State vs. Federal Apostille —
Which Office Handles Yours?
The United States has 51 different apostille authorities: the US Department of State for federal documents, and a Secretary of State in each state for everything else. Sending your document to the wrong one is the most common — and most expensive — apostille mistake. Here's the routing, document by document.
The One Rule
Whoever issued the document decides who apostilles it. Federal agency (FBI, USCIS) → US Department of State, Washington, DC. State or county official (registrar, notary, court clerk) → that state's Secretary of State.
Where Each Document Goes
| Document | Route | Apostille Office |
|---|---|---|
| FBI background check (Identity History Summary / PCC) | Federal | US Dept of State, Washington DC |
| US Certificate of Naturalization | Federal | US Dept of State, Washington DC |
| Federal court documents, IRS records, USDA/FDA certificates | Federal | US Dept of State, Washington DC |
| Birth certificate (incl. OCI for US-born children) | State | Issuing state's Secretary of State |
| Marriage certificate | State | Issuing state's Secretary of State |
| Degree, diploma & transcripts | State | University state's Secretary of State (via notary) |
| Divorce decree | State | Court clerk copy → state's Secretary of State |
| Power of attorney, affidavits, business documents | State | Notarized → that state's Secretary of State |
Federal route is our specialty — we submit in person at the US Department of State counter. State-route documents are dispatched to the correct Secretary of State from our US base.
The Cost of Getting the Route Wrong
Government apostille offices don't forward misdirected documents — they return them. From India, that means your original makes a six-week round trip and comes back with nothing attached, and you pay international courier twice for the privilege. The two most common wrong turns we see: FBI PCCs mailed to a state Secretary of State (states can't touch federal documents), and birth certificates mailed to Washington, DC (the State Department has no authority over state records).
There's also a subtler trap on the state route: which state. A degree is apostilled in the university's state, not where you lived. A birth certificate goes to the state that issued the certified copy. When documents from multiple states are involved, each needs its own Secretary of State — we run those chains in parallel from one shipment.
Free Route Check
Send us photos of your documents on WhatsApp before you ship anything — we confirm the exact office (and state) each one needs, for free. It's the 30-second check that saves the six-week mistake.
State vs. Federal — Common Questions
How do I tell at a glance whether my document is state or federal?
What happens if I send a state document to Washington, DC?
My FBI PCC and my California birth certificate both need apostilles. Two separate processes?
Why do degrees need a notary first when birth certificates don't?
Are the fees and timelines different between the two routes?
Which state office handles a birth certificate for an OCI application?
Not Sure Which Route
Your Document Takes?
WhatsApp us photos of your documents — we confirm the exact office each one needs and quote flat pricing, free.
Free Route Check on WhatsApp2-hour response · Mon–Sat 9AM–8PM IST