U.S. Department of State Authentication — The Complete Guide
The single most costly mistake in international document authentication is sending a federal document to a state office, or a state document to Washington. This guide tells you exactly which documents go where, how Form DS-4194 works, the precise $20 fee rules, all three submission options, and how to avoid the errors that cost weeks of delay.
Federal vs. State Apostille — The Critical Distinction
The United States has no single national apostille office. Authentication authority is divided by the origin of the document. Every document must go to the authority that issued it — not to the authority nearest to where you live.
The routing rule is absolute. If you send a federal document to a state Secretary of State, it will be rejected and returned. If you send a state document to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications, it will be rejected and returned. There are no exceptions based on convenience, geography, or urgency.
Which Documents Require State Department Authentication
The State Department’s Office of Authentications processes documents that are signed by one of the following:
- A U.S. federal official (FBI, SSA, USDA, federal courts, DHS, etc.)
- A U.S. consular officer at an American embassy or consulate abroad
- A foreign consul registered with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Protocol
| Document | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FBI Identity History Summary Check | Federal — State Dept | Must be obtained directly from the FBI or approved channeler. Do not notarize before sending. |
| Social Security Administration Letter | Federal — State Dept | Benefits verification, award letters. Do not notarize. |
| Certificate of Naturalization (N-550) | Federal — State Dept | DHS-issued. Do not notarize. Required for dual citizenship applications in many countries. |
| Federal Court Order | Federal — State Dept | Orders from U.S. District Courts, Circuit Courts, Bankruptcy Courts. |
| USDA Export Certificate | Federal — State Dept | Agricultural and food export documentation for international trade. |
| U.S. Passport | Federal — State Dept | Rare — most countries accept a passport as self-authenticating. Confirm with destination country first. |
| Birth Certificate (state-issued) | State — Secretary of State | MA birth certificate → MA Secretary of Commonwealth. NH birth certificate → NH Secretary of State. |
| Power of Attorney (notarized) | State — Secretary of State | Goes to the state where the notary is commissioned. MA notary → MA SoC. NH notary → NH SoS. |
| Diploma (notarized) | State — Secretary of State | Notarized by a state notary → that state’s Secretary of State. Not a federal document. |
The Critical Warning — Do Not Notarize Federal Documents
According to the U.S. Department of State’s own official instructions: “Do not get the original document notarized. Your document will no longer be valid if it is notarized.”
This applies to FBI background checks, Social Security letters, Certificates of Naturalization, and all other federal agency-issued documents. A notary public has no authority to authenticate or re-certify a federal document. Adding a notary acknowledgment or jurat to a federal document does not help — it invalidates it for the apostille process entirely.
If you have already had a federal document notarized in error, you must obtain a fresh original from the issuing federal agency before proceeding.
The rule for state documents — where notarization is required — creates the confusion. State documents like powers of attorney and diplomas must be notarized before going to the state Secretary of State. Federal documents must go directly to the State Department without notarization. The difference: state Secretaries of State authenticate the notary’s signature. The U.S. State Department authenticates the federal official’s signature. There is no notary in the federal chain.
Form DS-4194 — Section by Section
Every submission to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications — by mail or walk-in — must include a completed Form DS-4194 (Request for Authentication Services). Submitting without it causes rejection and return of all documents without processing. One DS-4194 is completed per individual or company per submission packet.
Section 1 — Customer Contact
Your full legal name (or company name), email address, phone numbers, and complete mailing return address. Print clearly in black ink — no corrections accepted. Complete a new form if you make an error.
Section 2 — Shipping Details (Mail)
Indicate your return delivery method. Include a prepaid USPS or UPS return envelope. FedEx is not accepted for return shipping. For UPS, write your account number on the envelope.
Section 3 — Document List
List each document by type. One line per document. Include the issuing authority and the country where the document will be used — this determines whether the State Department issues an apostille (Hague member) or an authentication certificate (non-Hague).
Section 4 — Destination Country
Critical field. Specify the exact country where each document will be used. If you leave this blank, the State Department may issue the wrong authentication type, which will be rejected by your destination country.
Section 5 — Projected Cost
$20 per document. Calculate: number of documents × $20. This is the exact amount required — not an estimate. Payment must match precisely. Short payments cause rejection.
Section 6 — Payment
By mail: check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State.” Check numbers must be over 100. Do not send cash or credit card information by mail. Walk-in only: credit card, debit card, or contactless (Apple/Google/Samsung Pay).
You submit one DS-4194 form per individual or company, even if you are authenticating multiple documents in the same packet. List all documents on that one form. For mail-in requests exceeding 15 documents, attach a continuation sheet — do not submit multiple DS-4194 forms for the same individual.
Step-by-Step Submission Process
Obtain your federal document from the issuing agency
FBI background checks must come directly from the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division or an approved FBI channeler. Social Security letters come from the SSA. Certificates of Naturalization from USCIS. Federal court orders from the issuing court. These must be original documents or certified copies issued by the agency — not photocopies, not scanned reproductions.
Do NOT notarize the document
Federal documents go directly to the State Department. Adding any notarization invalidates the document for this process. If translation is needed, have it done by a professional translator and have the translator’s certification notarized — but the federal document itself must remain in its original unnotarized form.
Complete Form DS-4194
Download the current DS-4194 from travel.state.gov. Fill in all six sections using black ink or typed text. Do not correct errors — start a new form. Specify the destination country in Section 4 so the State Department issues the correct authentication type (apostille vs. authentication certificate).
Prepare payment
By mail: Check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State.” Check number must be over 100. No cash. No credit cards. Amount must be exactly $20 × number of documents.
Walk-in: Credit card, debit card, or contactless payment only. No cash, no check, no money order accepted at the walk-in window.
Prepare your return envelope
Include a self-addressed, prepaid return envelope using USPS or UPS. FedEx is not accepted for returns from the Office of Authentications. Write your full name and address clearly. If using UPS, include your UPS account number or prepay the shipment.
Submit — mail, walk-in, or emergency appointment
See the full breakdown of all three options below. For mail, use USPS with tracking — processing begins when the packet arrives. For walk-in, bring everything to the drop-off window between 7:30 and 9:00 AM, Monday through Thursday. You receive a receipt and pickup date on the spot.
Receive apostilled documents
The apostille certificate is attached to your document. It is signed under the Seal of the U.S. Department of State and specifies the destination country. The apostille itself does not expire — but the receiving country may require that the underlying document was recently issued. Confirm currency requirements with your destination authority before ordering.
Three Submission Options — Full Comparison
Fees and Payment — The Exact Rules
The authentication fee is $20 per document — not per page, not per packet. This fee is charged regardless of outcome: whether the State Department successfully apostilles your document or returns it with a correspondence explaining why it cannot be processed, the $20 fee is non-refundable by federal law.
The payment methods differ completely between mail-in and walk-in submissions. By mail: check or money order only — never cash or credit card. Walk-in: credit/debit/contactless only — never cash or check. Sending the wrong payment method causes rejection and return of the entire packet, including your original documents.
FBI Background Check Apostille
The FBI Identity History Summary Check — commonly called an FBI background check or FBI clearance — is the most frequently requested federal apostille document. It is required for many Golden Visa programs, international employment visas, foreign professional licensing, and residency applications worldwide.
The process has two distinct phases, and both must be completed before the apostille can be obtained:
Phase 1 — Obtain the FBI Background Check
You cannot submit your own fingerprint card directly to the FBI for this purpose. You must either submit a fingerprint card directly to the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, WV, or use an FBI-approved channeler who processes the request electronically. The FBI issues the Identity History Summary as a printed document — this printed document is what goes to the State Department.
If you received your FBI results electronically (through an approved channeler), the State Department requires a printed, signed original from the FBI — not a PDF printout of the electronic results. Confirm with your channeler whether they provide a printed original suitable for apostille. Many do; some require you to request a separate printed copy from the FBI directly.
Phase 2 — Submit to the State Department
The FBI background check document is submitted to the Office of Authentications with Form DS-4194, the $20 fee, and your prepaid return envelope. Do not add any notarization. The State Department authenticates the FBI signature on the document and attaches the apostille certificate. Total process time from fingerprint submission to apostilled document in hand typically runs 8–16 weeks when done by mail — use a D.C. courier service for walk-in submission if your deadline requires faster turnaround.
For New Hampshire residents needing an FBI apostille as part of a larger international document package, New Hampshire Apostille Services coordinates the complete federal apostille process including the FBI request and State Department submission.
Non-Hague Countries — Authentication Certificate
If your destination country is not a member of the 1961 Hague Convention, an apostille is not sufficient — and in some cases, an apostille is not accepted at all. For non-Hague countries, the U.S. Department of State issues an authentication certificate instead. The same $20 fee, the same DS-4194 form, and the same submission process apply. The difference is in what the certificate says and what further steps it may require.
For many non-Hague countries — including many in the Middle East, parts of Asia, and parts of Africa — the authentication certificate from the U.S. State Department is the first step in a chain that also requires:
- Additional authentication by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs
- Legalization by the destination country’s embassy or consulate in Washington, D.C.
- In some cases, additional legalization by the destination country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs after arrival
This full chain is called consular legalization and is significantly more complex and time-consuming than a simple apostille. If your destination country is Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, China (non-Hague), or another non-Hague nation, confirm the complete legalization chain with that country’s embassy before starting the process. Apostille service providers who specialize in embassy legalization can manage the full chain on your behalf.
Need Help With the State Department Process?
Our apostille team handles federal document authentication and NH apostille preparation. Call or apply online.
Seven Errors That Cause Rejection at the Office of Authentications
Every error in this list results in your documents being returned — sometimes weeks after submission — without authentication. You then restart from the beginning.
1. Notarizing a Federal Document
As detailed above, adding any notarization to a federal document invalidates it for the apostille process. If you have done this, obtain a new original from the issuing agency before resubmitting.
2. Sending a State Document to the Federal Office
Birth certificates, marriage licenses, and state-notarized documents go to the state Secretary of State — not to Washington. Sending them to the Office of Authentications causes rejection and wastes the time it takes to receive the return mail.
3. Missing or Incorrect DS-4194
Failing to include the DS-4194, leaving the destination country blank, or completing Section 5 with the wrong dollar amount all result in rejection. Complete a new form for any error — do not cross out or correct.
4. Wrong Payment Method for Mail Submissions
Credit cards, debit cards, and cash are not accepted by mail. Checks with numbers under 100 are rejected. The name and address on the check must be preprinted — not handwritten.
5. FedEx Return Envelope
The Office of Authentications does not use FedEx accounts for returns. Include a prepaid USPS or UPS return envelope. FedEx envelopes are refused and your documents are returned by first-class mail — potentially untracked.
6. Photocopies Instead of Originals
The State Department requires original documents or certified copies issued by the originating agency — not photocopies, not scanned printouts, not self-certified copies. A photocopy of your FBI background check result will be rejected.
7. Submitting Documents for the Wrong Destination Country
The destination country on DS-4194 determines whether you receive an apostille or an authentication certificate. Specifying the wrong country — or leaving it blank — means the State Department may issue an authentication type that your actual destination country will not accept.
Thanks for getting everything. My deadline for submitting for a Visa program in Germany was fast approaching. Your staff gave me straightforward instructions and explained the process. Real live people on the other end — so rare nowadays. Special thanks to Sarah, who responded to all my emails on time.
We Serve Clients Across Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Our apostille team accepts document packages from clients throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire by mail and in person at our Tewksbury office. We coordinate notarization, state apostille, and federal apostille in a single engagement where your document chain requires all three steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources: U.S. Department of State — Office of Authentications (travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/replace-certify-docs/authenticate-your-document); Form DS-4194 (eforms.state.gov); USAGov authentication guide. Fee: $20/document confirmed April 2026. Walk-in and mail address: Office of Authentications, 44132 Mercure Circle, PO Box 1206, Sterling, VA 20166-1206. Not legal advice. For Massachusetts state apostille, see our Massachusetts apostille service. For New Hampshire apostille, visit newhampshireapostilleservices.com. HireMobileNotary.com / Neighborhood Parcel, 1215 Main St, Suite 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876. Last updated April 26, 2026.
