Federal agency document
Use the federal route
Eligible originals or certified copies signed by a U.S. federal official generally go to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications.
Federal documents for use abroad
Federal Apostille and Authentication Services
Federal documents do not follow a state Secretary of State route. Notary Pin reviews the issuing agency, destination, original signature or seal, and receiving-authority instructions before coordinating an eligible U.S. Department of State submission.
Separate federal, state, and D.C. documents first
State-issued document
Use the issuing state
State vital records, court records, and state-notarized private documents normally follow the competent authority for the issuing state.
District of Columbia document
Use D.C. ONCA
D.C.-notarized documents and eligible D.C. government records follow the D.C. Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications—not the federal route merely because they were issued in Washington.
Do not add a notarial certificate to an original federal document just to make it look “apostille-ready.” Current State Department guidance says eligible federal documents must retain the proper original signature and seal, and warns that notarizing the original can invalidate it for this process.
Federal documents that commonly need review
FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI places its watermark and an official signature on Identity History Summary results. If an apostille is required, the requester may then submit the authenticated result to the U.S. Department of State.
Federal agency records
The federal route can apply to eligible documents signed by federal officials. The record must carry the required original or certified signature, printed name, title, agency seal, and issuance date.
Consular and military documents
State Department guidance also identifies documents signed by a U.S. consular officer, a foreign consul registered with the Office of Protocol, a military notary, or a judge advocate as federal-route categories.
Consular Reports of Birth Abroad
A CRBA is not a state birth certificate. HCCH identifies the State Department's Passport Services Vital Records Section as the competent authority for U.S. consular birth, death, and marriage reports.
How the federal document review works
Step 1
Identify the real issuer
We distinguish a federal agency record from a state, D.C., court, consular, or privately notarized document before recommending a route.
Step 2
Confirm the certificate needed
The destination and receiving authority determine whether the document needs an apostille, a federal authentication certificate, or later embassy or consular legalization.
Step 3
Check the original signatures and seals
We review the document for the elements the federal authority expects before submission and flag copy or formatting problems that may cause rejection.
Step 4
Coordinate return and next steps
When requested and available, we can coordinate translation and tracked domestic or international return delivery. The receiving authority makes the final acceptance decision.
D.C.-issued does not automatically mean federal
D.C. ONCA handles
Documents notarized by a D.C. notary and eligible certified documents issued or signed by a D.C. government agency.
D.C. ONCA does not handle
Federal documents, FBI background checks, citizenship documents, or documents notarized outside the District. Those records follow the federal or issuing-jurisdiction route.
D.C. ONCA states that its certificate verifies the signer or official's commission or authority; it does not verify the document's underlying facts, and the receiving country may accept or reject the document.
Federal apostille coordination
Start with the document—not a guessed route
Service starts at $250 for an eligible first document. The final quote depends on the authority, destination, copy requirements, translation, legalization, and return-delivery needs.
Related guidance: FBI background checks, FBI documents for people in Colombia, Spain apostille services, Italy apostille services, India apostille services, Portugal apostille services, international apostille and legalization, the attorney apostille intake checklist, and the Global Document Navigator.
Primary authority references
- U.S. Department of State — Authenticate Your Document
- U.S. Department of State — Preparing a Federal Document for an Apostille Certificate
- FBI — Identity History Summary FAQs
- District of Columbia ONCA — Authentications
- HCCH — United States competent authorities
Last reviewed August 22, 2026. Government procedures can change; confirm the current checklist before shipping original documents.