Federal documents — FBI background checks, NARA records, and all documents issued by US federal agencies — require apostille processing through the US Department of State’s Office of Authentications, not a state Secretary of State office.
What Is a Federal Apostille?
A federal apostille is an authentication certificate issued by the US Department of State, Office of Authentications. It verifies that a document originated from a legitimate US federal agency and meets the requirements of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, making the document legally recognizable in any of the 120+ Hague member countries.
Federal apostilles differ from state apostilles in a critical way: they bypass all state and county certification steps and are processed entirely at the federal level.
Which Documents Require a Federal Apostille?
Any document that originates from a US federal agency must go through the federal apostille pathway. Common examples:
- FBI Identity History Summary (FBI background check / criminal history check)
- NARA certified copies — National Archives and Records Administration records, including naturalization records and military service records
- Certificate of Non-Existence (CoNE) - or any other signed correspondence from federal organizations
- Naturalization Certificate (Form N-550) and related USCIS documents
- Federal court orders, judgments, and apostilled court records
- Social Security Administration correspondence and certifications
- US Department of State certificates and official correspondence
- Federal agency certificates of good standing (for corporate use abroad)
If your document was issued by a state agency — such as a birth certificate, marriage license, or state-notarized document — it requires a state apostille instead.
How the Federal Apostille Process Works
Unlike state-level authentication, which may involve county and state offices in sequence, the federal pathway is centralized:
- Document originates from a federal agency (FBI, NARA, USCIS, SSA, federal court, etc.).
- Agency certification — the originating agency’s signature is on record with the Department of State.
- Department of State review — the Office of Authentications verifies the signature and attaches the apostille certificate or authentication embossing.
- Document returned with apostille affixed.
State Secretary of State offices have no jurisdiction over federal documents. Submitting a federal document to a state apostille office will result in immediate rejection.
Processing Times: Apostille50 vs. DIY
| Method | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|
| Apostille50 (standard rush) | ~2 weeks from receipt |
| DIY mail-in (Department of State) | 6–8 weeks |
Apostille50 achieves faster turnaround by coordinating submissions directly with the Department of State and managing all routing steps in-house.
A Note on FBI Background Checks
FBI Identity History Summary (background check) documents are frequently issued digitally and may contain a digital signature. Because of this, FBI background checks can be submitted electronically — by email to info@apostille50.com or via the upload portal on the order confirmation page — rather than by physical mail.
For most other federal documents issued on paper with wet or embossed seals, physical originals must be mailed to us.
Pricing
Apostille50 charges a flat USD 50.00 base service fee per order. Federal apostilles are USD 75.00 per apostille (not per page). To see the exact cost for your order, use the Build-A-Cart tool.
When Legalization Is Required Instead
If the destination country is not a member of the Hague Convention — such as several countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa — an apostille is not accepted. Instead, a full consular legalization process is required, which adds embassy authentication steps and typically additional fees. Apostille50 handles legalization as well.
