District of Columbia Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in District of Columbia
What District of Columbia requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- District of Columbia Office of the Secretary
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- Not yet researched
- Typical time
- About one to two business days for DC-issued documents
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What District of Columbia requires of the document
- Do not confuse the DC Office of the Secretary with the U.S. Department of State. The District authenticates documents issued in the District; federal documents go to the federal Office of Authentications.
Where to send it
We have not established District of Columbia’s current fee and address from a source that quotes the issuing office directly, and we will not copy one from an industry compilation. Check the official page below. Everything else on this page, including the county-step answer and the issuing authority, still applies.
After the state
If the destination is in the Hague Apostille Convention, the state apostille ends the chain. If it is not, the document then needs U.S. Department of State authentication and legalisation by that country’s mission.
Questions people actually ask
Does District of Columbia require a county clerk certification first?
No. District of Columbia is not among the seven states that insert a county-level step, so a properly notarised document goes directly to the Secretary of State.
I live elsewhere but my document is from District of Columbia. Where does it go?
To District of Columbia. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can District of Columbia authenticate my FBI background check?
No. An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document and no state can certify a federal signature. It goes straight to the U.S. Department of State.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
