Do you need a Certificate of No Record of Marriage Apostille?
Note: This document is commonly referred to as a Single Status Affidavit in the United Sates.
If you are planning to get married in another country who is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you will be asked to apostille this document. In some countries, you may also be required to provide this documentation for employment.
This document may also be referred to as the following:
- No Record of Marriage
- Certificate of Freedom to Marry
- Certificate of No Impediment for Marriage
- Affidavit of Single Status
- Affidavit of Marriageability
- Certificate of No Public Record
Here is an example of a single status affidavit you can write yourself. You can also find some samples online but this is typically what’s required.
Before you write your own Single Status Affidavit and have it notarized, you’ll want to check with the local County Clerk’s office if they can provide you a document that states your single.
The first step is to contact the local County Clerk’s office to request a document that states you are currently not married (AKA: Single Status). Some County Clerk offices may refer to this document as a “no record of marriage” instead of a “single status” (See list above). Most all County Clerk offices can provide you this document so please be sure to speak to a supervisor if you are told otherwise. A document issued from the County Clerk’s office does not require notarization.
If the County Clerk is unable to assist you and you are in the United States, you can use the sample above to write your own single status affidavit. Basically, you are writing a sworn statement stating that you are currently not married to another person in the United States. Be sure to have this document signed and notarized before you mail it in to our office. You should also check with the people/country requesting your single status if they will accept a sworn affidavit directly from you.
If you are outside of the United States, the local US Embassy or US Consulate office should be able to assist you in completing a single status and also having it signed and notarized. Because you will be visiting U.S. Federal Government office, this document can then only be apostilled through our Washington DC apostille office.
Here is an example of US Embassy or US Consulate Single Status Affidavit:
Here are a few frequently asked questions…
Question: Who can issue the single status affidavit?
Answer: The first step is to contact the local County Clerk’s office to request a document that states you are currently not married (AKA: Single Status). Some County Clerk offices may refer to this document as a “no record of marriage” instead of a “single status”. Most all County Clerk offices can provide you this document so please be sure to speak to a supervisor if you are told otherwise. A document issued from the County Clerk’s office does not require notarization.
If the County Clerk is unable to assist you and you are in the United States, you can use the sample above to write your own single status affidavit. Basically, you are writing a sworn statement stating that you are currently not married to another person in the United States. Be sure to have this document signed and notarized before you mail it in to our office. You should also check with the people requesting your single status if they will accept a sworn affidavit directly from you.
If you are outside of the United States, the local US Embassy or US Consulate office should be able to assist you in completing a single status and also having it signed and notarized. Because you will be visiting U.S. Federal Government office, this document can then only be apostilled through our Washington DC apostille office.
Question: How old can my single status affidavit be?
Answer: We recommend that your single status affidavit be recently issued. Most countries want to make sure you are not married in another country so the date of this document should be within 90 days. Some countries may even ask for this document to be issued within the past 30 days. We recommend that you check with the country requesting your document on how old this document can be.
Question: Why do I need to apostille a single status affidavit?
Answer: If you are planning to get married in another country, they want to make sure you are currently not married to another in the country you are from.
Question: Can I apostille my California single status affidavit in New York?
Answer: No. A single status affidavit can only receive the apostille from the State of issue. For example, a single status affidavit issued from Los Angeles County can only receive an apostille from the State of California. Another example is if your single status affidavit was signed and notarized at a U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate outside of the USA, this document can only receive an apostille through the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C.
Question: I am currently outside of the USA, where can I get my single status affidavit?
Answer: Please contact the local U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate office near you. You will need to have a single status affidavit completed and notarized by the U.S. Federal notary who is located there. Once notarized, mail in this document with our Washington DC apostille order forms to our Washington DC office.
Obtaining an apostille can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the Apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!
What US State are your documents from?
Our staff is available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow-step-by-step instructions. Please call us at 1-800-903-2470.
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