{"stateName":"American Samoa","slug":"american-samoa","summary":"Separate American Samoa records from independent Samoa, obtain the proper certified record and resolve the territorial apostille packet with the designated authority before paying or mailing.","commonDocuments":"Vital records, court records, certified company documents, school records and private notarized documents require separate document checks.","timing":"No territorial apostille processing estimate, rush option or complete mail/return procedure was verified. Record procurement, authentication and transport must be planned separately.","caveat":"American Samoa is a U.S. territory; independent Samoa has its own authorities. HCCH lists the Secretary of American Samoa and Attorney General of American Samoa. Do not substitute Guam, Hawai\u02BBi, independent Samoa or an assumed federal office merely because they are easier to reach. [HCCH-01]","officialResourceName":"HCCH \u2014 American Samoa competent authority designation","officialResourceUrl":"https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities/details3/?aid=353","micrositeUrl":null,"lawResourceName":null,"lawResourceUrl":null,"secondaryLawResourceName":null,"secondaryLawResourceUrl":null,"legalNotes":["HCCH-01 | HCCH \u2014 United States competent authorities | official agency guidance or directory, not transaction acceptance evidence | checked 2026-10-28 | publication/revision: 2026-09-02; effective date not independently established | Other Subdivisions: American Samoa | https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities/details3/?aid=353","AS-01 | CDC \u2014 American Samoa vital records | official agency guidance or directory, not transaction acceptance evidence | checked 2026-10-28 | publication/revision: not stated; effective date not independently established | Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce; fees, identification and mail remarks | https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/american_samoa.htm"],"misconceptionTitle":null,"misconceptionIntro":null,"misconceptionNotes":null,"whatWeKnow":["Identify the territorial record and designated office \u2014 HCCH names the Secretary and Attorney General of American Samoa. Establish which designated office handles your document category and the current contact through the American Samoa government directory before shipping. This designation is not itself an order form, fee schedule or proof of today\u2019s counter availability. [HCCH-01]","Obtain birth and death records through Vital Statistics \u2014 CDC directs requests to American Samoa Government, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Vital Statistics, PO Box 6894, Pago Pago AS 96799. It lists $5 copies and $7 amendments, money order payable to Office of Vital Statistics/ASG and no personal checks. Its birth/death remarks require identification and a notarized letter before sending the record. Confirm present fees, eligibility and the letter\u2019s contents at (684) 633-1405/1406. [AS-01]","Distinguish marriage certificate, license and divorce decree \u2014 CDC lists $5 for a marriage copy, $20 for a marriage license and the same Vital Statistics custodian. It directs divorce copies to the High Court of American Samoa, listing $5. Confirm current court certification, payment and return instructions rather than buying a new marriage license when the recipient needs proof of an existing marriage. [AS-01]","Keep an application notarization separate from the issued record \u2014 A notarized request letter helps procure a birth/death record; it does not authenticate the later issued certificate. Practical preparation: ask the apostille authority which registrar signature or certification must appear on that certificate. Do not append your own notarial seal to an issued record as a substitute. [AS-01; HCCH-01]","Company and academic records: ask for the official output \u2014 Practical preparation: identify the territorial custodian of the company filing, or the school registrar responsible for a diploma/transcript. Ask for the exact certified record and have the apostille office confirm the signer and format before ordering. No official company/school apostille prerequisite schedule was verified; a customer photocopy or private company statement is not described here as an issuer-certified record. [HCCH-01]","Private documents: choose the act before signing \u2014 Practical preparation: explain the affidavit, power of attorney or company authorization and its destination requirements. Ask which local notarial certificate/original output the designated office accepts. No remote-notarization or e-apostille process was established by the checked material. The signer\u2019s residence alone does not determine the office that authenticates a notarial signature. [HCCH-01]","Resolve fees and the complete packet \u2014 Ask the designated office for its current request form or required letter, destination fields, prior certification, charge unit, total, payee and payment methods. The $5 vital-record copy charge is not an apostille fee. This guide supplies no invented territorial authentication price. [AS-01; HCCH-01]","Resolve mail, pickup and return before sending \u2014 Practical preparation: confirm the exact mailing/courier address, whether remote submissions are admitted, return envelope/label rules, authorized collector and any international delivery limitation. The CDC Vital Statistics PO Box is a procurement address; it is not established here as an apostille submission desk. [AS-01]","Example: American Samoa birth record, customer abroad \u2014 Obtain the certified record using the issuer\u2019s current entitlement/ID/letter process. Confirm apostille preparation with the designated territorial authority. Separately arrange the physical return and any onward shipment. One helper may coordinate several stages, but must identify what it actually handles and what remains unresolved. [AS-01; HCCH-01]","FAQ: Can independent Samoa issue this apostille? \u2014 Do not assume so. Independent Samoa and American Samoa are different jurisdictions. Start with the American Samoa designation for its territorial record; use the canonical foundations guide to check the actual destination relationship. A telephone preference or an informal refusal does not establish that the completed route is legally invalid. [HCCH-01]"],"whatMustBeConfirmed":["Designated authority: current contact, document scope, prior certification, request form, fee/payee/payment, mail/counter, return and timing remain unverified.","Vital Statistics/High Court: current eligibility, exact identification/letter contents, certification format, fees and delivery.","Company/school/private documents: competent signer and electronic/physical acceptance; no e-apostille availability established."],"sourceConfidence":"Dated official-source preparation guidance with explicit conflicts and unpublished facts; no completed-transaction acceptance evidence or independent final review claimed.","lastReviewed":"2026-10-28","contentUpdateUrl":null,"canIssueEApostille":null,"eApostilleCapabilityNote":"Electronic apostille availability was not established for this office/document. An electronic source file is not by itself an electronic apostille.","apostillePhysicalSecurityLevel":null,"apostillePhysicalSecurityFeatures":null,"apostillePhysicalSecurityNote":"Keep the completed official attachment intact. Ask the issuing office to resolve an attachment or signature concern; do not detach or add seals yourself.","targetedLawReviewDate":null,"targetedLawReviewScope":null}