Do you need to apostille your documents through the US Department of State – Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.?

The U.S. Department of State – Office of Authentications is physically located in Washington DC.  As of this article (April 2023), there is no walk in service and the current estimated processing time is 6-8 weeks.  In order to process your documents through the Department of State, you can either deal directly with them or utilize our services to assist you.

Cost: As low as $75 for each apostille.
Office Hours: Monday – Saturday 9am – 6pm
Customer Support: 1-800-850-3441
Email: WashingtonDC@apostilleservices.com
Download Forms: Washington DC Apostille Order Forms

Note: Please call our office for the most up-to-date processing time and availability.  We have also provided this information here: Apostille Processing Time

The US Department of State can issue an apostille on U.S. Federally-issued documents.  An example of federally-issued documents include:

• Animal/Plant Certifications (issued by U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA)
• Animal Health certifications (issued by USDA)
• FBI – Background check (issued by U.S. Department of Justice, or DoJ)
  Do not notarize FBI background checks
• U.S. Federal Court Documents check (issued by DoJ)
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court check (issued by DoJ)
• Immigration Certifications (issued by U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
• Certificate of Foreign Governments (issued by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS)
• Certificate of Pharmaceutical/Export (issued by HHS)
• Trademark (Issued by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office)
• Other documents issued by Environmental Protection Agency, Social Security Administration, or Office of Personnel Management

State-issued documents for use in countries that are not members of the 1961 Hague Convention may be authenticated with an authentication certificate from the U.S. Department of State. Please note that a state issued document will first need to be certified through the state of origin before the US Department of state will certify it.

Obtaining an apostille on documents through the U.S. Department of State – Office of Authentications can be complicated. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!