The United States of America has competent authorities to issue the apostille certificate. The US Department of State Authentication Office affixes apostles to documents issued by Federal agencies of the United States.
The US Department of State, Office of Consular Affairs, Passport Services, Vital Records Section affixes apostles to Consular Reports of Birth, Death and Marriage or US Citizens and Government.
The Clerks and Deputy Clerks of the United States of America are authorized to issue apostilles on documents issued by those courts. As an alternative, the US Department of Justice may authenticate the US Department of State's Authentications Office for an apostille on that seal.
Public documents issued by US states, the District of Columbia and other US jurisdictions may be legalized with an apostille by designated authorities in any jurisdiction, generally the state Secretary of State's office.
I. Authentication Officer, Acting Authentication Officer and Assistant Authentication Officer, United States Department of State.
Contact details:
518 23rd Street NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20520
United States of America
General website (see also "Practical Information") :
II. All clerks and deputy clerks for the following:
Supreme Court of the United States
United States Court of Claims
US Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
United States Court of International Trade
United States Courts of Appeals for the following circuits:
District of Columbia Circuit
First Circuit
Second Circuit
Third Circuit
Fourth Circuit
Fifth Circuit
Sixth Circuit
Seventh Circuit
Eighth Circuit
Ninth Circuit
Tenth Circuit
Eleventh Circuit
United States District Courts for the following districts:
Middle District of Alabama
Northern District of Alabama
Southern District of Alabama
District of Alaska
District of Arizona
Eastern District of Arkansas
Western District of Arkansas
Central District of California
Eastern District of California
Northern District of California
Southern District California
District of Colorado
District of Connecticut
District of Delaware
District of Columbia
Middle District of Florida
Northern District of Florida
Southern District of Florida
Middle District of Georgia *
Northern District of Georgia *
Southern District of Georgia *
District of Hawaii
District of Idaho
Central District of Illinois
Northern District of Illinois
Southern District of Illinois
Northern District of Indiana
Southern District of Indiana
Northern District of Iowa
Southern District of Iowa
District of Kansas
Eastern District of Kentucky
Western District of Kentucky
Eastern District of Louisiana
Middle District of Louisiana
Western District of Louisiana
District of Maine
District of Maryland
District of Massachusetts
Eastern District of Michigan
Western District of Michigan,
District of Minnesota
Northern District of Mississippi
Southern District of Mississippi
Eastern District of Missouri
Western District of Missouri
District of Montana
District of Nebraska
District of Nevada
District of New Hampshire
District of New Jersey
District of New Mexico
Eastern District of New York
Northern District of New York
Southern District of New York
Western District of New York
Eastern District of North Carolina
Middle District of North Carolina
Western District of North Carolina
District of North Dakota
Northern District of Ohio
Southern District of Ohio
Eastern District of Oklahoma
Northern District of Oklahoma
Western District of Oklahoma
District of Oregon
Eastern District of Pennsylvania,
Middle District of Pennsylvania
Western District of Pennsylvania
District of Puerto Rico
District of Rhode Island
District of South Carolina
District of South Dakota
Eastern District of Tennessee
Middle District of Tennessee
Western District of Tennessee
Western District of Texas
Southern District of Texas
Southern District of Texas
Western District of Texas
District of Utah
District of Vermont
Eastern District of Virginia
Western District of Virginia (W)
Eastern District of Washington
Western District of Washington Western
District of Western Virginia
Southern District of Western Virginia
Western District of Wisconsin
Western District of Wisconsin
District of Wyoming
District Courts for the following territories:
The
District Court of Guam
District Court District Court of Guam District Court
District Court of the Virgin Islands
A short, all-encompassing and more manageable description for II would be:
"Clerks and deputy clerks of the
United States : the Supreme Court of the United States, the Courts of Appeals for the First through the Eleventh Circuits and the District of Columbia Circuit, the United States District Courts, the United States Court of Claims, the United States Court of Appeals, the United States Court of International Trade, the United States District Court of the Canal Zone, the District Court of Guam, the District Court of the Virgin Islands, and the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. "
Contact details:
III. Officers of the individual States and other subdivisions as indicated:
| Alabama: | Secretary of State www.sos.state.al.us/AdminServices/Authentications.aspx |
| Alaska: | Lieutenant Governor; Attorney General and Clerk of the Appellate Courts http://apostille.alaska.gov |
| Arizona: | Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State www.azsos.gov/business_services/notary/Apostille.htm |
| Arkansas: | Secretary of State; Chief Deputy Secretary of State sos.arkansas.gov/BCS/Pages/apostilleCertification.aspx e-Register: http://bcs.sos.arkansas.gov/AuthenticationSearch/ApostilleCertificateSearch |
| California: | Secretary of State; any Assistant Secretary of State; any Deputy Secretary of State http://www.sos.ca.gov/notary/authentication/ e-Register: https://apostille-search.sos.ca.gov/ |
| Colorado: | Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/notary/apostilleHelp.html e-Register: http://bcs.sos.arkansas.gov/AuthenticationSearch/ApostilleCertificateSearch |
| Connecticut:* | Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State; Director, Commercial Recording Division www.sots.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3177&q=392130&SOTSNav_GID=1844 |
| Delaware: | Secretary of State; Acting Secretary of State http://corp.delaware.gov/apost_info.shtml http://corp.delaware.gov/reqguide.shtml e-Register: https://icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/ValidateCert/ValidateCertificate.aspx |
| Florida: | Secretary of State http://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/other-services/apostille-notarial-certification/ |
| Georgia: * | Georgia Superior Courts Clerks' Cooperative Authority 1875 Century Blvd. Ste. 100 Atlanta, GA 30345 404-327-6023 [email protected] / * * / Contact person: Peter Keesom http://www.gsccca.org/projects/apost.asp |
| Hawaii: | Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawaii http://ltgov.hawaii.gov/the-office/apostilles-and-certifications/ |
| Idaho: | Secretary of State; Chief Deputy Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State; Notary Public Clerk http://www.sos.idaho.gov/notary/apostill.htm |
| Illinois: | Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State cookcountyclerk.com/vitalrecords/authenticatingnotaries/pages/default.aspx |
| American Samoa: | Secretary of American Samoa; Attorney General of American Samoa |
| District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.): | Executive Secretary; Assistant Executive Secretary; Mayor's Special Assistant and Assistant to the Executive Secretary; Secretary of the District of Columbia https://os.dc.gov/service/notary-and-authentication-services |
| Guam (Territory of): | Director, Department of Administration; Acting Director, Department of Administration; Deputy Director, Department of Administration; Acting Deputy Director, Department of Administration |
| Northern Mariana Islands (Commonwealth of the): | Attorney General; Acting Attorney General; Clerk of the Court, Commonwealth Trial Court; Deputy Clerk, Commonwealth Trial Court |
| Puerto Rico (Commonwealth of): | Under Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State for External Affairs; Assistant Secretary of State; Chief, Certifications Office; Director, Office of Protocol; Assistant Secretary of State for International Affairs, Chief, Certification Office |
| Virgin Islands of the United States | no authority designated". |
* By Note dated 12 December 1997, the Embassy of the United States of America in The Hague informed the depositary that in accordance with Article 6, paragraph 2, the Legislature of the State of Georgia has designated the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority as the only appropriate entity to issue apostilles in the state of Georgia effective 1 February 1998.
By communication dated 2 November 2006, the State Department informed the Permanent Bureau that for New Jersey, the competent authority is now the New Jersey Division of Revenue.
By communication dated 3 August 2009, the Embassy of the United States of America in The Hague informed the depositary of additional competent authorities for the state of Connecticut.
Contact details:
| Full contact details: | Competent authorities - Secretary of State (NASS website) |
Practical Information:
The US Department of State Authentication Office charges $ 8.00 per document.
The US Department of State, Passport Services, Vital Records Office charges no fee for issuance or an apostille on a document bearing the seal of a US embassy or consulate.
The fees charged by individual US states vary, ranging from US $ 3 to US $ 20.
This page was last updated on: 13 May 2024