Federal jurisdiction
The U.S. Department of State is a federal executive department. Most public-facing paperwork is handled by a specific bureau or office, not by the department's general headquarters.
What the Department of State manages
- U.S. foreign policy, diplomatic missions, embassies, and consulates.
- U.S. passport services through the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
- Visa services and certain services for U.S. citizens outside the United States.
- Authentication certificates for eligible federal documents and other documents submitted for use abroad through the Office of Authentications.
- Official international travel information and country-specific consular information.
What it does not manage
- Immigration benefits inside the United States, such as naturalization or replacing a Green Card. Those applications generally belong to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- Airport security screening or REAL ID enforcement at checkpoints. Those functions belong to the Transportation Security Administration.
- State-issued birth, marriage, divorce, or death certificates. The state, territory, county, or other records office that holds the record issues the copy.
- State apostilles for state or local documents. The competent authority is normally designated by the state or territory.
How to find the correct State Department office
Use the service-specific portal. Passport Services, visa offices, embassies and consulates, and the Office of Authentications have different instructions, fees, forms, and contact channels. A general State Department contact page is not a filing destination.
Official service channels
- U.S. Department of State
- Department bureaus and offices
- Travel.State.Gov consular services
- Official U.S. passport hub
Related WhatDoIFile resources
- Bureau of Consular Affairs
- Office of Authentications
- Get or renew a U.S. passport
- Request copies of U.S. passport records
- Find who issues an apostille for a U.S. birth certificate