Authenticate Initial Document For Free

Apostille or Authentication of a Passport Get an Authentication from the Secretary of State in your state. Get an Authentication from the U.S. Department of State. (if required) Get a Legalization from the Embassy.

In regards to contracts or other documents, authentication means to sign or to execute the document. Authentication commonly refers to providing sufficient evidence for a reasonable juror to conclude that the evidence a party seeks to admit is what that party claims it to be.

Apostilles authenticate the seals and signatures of officials on public documents such as birth certificates, court orders, or any other document issued by a federal agency or certified by a U.S. or foreign consul.

An apostille is for documents to be used in countries that participate in the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty. Authentication certificates are for documents to be used in countries that do not participate in the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty.

Must be certified with a stamp or seal by a notary public. Must be certified by the clerk of court from the county in which the notary is commissioned. Must be certified by the Secretary of State from the state in which the document was executed.

Authentication involves having the documents in question notarized (a sealed certificate that confirms the authority of a public official, usually a notary public), reviewed by state or county officials, then certified by State Department officials.

Contact the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications at 202-485-8000. Physical address: 600 19th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006.