Paper Diplomas & Certificates

All requests for copies of the transcript or diploma of a deceased student must be made in writing, addressed to the Registrar, and include as much of the following student information as possible:

1. Student’s name while enrolled (please include any known former names, if applicable).
2. Student ID number (if known), or last four digits of the Social Security Number.
3. Student’s date of birth.
4. Student’s dates of enrollment.
5. Death certificate (photocopy is preferred) or obituary notice; please note that obituary notices can only be used to request a diploma, and we will accept diploma requests from immediate family members; an obituary notice can be used as documentation in lieu of a death certificate if the individual requesting the diploma is listed in the published notice.

The requestor must also provide the following personal information with the written request:

1. Name of requestor.
2. Mailing address of the requestor.
3. E-mail address of requestor.
4. Phone number of requestor.
5. Documentation of the relationship of the requestor to the deceased (e.g., birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.)
   
6. Reason for the request.
7. Signature.
8. Date of request.

Photocopies of diplomas are preferred so that the original diploma does not get lost or damaged. If students are not in possession of their original diplomoa or do not have a copy of their original diploma, they may purchase a replacement diploma. Please note there is an additional fee for each replacement diploma, and orders will take an additional week to arrive in our office. Diploma apostille can only be provided if the diploma is printed with the student’s legal full name.

Include the following: Name, date of birth, phone number, email, country where apostille is to be used.

• Mail

        University at Buffalo
        Office of the Registrar
        Registrar at 1Capen
        Attn: Apostille
        Buffalo, NY 14260

• In person
  • North Campus: 1Capen
  • South Campus: 1Diefendorf

• Provide the original signature of the Registrar administration on documents.
  
• The notary public attends to the authenticity of the signature appearing on the transcript(s) and/or original or duplicate diploma(s).
• The transcript and/or diploma will be embossed with the University at Buffalo’s raised seal.
• Documents will be mailed back to the requestor.

Send documents to:

Erie County Clerk’s Office
92 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York 14202

After documents have been notarized, the notary public signatures must be authenticated by the Erie Country Clerk’s Office.

There is a $3 fee per authentication. For example, if a student requests a transcript and a diploma, they will pay a $6 fee to the Erie County Clerk’s Office.

A money order or certified check made out to the Erie County Clerk must be provided to process the request. There is a $3.00 fee per document. Only money orders or certified checks are acceptable by the Erie County Clerk and all fees must be paid in U.S. dollars.

Send all documents received back from the Erie County Clerk, including the completed Apostille Authentication Request Form, to the New York (NY) Department of State.

The mailing address will vary depending on your payment type. Please review the NY Department of State Authentication Request Form for the correct address.

The NY Department of State requires a $10 fee per document. For example, if a transcript and diploma are requested, a $20 fee is payable to the NY Department of State.

Although processing times vary at different offices, it is estimated that this process will take four to five weeks to complete. The apostille process is as follows:

1. Student sends request for apostille to the Office of the Registrar, transcript request form and copy of diploma to the Office of the Registrar.
   
2. UB notarizes document(s) and mails them back to the student; this is the end of processing for the Office of the Registrar.
3. Student mails documents to the Erie County Clerk’s Office.
   
4. Erie County Clerk returns the documents to the student.
5. Student mails document(s) to the New York Department of State for final authentication.
6. New York Department of State returns documents with apostille to student.