The Arizona Statement of Effect Apostle (also known as an Authentication Certificate) is an official document issued by the Arizona Secretary of State’s office that verifies the authenticity of a public document. This document is commonly used to authenticate public and private documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, power of attorney documents, diplomas, and other legal documents for international use. It is used to ensure the documents are valid for use in foreign countries that are members of The Hague Convention. There are two types of Arizona Statement of Effect Apostle: original and certified copies. An original Apostle is issued for an original document, and a certified copy Apostle is issued for a copy of an original document. Each type of Apostle includes the signature of the Arizona Secretary of State, and is stamped with a gold seal.