JUNE 25, 2007

Popular document certification
service expanded to all SUPER!Centers

Certifying documents for international matters such as foreign adoptions is more convenient than ever for Michigan residents, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land announced today.

The Secretary of State's Office has more than doubled the number of offices that offer walk-in document certification as part of Land's efforts to bring services closer to customers' communities. Now SUPER!Centers in Genesee, Macomb and western Wayne counties, as well as the Marquette County PLUS Office can certify documents for use in foreign countries.

"We created our SUPER!Centers to offer convenient Saturday hours and make the services we offer locally available," Land said. "We're pleased to build on that success by providing more customers with walk-in access to document certification so they can quickly complete their business with foreign governments. Most people using this service are eagerly seeking foreign adoptions so the last thing they want is to wait for documents in the mail."

Already, the SUPER!Centers in Detroit and Grand Rapids, and the Office of the Great Seal in Lansing offer walk-in document certification. People also can send their documents

through the mail to Lansing to be certified. Statewide, the department each year certifies nearly 50,000 documents, of which about 80 percent are adoption-related.

Land is pleased to be able to offer document certification services regionally across the state. In November 2005, the Detroit New Center SUPER!Center was the first office outside of Lansing to offer documentation services. The services proved to be very popular as more than 16,750 certifications were conducted in that office in 2006 alone. Land then expanded these services to West Michigan through the Grand Rapids SUPER!Centers location in late 2006.

The types of documents eligible for verification by the Secretary of State include notarized documents or certified copies of records, such as birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, that are issued by the Michigan state registrar, a county clerk or deputy clerk.

Certification attests to the authenticity of the signature of the official who signed a document and the capacity in which that official acted. Where appropriate, the identity of a seal or stamp that a document bears also may be certified. The cost is $1 for each document requiring certification, and payment is by cash, check or money order. SUPER!Centers also accept the Discover credit card.

Land reminds residents that they can obtain complete information about document certification and all other services through the department's Web site, www.Michigan.gov/sos. This site also helps customers determine fees and requirements before they visit a branch office. In addition, the online Branch Office Locator provides maps to local offices as well as information about hours and services.

Document Certification Locations

New Locations:

• Clinton Township SUPER!Center
  37015 Gratiot Ave.
  Clinton Township
• Flint Area SUPER!Center
  G-5512 Fenton Road
  Flint
• Livonia Area SUPER!Center
  17176 Farmington Road
  Livonia
• Marquette County PLUS
  2025 U.S. 41 W
  Marquette

Existing Locations:

• Office of the Great Seal
  108 South Washington Square
  Suite 1
  Lansing
• Detroit New Center SUPER!Center
  3046 W. Grand Blvd L650
  Cadillac Place
  Detroit
• Grand Rapids Area SUPER!Center
  3665 28th Street SE
  Centerpointe Mall 6-B
  Grand Rapids
• By mail: Michigan Department of State
  Office of the Great Seal
  7064 Crowner Drive
  Lansing, MI 48918

  Office hours:

• M,T,Th,F 9 a.m - 5 p.m.
  Wed 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• All SUPER!Centers also open:
  Sat 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• Lansing Office of the Great Seal
  Open M-F 8 a.m. - noon
  1 p.m. - 5 p.m.