostille or authentication. We pull the documents from every state, route them through the Secretary of State for Apostille, and ship anywhere in the world. Same-week turnaround in 47 states.

Start your apostille

State document pulled freshSOS Apostille processedPDF + physical copyInternational courier available

190+ countries served Same-week in 47 states 24-48hr rush in 5 major states

All-in$199

standard turnaround

Business days5-7

from order

DeliveryPDF + Mail

to any country

Document pulled Mar 14Wyoming SOS · Certificate of GSPulled

Apostille processed Mar 18Wyoming SOS · sealedApostilled

Shipped to UAE Mar 19DHL Express · tracking providedIn transit

How it works

How it works Document to country, end to end.

We coordinate pull, certify, Apostille, ship.

Tell us the document and country

What document you need and what country it is going to. We confirm Hague Convention vs. authentication path.

We pull from the state

Document pulled fresh from state Secretary of State. Certified copy if applicable.

Apostille or authentication

Routed through the state SOS for Apostille (Hague countries) or US State Department + embassy (non-Hague).

Shipped to you or directly abroad

PDF emailed within 24 hours of Apostille; physical copy shipped to your US address or directly to your foreign recipient.

Documents we handle

Every business document, certified. In full.

Certificate of Good Standing

Certified by Secretary of State. Required for foreign bank account opening, foreign business registration, M&A.

Certified Articles of Incorporation

Certified copy of your formation document with state seal. Required for foreign legal proceedings and major contracts.

Certified Operating Agreement

Certified by notary in your state, then Apostilled by Secretary of State. Required for foreign banking.

Board / Member resolutions

Certified copies of corporate or LLC resolutions. Required for major foreign transactions.

Power of Attorney

For appointing foreign representation. Notarized and Apostilled.

IRS Form 6166

US residency certification. Required for treaty benefit claims in foreign countries. We file Form 8802 and shepherd through IRS.

Pricing

Per-document pricing.

All-in: state fees, our service, and international shipping where applicable.

Standard

$199/document

5-7 business day turnaround in most states.

Document pulled from state
Apostille certification
Certified copy delivered
US shipping included
PDF + physical copy

Order now

Multi-document

$149/document (3+)

Volume pricing for bundles of 3+ documents.

Everything in Standard
Volume discount per document
Coordinated shipping (one package)
Most common for M&A diligence

Order bundle

Rush · 24-48hr

$499/document

Major states only (DE, NY, CA, TX, FL).

Same-day pull, 24-48hr Apostille
Overnight US shipping
International courier (DHL, FedEx Intl)
For time-critical bank openings

Order rush

FAQ

About Apostille and certified documents.

What is an Apostille?

An Apostille is an authentication of a document by the Secretary of State for use in countries that joined the Hague Apostille Convention. For non-Hague countries, the process is called authentication and adds steps (often including US State Department and the destination country embassy).

How long does it take?

Standard turnaround is 5-7 business days. Major states (Delaware, New York, California, Texas, Florida) support 24-48 hour rush at a premium. Non-Hague country authentication adds 1-3 weeks for State Department and embassy.

Which countries require Apostille?

120+ countries are in the Hague Convention. Common examples: most of Europe, UK, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Brazil. Non-Hague countries (require authentication): China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia.

Do you ship internationally?

Yes. International courier (DHL, FedEx International) included on Rush tier; available as add-on at Standard.

What if I need this urgently?

Rush tier supports 24-48 hour turnaround in major states. Tell us the deadline at checkout; we will confirm feasibility within an hour.

Can you handle authentication for non-Hague countries?

Yes. The process is longer (1-3 additional weeks for US State Department + embassy legalization) and pricier, but we handle the full chain.

Same-week turnaround

Order an Apostille now.

Tell us the document, the country, and the deadline. We confirm feasibility and pricing in under an hour.

Order now Talk to a specialist

Bundle & save

Recommended add-ons

Most customers add these to keep their business compliant year-round.

Registered Agent

Most ordered

Required for every registered business entity in every state.

$99 /year Add →

Compliance Monitoring

Best value

Track every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline.

$19 /month Add →

Annual Report Filing

Recommended

Auto-file your state annual report. Never miss a deadline.

$99 /year Add →

Why File.Business

Premium compliance, no service-fee markup.

Trust you can verify

SOC 2 Type II audited platform. 220,000+ businesses served. 60-day money-back on service fees. State fees passed through at cost with no hidden markup. Explicit AUP on restricted industries.

A compliance partner, not a transaction

Most providers go quiet after checkout. We auto-track every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline across your entities. The Business OS dashboard keeps your compliance score visible year-round.

Premium experience competitors cannot match

Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state or federal filings. Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state filings.

I'm starting something

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Something is changing

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I manage multiple entities

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I want intelligence

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I run money & people

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I want to learn

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