Federal apostille from the US Department of State
A document from a federal agency, such as an FBI background check, is apostilled by the US Department of State, not by a state. We check it, submit it, and ship it back.
See your price
Fill in the rest to see your all-in price.
What it costs
$149for the first document, all-in
- Each additional
- $69
- Included
- Our service, the $20 US Department of State fee per document, and return shipping within the United States.
How it works
- You send
A photo of each document, then the original by mail.
- We do
Check the original, fill in form DS-4194, pay the $20 fee and send it to the Office of Authentications. Each step shows on your tracking page.
- You get back
Your document with the apostille, checked against your order and shipped to you.
How long it takes
- Our part
- We send your document to the authority within 1 business day of receiving it, and ship it back within 1 business day of getting it back.
- US Department of State
- We do not publish a processing time for the US Department of State because we have not verified a current figure, and we cannot promise one.
What can go wrong
The usual problem is sending a state document here, or a federal one to a state. Our check reads who issued the document and tells you where it has to go.
A document from another state
An apostille has to come from the state that issued the document, and we do not take Nevada orders online yet. Change the issuing state and we will take a quote request.
If an authority still rejects a document, we resubmit it at no service charge. Refund policy
Or do it yourself
Doing it yourself costs the department’s $20 per document plus postage.
| Compared on | Yourself | With us |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $20 per document, plus postage both ways | $149 all-in for the first document |
| You prepare | Form DS-4194, the fee, and the document | A photo and the document |
| If it is rejected | You fix it and send it again | We resubmit at no service charge |
How to request a federal apostille yourself
Send form DS-4194 and $20 per document to the US Department of State, Office of Authentications. Walk-in requests are limited to 15 documents per customer or company.
Office of Authentications44132 Mercure CircleP.O. Box 1206Sterling, VA 20166-1206Questions
How do I request a federal apostille myself?
You send the document with form DS-4194 and the fee of $20 per document to the US Department of State, Office of Authentications, in Sterling, Virginia. Walk-in requests are limited to 15 documents per customer or company.
How much does an apostille cost in total?
A state apostille by mail costs $129 for the first document and $59 for each additional one, for every state we take orders for. For California documents, the same-day Los Angeles counter costs $249. A federal apostille costs $149. Each price includes our service, the government fee and return shipping within the United States. There are no other fees.
What happens if the authority rejects my document?
If an authority rejects a document, we tell you why and what is needed, and we resubmit it at no service charge.
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate that makes a US public document usable in countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention. It comes from the authority for the document: the state that issued it, for example the California Secretary of State for documents signed by a California notary or public official, and the US Department of State for federal documents such as FBI background checks. Countries outside the Convention need embassy legalization instead.