International students and students seeking work in foreign government agencies may be asked by governments or prospective employers to provide certification of their credentials from the United States. Certification means that an affidavit of a document’s authenticity is obtained from either the creator of the document or an official representative of the agency that issued the document.
Notarizations. The Registrar’s Office provides notarization of official CGU transcripts and CGU diplomas as needed. Per state regulations, only original documents may be used in the notary verification process.
Bring the original document to the Registrar’s Office for notarization. If an original transcript or diploma is not available, you must order an official transcript or order a replacement diploma. CGU will not affix a notary seal directly on the diploma or transcript. A photocopy will be made and used with a sworn statement of authenticity by the registrar. Copies may only be made from original documents that have been submitted and have been determined to be authentic by the registrar.
There is no fee for a notarization of transcript or diploma; please allow 2 weeks after providing the original documents for the notarization to be completed.
Apostilles. An apostille is a validation or verification of a previously issued notarization. In California, the apostille is a service of the State of California Department of State. Students and/or requesting parties must submit notarized documents directly to the State of California for affixing of an apostille. The State’s website on notary authentication provides complete instructions and fees for this service.
The procedure instructs consumers to mail documents to the Office of the Secretary of State in Sacramento (phone 916-653-3595). For those who are geographically in southern California, you may also contact the Office of the Registrar/Recorder for the County of Los Angeles (12400 Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650, phone 800-815-2666) and the Los Angeles Regional Office of the Secretary of State for the State of California (300 South Spring Street, Room 12513, Los Angeles, CA 90013) for assistance.