Federal Authentication & Apostille
Some documents can’t be apostilled by any state. If your document was issued by a federal agency, only the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications in Washington DC can apostille it. We keep an office in DC and hand-deliver federal documents there. No mailing, no waiting behind the national mail queue, no guessing where your paperwork is.
Who issued the document decides who apostilles it. A birth certificate comes from a state, so the state apostilles it. An FBI background check comes from a federal agency, so it goes to the State Department. Sending a document to the wrong office is the most common reason for weeks of lost time. If you’re not sure which yours is, send us a scan and we’ll tell you in one email.
FBI background checks, the most requested by far; Certificates of Naturalization and citizenship documents; IRS documents like residency certifications (Form 6166); Consular Reports of Birth Abroad; U.S. District Court documents; and USDA, FDA, and Patent and Trademark Office certifications.
Each of these has its own preparation requirements. Naturalization certificates in particular have copy restrictions: federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1426) makes it a crime to photograph or reproduce one without authority, which is why the certificate itself carries that warning. A notarized photocopy won’t satisfy the Office of Authentications; what’s needed is a certified copy issued through USCIS. We’ll walk you through the right way to prepare yours before anything gets submitted.
The Office of Authentications works through mailed submissions in the order they arrive, and that queue is long. We deliver documents to the office directly and collect them when they’re done. Your document is never sitting in an unopened mail bin, and if the office flags an issue we hear about it in person and fix it fast.
Standard federal processing takes 6-8 weeks. That’s the State Department’s pace and no service can honestly promise faster on the standard track. Expedited service returns in about 2-3 weeks. Pricing is $200 for standard and $300 for expedited per document; the full list is on our rates page.
What is a federal apostille?
An apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State for documents issued by federal agencies, valid in every Hague Convention country.
Can my state apostille an FBI background check?
No. Federal documents can only be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State. A state office will reject them.
How long does a federal apostille take?
6-8 weeks standard, roughly 2-3 weeks expedited. Timelines are set by the State Department and we quote them honestly.
Do I need to notarize a federal document first?
No. Federal documents skip notarization and go straight to the Office of Authentications.
Start your order at /order/ or call (202) 770-0470 (DC office).
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