How to Get an Apostille: State vs. Federal Steps and Fees

To get an apostille, send your original or certified document, the correct application form, the fee, and a prepaid return envelope to the office that has authority over the document: your state’s Secretary of State for state-issued records like birth certificates or notarized papers, or the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications for federal records like FBI background checks. Learning how to get an apostille comes down to matching the document to the right office, preparing it correctly, and allowing enough time — state offices often turn requests around in days to a few weeks, while the federal mail queue currently runs about five weeks.

Check That an Apostille Is What You Actually Need

An apostille only works if the country receiving your document belongs to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. The Hague Conference on Private International Law keeps the member list on its website. If your destination is not a member, skip ahead — you need an authentication certificate and embassy legalization instead, not an apostille.¹

Also call or email the foreign institution that will receive the document. Some require documents issued within the last few months, and many require a certified translation alongside the apostille. Confirming these details up front prevents a second trip through the whole process.

State or Federal? Match the Document to the Right Office

The single most important decision is which office handles your document, because sending it to the wrong one wastes weeks.

State Secretary of State offices handle documents issued at the state or county level: birth, marriage, and death certificates, court records, academic records, and anything a notary public has signed and sealed.²

The U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications handles documents signed by a federal official, a U.S. consular officer, a foreign consul registered with the Department, or a military notary or judge advocate.³

The classic mix-up is the FBI background check. Because the FBI is a federal agency, that report goes to Washington, not to your state. Federal court orders and any document bearing a federal agency seal follow the same rule.

Get the Document Into Apostille-Ready Shape

The document must be an original or a certified copy — that is, one issued by the office that holds the original record, bearing an official seal, signature, and date.³ For vital records, order a certified copy from the state or county vital records office before doing anything else.¹

When You Need a Notary First

Government-issued public documents are usually ready as-is. Private documents are not. Powers of attorney, corporate resolutions, affidavits, diplomas, and academic transcripts typically need a commissioned notary public to sign and seal them before the Secretary of State will apostille them. The apostille certifies the notary’s authority, not the truth of what the document says.

Never notarize an original government-issued record like a birth certificate. Adding a notary stamp to a document that already carries a government seal can invalidate it.³

What Cannot Be Apostilled

An apostille needs something verifiable to authenticate: a government official’s signature, a notary seal, or another recognized public certification. Unsigned commercial documents, plain photocopies, and documents issued by foreign governments do not qualify. If you are not sure your document is eligible, ask the issuing office before paying any fees.

Translations

If the receiving country wants the document in another language, hire a professional translator, then have the translation notarized. The translation gets its own apostille from the state where the notary is commissioned.³ Do not notarize the original document as part of this step. The original and the translation travel together, but only the translation gets the extra notarization.

State Apostilles: Forms, Fees, and How to Submit

Each Secretary of State posts its own application form. You’ll be asked for your contact information, the document type, and the destination country. Fill out one form per submission, and make sure the details match the document exactly.

State fees range from a few dollars up to around $20 per document.² Payment rules vary. Most offices take checks or money orders by mail. Some take cards for in-person or online submissions. A mismatched payment type is a common reason applications come back unprocessed.

Most states accept requests by mail, in person, or through an online portal. For mail, include the prepared document, the application form, payment, and a self-addressed prepaid return envelope. Forgetting the return envelope is the other frequent cause of delays. Walk-in service sometimes offers same-day or next-day turnaround; other offices use a drop-off system with pickup later. A growing number of states issue electronic apostilles — signed PDFs verifiable online, no mail involved.

Turnaround varies widely by state and season. Some offices finish in a day or two; others take several weeks, particularly in summer. Check your state’s currently posted processing time before choosing a method, and look for expedited service if you’re on a deadline.

Federal Apostilles: The Department of State Process

For federal documents, submit to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications. The fee is $20 per document, and each submission must include Form DS-4194.⁴ The form asks for your contact and shipping details, the destination country, the number of documents, and the document type, and it requires you to calculate the total fee at $20 per document (not per page).⁵

Three service tiers are available, based on when you need the document:⁴

Mail service, for travel five or more weeks out. Send materials to the Office of Authentications in Sterling, Virginia. Processing takes about five weeks from receipt. Include a self-addressed prepaid return envelope using USPS or UPS (not FedEx). Pay by check or money order to the U.S. Department of State. No cash, no card numbers in the mail.
Walk-in drop-off, for travel in two to three weeks. Drop materials off Monday through Thursday, 7:30 to 9:00 a.m., at 600 19th Street NW in Washington, D.C. Processing takes seven business days. One request per person per day, up to 15 documents. Payment by credit card, debit card, or contactless only.
Same-day appointment, only for life-or-death emergencies involving an immediate family member abroad. Email the Office of Authentications with proof of travel within two weeks and documentation of the emergency. Appointments run Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the same D.C. location.

The five-week federal mail timeline is what catches most people off guard. If you can control your timing, plan around it. The walk-in option shortens the wait to about seven business days but requires getting to Washington.

After You Receive the Apostille

Check the certificate as soon as it arrives. Confirm the signer’s name, the document type, and the date. Many authorities run electronic registers where a reviewer can verify the apostille online using a reference number or QR code printed on the certificate.⁶ The Hague Conference maintains a directory of these registers, and the United States participates.⁷

How Long It Stays Valid

The apostille itself does not expire. What can go stale is the document underneath it. A birth certificate does not change, so an apostille on one keeps working for years. But status documents like FBI background checks or financial statements are often only accepted if they were issued recently, sometimes within three to six months. Confirm the receiving institution’s freshness rule before relying on older paperwork.

If Your Country Isn’t in the Hague Convention

An apostille will not be recognized in a country that has not joined the Hague Convention. You need an authentication certificate, which follows a longer path.¹

For federal documents, submit the same Form DS-4194 and $20 fee to the Office of Authentications, but request an authentication certificate rather than an apostille. For state documents, get the Secretary of State to authenticate the document first, then send it to the Department of State for a second, federal-level authentication.⁸

Once you have the federal authentication, take the document to the destination country’s embassy or consulate for legalization. Every embassy sets its own fees, turnaround, and rules, and this final step can add days or weeks. Contact the embassy early so you know what to expect before you start.

1
USAGov. Authenticate an Official Document for Use Outside the U.S.
2
HCCH. United States of America – Competent Authority (Art. 6)
3
U.S. Department of State. Preparing Your Document for an Apostille Certificate
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U.S. Department of State. Requesting Authentication Services
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U.S. Department of State. Request for Authentications Service DS-4194
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HCCH. e-Registers
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HCCH. FAQ on the Issuance and Verification of an e-Apostille
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U.S. Department of State. Preparing a Document for an Authentication Certificate