Federal Apostille & Authentication Services | Washington DC | NY Notary Public Services

NY Notary Public Services provides expedited Federal Apostille and Authentication services for eligible U.S. federal documents processed through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC.

Federal documents follow a different authentication process than state-issued records. Through our Washington, DC team, we coordinate physical hand-delivery and retrieval at the U.S. Department of State rather than relying on the standard mail-in submission and return process.

We serve clients throughout the United States and internationally for employment, immigration, residency, business, academic, and legal matters. Send us your document as a PDF for an eligibility review and a current processing estimate.

Federal Documents We Commonly Process

• FBI Identity History Summary Reports (FBI background checks) for overseas employment, residency, immigration, and other international requirements
• Certificates of Naturalization and Certificates of Citizenship — subject to document-specific federal requirements and acceptance for authentication; please send a copy for review before mailing an original
• Federal court documents issued or certified by U.S. federal courts, where eligible
• U.S. trademark and patent records and other eligible federal agency documents
• Social Security Administration letters, when issued in an acceptable format
• Other federal agency documents, subject to review of the issuing authority, certification, and intended destination

Not every document mentioning a federal agency qualifies automatically. We review the issuing authority and document format to identify the appropriate apostille or authentication process.

Related: FBI Background Check Apostille Services | State Apostille Services

In-Person Submission and Retrieval in Washington, DC

Our Washington, DC team physically delivers eligible federal documents to the U.S. Department of State and retrieves the completed documents. This removes the inbound and outbound mail transit associated with standard mail-in processing and allows us to coordinate each stage more closely.

We provide an estimated processing window after reviewing your documents. Once submitted, we can share the agency's expected return timeframe when available; any projected completion date remains subject to agency review and operations.

Expedited Processing vs. Standard Mail-In Processing

• Our expedited service: approximately 12–14 business days, with physical submission and retrieval in Washington, DC
• Standard mail-in authentication: currently estimated at approximately 5–8 weeks
• Both options: subject to document eligibility, U.S. Department of State review, approval, and processing volume

The appropriate approach depends on your destination country's requirements, document type, and deadline. Tell us your deadline when requesting a quote.

Why Expedited Processing Matters for FBI Background Checks

Many overseas authorities, immigration programs, and employers require FBI Identity History Summary Reports to have been issued recently—often within the preceding three months or 90 days. The exact acceptance period depends on the country, application, and receiving authority.

When the receiving authority measures that period from the FBI report's issue date, a lengthy authentication process can use up valuable time before the document is submitted abroad. Our estimated 12–14-business-day expedited service can help preserve more of that acceptance window compared with a standard mail-in process.

An apostille does not automatically extend an FBI report's acceptance period, and expedited service cannot guarantee a foreign deadline will be met. We recommend confirming the receiving authority's document-age requirements before beginning.

Need an FBI apostille? See our FBI Background Check Apostille Services page or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Federal Apostille vs. Federal Authentication

For eligible U.S. federal documents intended for countries participating in the Hague Apostille Convention, the U.S. Department of State may issue a federal apostille. Documents intended for non-Hague countries may instead require federal authentication followed by additional embassy or consulate legalization, depending on the receiving authority.

We coordinate the applicable process based on the destination and document. For additional legalization steps, see Embassy & Consulate Legalization Services.

Complete Authentication & Embassy Legalization for Non-Hague Countries

For documents intended for countries that do not participate in the Hague Apostille Convention, a multi-step authentication and legalization process may be required. Depending on the document, issuing authority, and destination country, this may include:

1. State-level authentication: Authentication through the appropriate Secretary of State for eligible state-issued or notarized documents.
2. Federal authentication: Authentication through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, when required.
3. Embassy or consulate legalization: Legalization by the destination country's embassy or consulate, when required.

NY Notary Public Services can coordinate all three stages, providing one point of contact for document review, authentication, legalization, and final shipping. This can be especially useful for corporate records, notarized affidavits, and other documents prepared for international use.

Not every document requires all three stages. Documents issued directly by federal agencies generally do not require state-level authentication. We review the document and destination-country requirements before recommending the appropriate sequence.

Need the full legalization chain? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or explore our Embassy & Consulate Legalization Services.

Federal vs. State Apostille

Federal apostilles and authentications generally concern eligible documents issued by U.S. federal agencies or federal courts. State-issued documents—such as state birth and marriage certificates, state court records, and documents notarized under state law—typically follow the applicable state apostille process.

State-level services: New York & Multi-State Apostille Services | Multi-State Apostille Services

How Our Federal Apostille Service Works

1. Email your document as a PDF. Include the destination country and any filing or expiration deadline.
2. We review eligibility and requirements. We confirm the likely federal process and advise whether a physical original or other documentation is needed.
3. We coordinate expedited submission. Our Washington, DC team physically delivers the eligible documents to the U.S. Department of State.
4. We retrieve completed documents. Once processing is complete, our team physically collects the documents.
5. We arrange delivery. We can provide a completion scan when appropriate and coordinate domestic or international shipping. Shipping is quoted separately; clients may also provide a prepaid label.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does expedited federal apostille processing take?

Our current expedited service is estimated at approximately 12–14 business days. The estimate is subject to U.S. Department of State review, approval, processing volume, and agency operations; it is not a guaranteed completion date.

How is your service different from mailing documents to the U.S. Department of State?

Our Washington, DC team physically delivers eligible documents and retrieves them after processing. This avoids the inbound and outbound mailing stages of standard mail-in service, which is currently estimated at approximately 5–8 weeks.

Why is expedited processing important for FBI background checks?

Some foreign authorities require an FBI report issued within the past three months or 90 days. If the acceptance window begins on the FBI issue date, faster apostille processing may preserve more time for the overseas application. Always confirm the receiving authority's specific rule.

Can you process federal documents for clients outside New York?

Yes. We assist clients nationwide and internationally. Federal authentication is handled through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, regardless of where the client lives.

Can I send you a PDF instead of mailing an original?

Please email a PDF for our initial review. Whether a PDF is sufficient for processing or a physical original or certified document is required depends on the federal document and its issuing authority. We will advise you before you send anything.

Can you apostille Certificates of Naturalization or Citizenship?

These documents have special federal handling requirements. Send us a copy and the destination country's instructions for review; do not mail an original certificate until we confirm the appropriate procedure.

What if my destination country does not accept Hague apostilles?

Federal authentication and additional embassy or consulate legalization may be required. We can review the destination and coordinate eligible steps. See our Embassy & Consulate Legalization page.

Can you ship the completed documents overseas?

Yes. We coordinate domestic and international shipping, quoted separately at the current courier rate. You are welcome to provide your own prepaid shipping label.

Start With Federal Document Review