Federal Document Apostille
From FBI background checks and IRS letters to FDA, USDA, USPTO, and SSA records, federal court documents, and federally notarized papers, we hand deliver federal documents to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications in Washington, DC for apostille or authentication.
We are a private document service and are not affiliated with any government agency. The federal filing fee is included in our price.
How it works
A simple, tracked path from your mailbox to the Department of State and back.
Gather the original document issued by the federal agency or federal notary involved, such as an FBI report, IRS letter, or federal court record.
Mail us the original document. We review it for the signature and formatting the Department of State requires, then hand deliver it in Washington, DC.
We ship your apostilled or authenticated document back to you with tracking, ready for the foreign country or agency that requested it.
What you need to know
A few plain notes that help your document move through the process without delay.
- Any document issued by a federal agency or department must be apostilled or authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, not by a state apostille office.
- FBI Identity History Summaries, including No Record results, are federal documents and are apostilled at this same federal level.
- IRS letters, such as EIN confirmation letters, are federal documents and follow this same process, along with certain FDA, USDA, USPTO, and SSA records.
- Federal court documents, such as orders or certificates issued by a U.S. federal court, also require federal level apostille or authentication.
- Documents notarized by a federal employee acting in an official federal capacity are treated as federal documents rather than state documents.
- If your destination country belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention, your document receives an apostille. If not, it receives an authentication and may need an additional step at that country's embassy.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a federal document for apostille purposes
A federal document is one issued by a United States federal agency or a federal court, rather than by a state or local office. Common examples include FBI background checks, IRS letters, FDA certificates, USDA records, USPTO patent and trademark documents, SSA letters, and federal court orders.
Why can a state apostille office not handle federal documents
State apostille offices only have authority over documents issued or notarized within that state, such as state birth certificates or state notarized papers. Federal documents fall under the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications in Washington, DC, which is the only office that can apostille or authenticate them.
Can the FDA, USDA, USPTO, or SSA documents be apostilled
Yes. Documents issued by these federal agencies, such as FDA export certificates, USDA phytosanitary or organic certificates, USPTO trademark or patent records, and SSA letters, are all federal documents and are apostilled or authenticated through the Department of State.
What is the difference between an apostille and an authentication
Both confirm that a document is genuine so a foreign country will accept it. An apostille is issued when the destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. An authentication is issued for countries that are not members, and it sometimes requires an additional step at that country's embassy or consulate.
Do federal documents need to be notarized before apostille
Most federal agency documents, such as FBI reports and IRS letters, already carry the signature and seal needed and do not need separate notarization. Documents that were notarized by a federal notary, such as certain court or military records, are handled as federal documents at this same level.
How fast can a federal document be apostilled
Because we hand deliver documents directly to the Department of State in Washington, DC, most orders are completed in a matter of days, well ahead of the multi week timelines that come with mailing a request in yourself.
Related resources
Ready to get your document apostilled?
Start your order in a few minutes. We will walk you through exactly what to send and when to expect it back.