The apostille request form is the cover form the Arkansas Secretary of State uses for requests to authenticate public documents that will be used in another country. It is printed as Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form, form ARF-01, and you submit it together with your documents. It records who is asking, where the documents should be returned, the destination country, the service chosen and the payment. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the agency publishes the original at sos.arkansas.gov.
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What is ARF-01?
The Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form (ARF-01) is the Arkansas Secretary of State form you send with public documents to ask for an apostille or a certification so the documents can be used abroad.
The Business and Commercial Services (BCS) Division of the Secretary of State has been designated the Competent Authority for the State of Arkansas. According to the agency, it is the only Arkansas official that may issue apostilles and certifications on public documents to be used abroad. The agency also states that it will not authenticate documents that do not comply with its standards.
The form asks for:
- the requestor's name, the organization (if applicable) and address;
- a return mail address, or a box to say you will pick up the documents;
- daytime telephone number and email address;
- the country where the documents will be used;
- the service, apostille or certification, with the number of documents;
- the form of payment and, for card payments, the card details and a payment authorization.
The form says the documents are not valid for use inside the United States. The agency's page also says that the requesting party must find out which type of authenticating document the destination country requires. The same page links to an online option to prepare a request, an Apostille & Certification brochure, a list of Hague Convention countries and territories, and a tool to verify an apostille.
Who needs to file ARF-01?
Anyone who needs Arkansas public documents authenticated for use in another country submits this form with those documents. That can be an individual or an organization; the form has a line for the name of the organization, if applicable.
Points that decide whether this is the right form:
- The documents must be meant for use outside the United States. The form asks for the destination country and states that the result is not valid for use inside the United States.
- You must choose one service, apostille or certification, not both. The agency says it is the requesting party's responsibility to determine which type of authenticating document the destination country requires. The agency lists the countries and territories that are party to the Hague Convention on its website.
- Documents must meet the agency's standards. The Arkansas Secretary of State will not authenticate documents that do not comply, and the agency tells requestors to read its Apostille & Certification brochure first.
The form does not describe signing or filing on someone else's behalf, apart from the card payment authorization signed by the cardholder.
When to file ARF-01
Submit the form whenever you are ready to send documents for authentication, because the form says to submit it with your documents. No separate deadline is printed on it, and no processing time is stated on the form or on the agency's apostille page.
Before you send it, confirm which type of authentication the destination country requires and that your documents meet the agency's standards, since the Arkansas Secretary of State will not authenticate documents that do not comply. If you want to pick up the documents instead of having them mailed, check the pick-up box on the form.
Documents you need
- The public documents you want authenticated: the form says to submit it with your documents, and they must comply with the agency's standards or they will not be authenticated.
- Payment for the service chosen: a check drawn on a U.S. bank or a money order from a U.S. bank, payable to Arkansas Secretary of State, or card details with a signed payment authorization.
- Cardholder's signature on the payment authorization, only if you pay by credit or debit card.
- The signer's printed name, only if the name on the credit or debit card is a corporation or other business entity.
How to fill out ARF-01
Enter the requestor's name
Write the Requestor's Name and, if applicable, the Name of Organization. Print or type, as the form asks.
Enter the requestor's address
Fill in the Address line for the requestor.
Choose how to receive your documents
Under Return Mail Address, enter the name, street address or P.O. box, city, state and ZIP code where you want the documents sent. If you will collect them yourself, check I would like to pick up my documents.
Add phone number and email
Enter a daytime telephone number and an email address.
Name the country of use
Write the country where the documents will be used. The form notes the documents are not valid for use inside the United States.
Choose apostille or certification
In Fees Calculation, use the Apostille line or the Certification line, never both. Enter the number of documents and the net total.
Enter the fee amount due
Copy the net total from the line you used to Fee Amount Due. Confirm current per-document amounts with the agency.
Select the form of payment
Check Check drawn on U.S. bank, Money Order from a U.S. bank (payable to Arkansas Secretary of State), or the card type: Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover.
Complete the card details
For card payments, enter the name as it appears on the card, billing address, city, state, ZIP code, card number, CVV# and expiration. A convenience fee is added to card transactions.
Sign the payment authorization
For card payments, the cardholder signs and dates the authorization. If the card is in a business entity's name, print the signer's name.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check every entry, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and assemble it with your documents and payment as described under How to submit.
How to submit ARF-01
You can send the form with your documents by mail or deliver it in person; the agency's page also links to a tool to prepare an apostille or certification request online.
- Mail or in person: Arkansas Secretary of State, 1401 W Capitol, Suite 250, Little Rock, AR 72201, or Arkansas Secretary of State, 300 N College, Suite 201F, Fayetteville AR 72701. The form lists both as the location for mailed requests and in-person deliveries.
- Online preparation: see the Prepare an Apostille/Certification request online link on the agency's Apostille / Certification page.
- Questions: the form prints the office telephone number 501-682-3409.
A fee applies for each document. Pay by check drawn on a U.S. bank or by money order from a U.S. bank, both payable to Arkansas Secretary of State, or by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. A convenience fee is added to credit and debit card transactions. The form lists the fee per document; confirm the current amounts with the agency.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Checking both the Apostille and Certification lines; the form says you must choose one or the other, not both.
- Leaving the destination country blank, or naming the United States; the form asks for the country where the documents will be used and says they are not valid for use inside the United States.
- Guessing the type of authentication instead of checking what the destination country requires; the agency says this is the requesting party's responsibility.
- Sending the form without the documents; the form says to submit it with your documents.
- Making a check or money order payable to someone other than Arkansas Secretary of State, or using one not drawn on a U.S. bank.
- Paying by card without the cardholder's signature or without the card number, CVV and expiration the form asks for.
- Omitting the signer's printed name when the card is in the name of a corporation or other business entity.
- Submitting documents that do not meet the agency's standards; the Arkansas Secretary of State will not authenticate them.
- Leaving both the return address and the pick-up box empty, so the agency has no instruction for returning the documents.
Frequently asked questions
What is the apostille request form for Arkansas?
It is form ARF-01, the Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form of the Arkansas Secretary of State. You submit it with public documents to request an apostille or certification so the documents can be used in another country.
Can I fill out the apostille request form online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF does not file anything with the Arkansas Secretary of State; you send the form and your documents by mail or in person. The agency also links to its own online preparation tool.
Where do I send the Arkansas apostille request form?
Send it with your documents to Arkansas Secretary of State, 1401 W Capitol, Suite 250, Little Rock, AR 72201, or 300 N College, Suite 201F, Fayetteville AR 72701. The form lists both as locations for mailed requests and in-person deliveries.
What is the difference between an apostille and a certification on this form?
The form has separate lines for each and says to choose one, not both. The agency says it is the requesting party's responsibility to find out which type the destination country requires; the agency lists Hague Convention countries on its website.
How can I pay for an apostille request in Arkansas?
Pay by check drawn on a U.S. bank or a money order from a U.S. bank, payable to Arkansas Secretary of State, or by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. A convenience fee is added to card payments. The form lists the per-document fees.
Can I use an Arkansas apostille inside the United States?
No. The form asks for the country where your documents will be used and states they are not valid for use inside the United States.
Can I pick up my documents instead of having them mailed?
Yes. The form has a box, I would like to pick up my documents, next to the Return Mail Address section. Otherwise enter the name and address where the documents should be sent.
Who issues apostilles in Arkansas?
The Business and Commercial Services (BCS) Division of the Arkansas Secretary of State, designated the Competent Authority for the state. The agency says it is the only Arkansas official that may issue apostilles and certifications on public documents for use abroad.
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