Free Reference Resources
Straightforward answers for California Notary and international document work
Seven free tools we built for our own work — country directories, fee calculators, court references, and fillable forms — kept current so you get the right answer the first time.
DIAGNOSTIC WIZARD
Which Signing Do I Need?
Four questions that route you to the right service — Notary, Apostille, translation, recording, or a mix. Especially useful when the person requesting the document (attorney, foreign agency, court) hasn't clearly explained what they need.
- 4 questions
- 12 outcomes
- Instant answer
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS
Apostille Country Directory
Every country in the world, plus its current Hague Apostille Convention status. Search by country name, filter by Apostille-eligible vs embassy legalization, see the exact routing for each destination.
- 129 Hague members
- 70 non-Hague
- 2 pending accession
CALIFORNIA DOCUMENT RECORDING
County Recording Fee Calculator
Interactive fee calculator for LA, Orange, and Ventura counties. Every statutory line item — base recording, SB2, AB 1466, Real Estate Fraud Fee — with the code citation. Fees verified every four months.
- 3 counties
- 10+ fee categories
- Q1/Q3 auto-refresh
NON-HAGUE COUNTRIES
Consular Legalization Directory
70 countries that don't accept an Apostille. Each entry lists the LA-area consulate address, phone, hours, and required legalization steps — the multi-step chain most services never document.
- 70 countries
- 21 LA consulates
- 4-step average chain
DOCUMENT LIBRARY
California Notary Forms & Document Guides
Free fillable forms with plain-English guides — Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directive, minor travel consent, vehicle release, and more — ready to sign in front of a Notary.
- 7 forms
- Free downloads
- Ready to notarize
LA SUPERIOR COURT
LASC Filing Reference
Where to file the 10 most common LASC case types — probate, guardianship, name change, small claims, unlawful detainer, divorce, restraining orders, adoption. Current 2026 fees, e-filing rules, and which forms actually need notarization.
- 10 case types
- 29 courthouses
- 2026 fee schedule
JAIL & DETENTION SEARCH
Inmate Locator Directory
Every county sheriff's inmate locator we deal with in one place — Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, plus the federal BOP locator. Confirm where someone is housed before you schedule a visit or a jail signing.
- 6 counties
- 22 facilities
- 1 federal locator
Why we publish these
Our clients, attorneys, and title professionals ask the same questions every week: "Does Country X accept an Apostille?", "What will the county charge to record this deed?", "Which courthouse handles my case?" The answers change over time — countries join the Hague Convention, counties adjust fees, courts move departments. Most references we found were out of date, incomplete, or behind a paywall.
Our team needs current answers for internal work anyway. Publishing them as public tools is close to free for us and genuinely useful for anyone doing California document work. If you find an error or an outdated entry, tell us — we'll fix it and everyone benefits.
Every tool cites its source. The Hague country list draws from the HCCH status table, the fee calculator from the Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura County recorder fee pages, and the court and facility directories from the courts and sheriff departments themselves.
Need help with the actual work?
Apostilles for 129 countries, embassy legalization for the rest, and document recording across LA, Orange, and Ventura Counties.