Get an apostille or authentication certificate for a U.S. document

Do not send every document to the U.S. Department of State

A state or territory normally handles apostilles for its own birth certificates, court records, notarized documents, and other state-issued records. The federal Office of Authentications handles specified federal documents and some authentication chains.

1. Ask the receiving authority what it requires

Confirm the exact document, the country where it will be used, whether a translation is required, and whether the destination accepts an apostille under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. An apostille is generally for a Convention country. A document for a non-Convention country may need an authentication certificate and additional legalization by that country’s embassy or consulate.

2. Identify who issued the document

State, territory, county, city, court, or notary document: begin with the competent authority in the state or territory that issued or certified it. The authority may be a secretary of state, lieutenant governor, or another designated office.
Federal document: follow the U.S. Department of State requirements when the document bears the signature or seal of an eligible federal or consular official.
Document issued outside the United States: use the authentication process of the issuing country; the U.S. federal office does not replace that authority.

3. Obtain the correct original or certified copy

The receiving authority may require a recently issued certified copy with an original seal and signature. A plain photocopy is usually not a substitute. For federal apostille requests, the Department of State says the document must be an original or certified copy and must include a date of issuance. Do not notarize the original federal document merely to create an apostille request.

4. Follow the issuing jurisdiction’s sequence

State and territory procedures differ. Some documents must first be certified by a county clerk, court clerk, notary commissioning authority, or vital-records office before the state apostille authority can act. Use the official instructions for the issuing jurisdiction rather than a commercial apostille service.

5. Use the federal process only when it applies

The current Department of State request page directs federal customers to submit Form DS-4194, edition 01-2023, identify the country of use, include the documents, and pay the current fee. The official page lists mail and in-person options. Check the page immediately before filing because the form, fee, payment method, address, and processing time can change.

Current federal fee

As reviewed on August 2, 2026, the Office of Authentications lists a nonrefundable fee of $20 per document, not per page. State and territory fees are separate and vary by jurisdiction.

6. Review the returned certificate

Confirm that the certificate is attached to the correct document and that names, seals, and destination country are correct. An apostille or authentication certificate confirms the origin of a signature or seal; it does not prove that every statement in the underlying document is true or guarantee acceptance by the receiving authority.