How to Get an Apostille in the US: Offices, Fees and Steps

An apostille is a certificate that lets a U.S. public document be accepted in another country that belongs to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. It confirms who signed the document, in what official capacity, and the seal or stamp on it. It does not confirm that what the document says is true.

Getting one is mostly a matter of sending the document to the right office, in the right form, with the right first step. The office depends on who issued the document, and the steps depend on the kind of document and the country where you will use it.

Information last verified on October 24, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers U.S. public documents (state, District of Columbia and federal) that will be used abroad. It does not cover documents issued by other countries or by U.S. territories.

What an apostille is, and what it is not

The Apostille Convention, adopted at The Hague in 1961, replaced the old chain of embassy certifications with a single certificate. Article 5 says the certificate certifies "the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears." Between member countries, it is the only formality a country may require for that purpose (Article 3).

An apostille is not a translation, a notarization or a ruling that the document is valid. The U.S. Department of State says the same about its own certificates: "Authentication does not verify the contents of a document."

Anyone holding the document can ask for one. Article 5 lets the certificate be issued "at the request of the person who has signed the document or of any bearer."

Apostille or authentication: it depends on the country

If the country where you will use the document is a party to the Convention and the Convention is in force there, an apostille is enough. Our list of Hague apostille countries shows every party and the date the Convention took effect there, drawn from the Hague Conference's own status table.

A country that has joined but where the Convention has not yet taken effect still needs the older process until that date. Thailand, for example, has acceded, with entry into force on February 28, 2027.

For a country outside the Convention, the process has three stops:

1. For a state document, the state office issues a certificate of authentication instead of an apostille (some states now issue one certificate for every destination). A federal document skips this step.
2. The U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, authenticates the document or the state's certificate. Its page tells state-document holders to "Get your document authenticated by the state who issued it" and then submit Form DS-4194 with fees.
3. The destination country's embassy or consulate in the United States legalizes it. That country sets the rules, fees and timing for this last step, so ask it before you send anything.

Who issues apostilles in the United States

The U.S. list of competent authorities filed with the Hague Conference splits the work four ways:

• State and District of Columbia documents: the designated office of the state that issued the document, "generally the state Secretary of State's office." Several states use another office: the Lieutenant Governor in Alaska, Hawaii and Utah, the Secretary of the Commonwealth in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, the Treasury's Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services in New Jersey, and the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority in Georgia.
• Federal agency documents: the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications. Its examples include FBI background checks, federal court documents, naturalization certificates and IRS certifications of U.S. tax residency.
• Federal court documents: the clerks of the federal courts can issue apostilles on their own courts' documents, and the State Department's Office of Authentications also lists federal court documents among the federal documents it handles.
• Consular Reports of Birth, Death and Marriage Abroad: the State Department's Passport Services, Vital Records Section.

The rule that trips people up most: the office is chosen by where the document was issued or notarized, not by where you live now. A birth certificate from Texas goes to Texas even if you live in Ohio, and a power of attorney notarized in Florida goes to Florida.

How to get an apostille, step by step

1. Find the issuing office. Look at who signed and sealed the document: a state registrar, a county clerk, a court clerk, a notary, or a federal agency.
2. Get the document into the form the office accepts. Vital records usually need to be certified copies, and some states accept only copies issued by the state vital records office or ask for a recently issued copy. Court records need the court clerk's certification. A diploma or transcript usually needs a school official's statement signed before a notary.
3. Add any county step. In some states a notarized document must first be certified by a county clerk or clerk of court, who confirms the notary's commission. New York, Maryland and Tennessee are examples; the finder lists each state's rule.
4. Send the request. Use the office's request form if it has one, name the country where you will use the document, and include the fee. Most offices take mail, many take walk-ins or appointments, and a few take online orders.
5. For a country outside the Convention, keep going. Send the state certificate on to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, then to the destination country's embassy or consulate.

Common documents

Birth, death and marriage certificates

Order a certified copy from the office that keeps the record, then send it to the issuing state's apostille office. Some states want the copy to come from the state vital records office rather than a county or city office, and some want a copy issued recently or signed by the current registrar. Our guides to birth certificates, marriage and divorce records and death records show where to order in each state.

Court documents and divorce decrees

Ask the clerk of the court for a certified copy. Some offices warn against notarizing a court clerk's or judge's signature, because the office certifies the clerk's or judge's own signature and seal.

Notarized documents

Powers of attorney, affidavits, consent letters for children traveling abroad and signed translations are usually notarized, and the apostille then certifies the notary. The notary must hold a commission in the state whose office you use, and some states add the county clerk step described above.

Diplomas and transcripts

Many offices will not apostille a diploma or transcript by itself. The usual route is a statement from the registrar or another school official, signed before a notary, which the office then certifies. The State Department warns that some sellers issue fake academic credentials and that "An authentication certificate does not mean someone completed an academic program."

FBI background checks and other federal documents

An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document, so no state office can apostille it. The FBI says it authenticates results "by placing the FBI watermark and the signature of a division official on the results at the time of submission," and that "You can then send documents authenticated by the FBI to the U.S. Department of State to request an apostille, if necessary." It will not authenticate results it already sent.

The State Department warns against notarizing an original federal document: "Do not notarize your original document. Your document will no longer be valid if it is notarized."

Fees and timing

Each state sets its own fee, usually a small amount per document; the finder shows each state's fee with a link to the office's own fee page, and some states add charges for expedited or walk-in service. A county clerk certification needed first may cost extra.

The U.S. Department of State charges "$20.00 per document, not per page," and the fee is charged even if you get a letter instead of a certificate. It says it processes mailed requests "within 5 weeks from the day we receive it" and walk-in drop-offs for travel in 2 to 3 weeks "within 7 business days." By mail it takes checks or money orders payable to the U.S. Department of State; in person it takes cards and contactless payment only.

Processing times change often. Plan around the time the office states, add mailing time both ways, and add the embassy step if the destination is outside the Convention.

Do you need an apostille service?

No. Every state office and the State Department take requests directly from the public, by mail or in person, and the fees are set by those offices. A paid service can only file the same request with the same office for you. If a website asks for a large fee to "process" an apostille, check that it is not the government office itself before you pay, and never send an original document to an address you cannot tie to an official office.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an apostille?

An apostille is a certificate under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention that certifies the signature on a public document, the capacity of the person who signed it and, where there is one, the seal or stamp. Countries in the Convention accept it in place of embassy legalization. It does not certify what the document says.

Where do I get an apostille?

From the office of the state where the document was issued or notarized, usually the Secretary of State, or from the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, for a federal document such as an FBI background check. Federal court clerks can apostille their own courts' documents.

Can I get an apostille in the state where I live instead?

No. Only the issuing state's office can certify its own officials and notaries. A document issued or notarized in another state has to go to that state's office.

How much does an apostille cost?

State fees are set by each state and are usually a small amount per document; the Apostille Finder lists each one with its source. The U.S. Department of State charges $20 per document, not per page.

How long does an apostille take?

It depends on the office. The U.S. Department of State says it processes mailed requests within 5 weeks of receiving them. State offices state their own times, from same-day walk-in service to several weeks by mail.

What is the difference between an apostille and an authentication?

An apostille is for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention. A country outside it needs an authentication instead: for a state document, a certificate from the state office and then the U.S. Department of State; for a federal document, the State Department alone. That country's embassy or consulate then legalizes it.

How do I get an apostille for an FBI background check?

The FBI signs and watermarks the results when it issues them. Send those results to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, with Form DS-4194 and the $20 fee per document. A state office cannot apostille an FBI background check.

Does an apostille expire?

The Convention sets no expiration date for the certificate. Some receiving authorities and some state offices want a recently issued copy of the underlying document, so ask the receiving authority what it accepts.