We prepare, submit and track federal documents through the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications — DD-214s, IRS Form 6166, SSA letters, FBI background checks, naturalization certificates and federal court records. Order online from anywhere in the country — nineteen U.S. offices, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Federal & state documents
Most apostille companies work with state-issued records — birth certificates, diplomas, state court filings — which authenticate through a Secretary of State. We work with documents issued by federal agencies and federal courts. Those authenticate in Washington, D.C., through the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications, and the process is different at every step.
That distinction decides where your document goes, what has to be certified before it gets there, and whether an apostille is enough or your destination requires embassy legalization on top.
Documents we handle
Thirty-eight federal document types, from the FBI and USCIS to the IRS, FDA and USPTO. These are the six we see most often — each has its own requirements, and some carry legal restrictions worth knowing before you send anything.
View All 38Identity History Summary, for visas, residency, licensing and adoption abroad. We can obtain the report for you.
Discharge papers and service records from the National Personnel Records Center. Requires federal certification first.
Certification of U.S. tax residency, used for treaty benefits, foreign banking and withholding relief.
Benefit verification and award letters, required for retirement visas and foreign pension transfers.
Federal law restricts photocopying these. We handle them through the USCIS procedure — never by copying.
Judgments, orders and clerk-certified filings from U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts.
Describe what you have and where it is going. We will tell you which path applies — even if the answer means you do not need us.
What we do
Federal authentication is rarely a single step. Depending on the document and the destination, it can involve certification, translation and embassy legalization on either side of the apostille itself. We do not issue state-level apostilles — state documents are handled only on non-Hague routes.
U.S. Department of State apostille for federal documents going to Hague Convention countries. $299.
Department of State authentication plus embassy legalization for non-Hague countries. $399.
LiveScan fingerprinting and the FBI report, in person by appointment in West Palm Beach and Miami. $149, or $399 with the apostille.
For non-Hague destinations like the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and Taiwan. $99 once the document is federally authenticated.
Florida Department of State, U.S. Department of State and embassy legalization for non-Hague countries. $599.
U.S. Department of State authentication plus embassy legalization for documents your state has already authenticated. $399.
Sworn and certified translation coordinated where the receiving authority requires it. Quoted per document.
Mail it to us from anywhere in the U.S. and we apostille it through the Department of State. $299.
How it works
Federal authentication runs on a fixed sequence. Skipping or reversing a step is the single most common reason documents come back unprocessed.
Send the document details and the destination country. We confirm whether it authenticates federally, and whether an apostille or full embassy legalization is required.
Ship it with tracking from anywhere in the country, or drop it off by appointment at our West Palm Beach or Miami office. We check it against Department of State requirements before it moves.
Your file goes to the Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. We monitor it and tell you where it stands rather than making you chase it.
The completed apostille ships back with tracking, to you or directly to a recipient abroad. Originals are never separated from the certificate.
Destinations
Hague Convention members accept an apostille on its own. Everywhere else needs Department of State authentication followed by legalization at that country's embassy or consulate — a longer path we handle the same way.
Washington, D.C.
Every order is prepared and submitted from our headquarters on Connecticut Avenue, close to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications. It’s a processing office, not open to the public — reach us by phone or online.
West Palm Beach & Miami
Our two South Florida offices are the only ones open to visitors, by appointment: FBI background checks with LiveScan fingerprinting, and document drop-off for apostille, legalization or translation.
16 processing offices
Our offices in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Richmond, Atlanta, Charlotte, Memphis, Houston, Austin, Chicago, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle handle orders by phone and online support. They don’t take walk-ins or appointments — see all locations.
Questions
A federal document is issued by a U.S. government agency or a federal court — the FBI, IRS, SSA, USCIS, the Department of Defense, a U.S. District Court. Those authenticate through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. Documents issued by a state — birth certificates, marriage licenses, state court records, diplomas — go through that state's Secretary of State instead. Send us the document details and we will tell you which route yours takes.
It depends entirely on the destination country. If the country is a member of the 1961 Hague Convention, an apostille from the U.S. Department of State is sufficient on its own. If it is not a member — the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and Taiwan among others — the document needs Department of State authentication first, followed by legalization at that country's embassy or consulate. Tell us where the document is going and we will confirm the correct path.
About 10–12 business days for a federal apostille (Hague countries) and 15–17 business days for Department of State authentication plus embassy legalization (non-Hague countries), plus shipping. The Department of State sets its own processing pace, so we confirm a current estimate when you place the order, review documents before submission, and keep you updated while your file is in Washington.
No — we don’t retrieve records. You request the document from the issuing agency (the NPRC, NARA, USCIS, the IRS, SSA, a federal court and so on), and we tell you exactly how; once you have it, we authenticate it. The one exception is the FBI background check, which we run in person, by appointment, at our West Palm Beach and Miami offices.
No — and be cautious of anyone who says otherwise. Federal law restricts reproduction of naturalization and citizenship certificates. The correct procedure runs through USCIS, and we handle these documents under that procedure rather than by copying the certificate.
No. Because federal documents authenticate in Washington, D.C. rather than in your home state, where you live makes no difference to the process. Clients in all 50 states order online or by phone, ship documents to us with tracking, and we return the completed apostille to them or directly to a recipient overseas. Only our West Palm Beach and Miami offices are open to visitors, by appointment, for FBI background checks and document drop-off.
Prices are flat and include government fees and U.S. return shipping: $299 per document for a federal apostille (Hague countries), $399 for federal authentication plus embassy legalization (non-Hague), $149 for an in-person FBI background check or $399 with the apostille, $599 for the Florida full chain and $399 for other-state documents going to non-Hague countries. Certified translation is quoted per document. We confirm your exact total before any payment.
Tell us what you have and where it is going. We reply with the correct route, a flat quote and shipping instructions.
