How to Apostille and Authenticate Documents in New York: The Complete 2026 Guide

October 13, 2026 · DC Mobile Notary™ — New York, NY

Quick answer

Most New York documents are apostilled by the New York Department of State for $10 per document. Notarized documents, school records and vital records issued by a county or by New York City must first be certified by a County Clerk ($3), and New York City birth and death certificates also need a Letter of Exemplification. Federal documents — FBI background checks, USCIS records, IRS letters — are apostilled only by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. For countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention, documents need embassy or consulate legalization instead.

DC Mobile Notary™ now has a Manhattan office at 200 Vesey Street, 24th Floor, Suite 24211, New York, NY 10281. With 10 years of experience, we authenticate any document from anywhere in New York: New York State apostilles, federal apostilles, embassy and consulate legalization, certified translation and live scan fingerprinting. Call 202-247-0837.

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Our New York office

We've handled document authentication from Washington, DC since 2016. Our Manhattan office brings the same team and process to New York, in Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan — minutes from the New York County Clerk and the New York Department of State's walk-in office.

DC Mobile Notary™ — New York
200 Vesey Street, 24th Floor, Suite 24211, New York, NY 10281
Phone: 202-247-0837 | Email: support@dcmobilenotary.com

Call 202-247-0837 to arrange a drop-off or appointment. In New York, we handle:

• New York State apostilles and certificates of authentication
• Federal apostilles from the U.S. Department of State — see our federal apostille services
• Embassy and consulate legalization (attestation) for non-Hague countries — see embassy legalization
• Certified translation in 20+ languages — see translation services
• Live scan fingerprinting for FBI background checks — see fingerprinting services
• Mobile and remote notarization — see mobile notary services

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Which office authenticates your New York document?

The right route depends on who issued or signed your document. Send it to the wrong office and it comes back unprocessed.

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How to get a New York State apostille, step by step

1. Get the right version of the document. A certified copy with an original signature — for NYC birth and death certificates, ordered with a Letter of Exemplification.
2. County Clerk certification, if your document needs it. The County Clerk certifies the notary's or local official's signature. In Manhattan that's the New York County Clerk at 60 Centre Street, and the fee is $3.
3. New York Department of State. The Department of State issues an apostille for Hague Convention countries or a certificate of authentication for everywhere else. The fee is $10 per document.

In person or by mail. The Department of State offers same-day walk-in service in New York City at 123 William Street, 2nd Floor, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, limited to 10 documents per customer. Mailed requests go to Albany and are returned by first-class mail unless you include a prepaid overnight label.

Because both the County Clerk and the Department of State offer in-person service in Lower Manhattan, minutes from our office, a New York State apostille can often be completed the same day once your document is ready. We walk it through for you.

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New York City birth, death and marriage certificates

NYC vital records are where most New Yorkers get stuck, because the city and the state issue records separately.

• Birth and death certificates from the five boroughs come from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. For an apostille, they must be ordered with a Letter of Exemplification. Without it, the County Clerk can't certify the record and you have to order it again.
• Marriage records come from the NYC Marriage Bureau (Office of the City Clerk) and are then certified by the New York County Clerk before the Department of State.
• Check who actually issued your certificate. Every New York vital record says "New York State" at the top, so look at the signature and certification to see whether it came from the city, a local registrar or the State Department of Health — each takes a different route.

We order the correct version, add the Letter of Exemplification where it's required and take the record through the County Clerk and the Department of State.

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Federal apostilles for New Yorkers

FBI background checks, USCIS certificates, NARA naturalization records, IRS Form 6166 and Social Security letters are federal documents. Only the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, DC can apostille them — the New York Department of State can't.

This is where our DC base matters. We hand-deliver federal documents to the U.S. Department of State ourselves. Our expedited federal turnaround is 9 business days; the standard mail-in route runs 5+ weeks. Drop your documents at our Manhattan office and we handle the rest. More in our guide to federal apostilles for New York residents and our FBI background check apostille in NYC.

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Embassy and consulate legalization from New York

If the country receiving your document isn't a member of the Hague Apostille Convention — the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and others — an apostille won't be accepted. The document needs legalization, also called attestation:

1. County Clerk certification, where required.
2. A certificate of authentication from the New York Department of State (instead of an apostille).
3. U.S. Department of State authentication in Washington, DC.
4. Embassy or consulate legalization — at the country's embassy in Washington, DC or its consulate in New York, depending on the country.

Membership changes: Vietnam's apostille membership took effect September 11, 2026, and Thailand's takes effect February 28, 2027. We check the current status on every order. For the UAE, see our UAE legalization and attestation services.

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Certified translation

Many countries require a certified translation of your document, and some require it at a specific point in the chain — before the authentication or after. We provide certified translation in 20+ languages and coordinate it with your apostille or legalization so everything arrives as one accepted set. See our translation services.

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Live scan fingerprinting for FBI background checks

Need an FBI background check for a visa, residency or a job abroad? We take your fingerprints by live scan and submit them electronically through an FBI-approved channeler, or on a traditional FD-258 card. When your results arrive, we can take the FBI background check straight to the U.S. Department of State for the federal apostille. See our fingerprinting services.

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Any document, anywhere in New York

Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester, Albany, Buffalo — wherever your document was issued or wherever you are in the state, we can handle it:

• Drop off at our Manhattan office.
• Mail your documents to us.
• Meet a mobile notary in person in New York, or sign by remote online notarization from anywhere, subject to identity verification.
• Get it delivered anywhere in the U.S. or internationally.

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Common New York apostille mistakes

• Sending a notarized document straight to the Department of State. It needs County Clerk certification first.
• Going to the wrong County Clerk. It must be the clerk of the county where the notary is qualified.
• An NYC birth or death certificate without a Letter of Exemplification.
• Sending an FBI background check to the New York Department of State. Federal documents go to the U.S. Department of State.
• Getting an apostille for a country that needs legalization, such as the UAE or Qatar.
• Leaving off the credit card security code. The Department of State now requires the CVV on its request form, and requests without it can be rejected and returned.

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Why New Yorkers choose DC Mobile Notary

We're the fastest, easiest way to get any document authenticated in New York. We've been doing this for 10 years — more than 100,000 documents for use in 90+ countries — with an A+ BBB rating and a 4.9-star average across Google, Yelp and Trustpilot.

Most providers handle one piece. We handle all of it under one roof: New York State apostilles in Manhattan, federal apostilles hand-delivered in Washington, DC, embassy and consulate legalization, certified translation and live scan fingerprinting. One call, one team, one point of contact.

DC Mobile Notary™ — New York
200 Vesey Street, 24th Floor, Suite 24211, New York, NY 10281
Phone: 202-247-0837 | Email: support@dcmobilenotary.com

→ Free 24-hour pre-check
→ Apostille services
→ Nationwide apostille services

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Frequently asked questions

How much does an apostille cost in New York?
The New York Department of State charges $10 per document. If the document needs County Clerk certification first, the County Clerk charges $3. Federal apostilles from the U.S. Department of State cost $20 per document in government fees.

Where do I get an apostille in New York City?
The New York Department of State has a walk-in office at 123 William Street, 2nd Floor, in Lower Manhattan, with same-day service on weekdays. DC Mobile Notary's Manhattan office at 200 Vesey Street can handle the entire process for you.

Does a notarized document need County Clerk certification in New York?
Yes. A notarized document must be certified by the County Clerk of the county where the notary is qualified before the New York Department of State will apostille it.

How do I apostille an NYC birth certificate?
Order the birth certificate from the NYC Department of Health with a Letter of Exemplification, have it certified by the New York County Clerk, then submit it to the New York Department of State for the apostille.

Can the New York Department of State apostille an FBI background check?
No. An FBI background check is a federal document and must be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. We hand-deliver it there, with an expedited turnaround of 9 business days.

How long does a New York apostille take?
The Department of State offers same-day walk-in service in New York City, so a New York State apostille can often be completed the same day once the document is ready. Mailed requests take longer. Federal apostilles take 9 business days through us, or 5+ weeks by mail.

Do you offer embassy legalization from New York?
Yes. For non-Hague countries, we handle the New York certificate of authentication, the U.S. Department of State and the embassy or consulate step.

Do you offer live scan fingerprinting in New York?
Yes. We take fingerprints for FBI background checks by live scan, submitted electronically through an FBI-approved channeler, or on FD-258 cards, and can apostille the results.

Do you have an office in New York?
Yes. DC Mobile Notary's New York office is at 200 Vesey Street, 24th Floor, Suite 24211, New York, NY 10281. Call 202-247-0837.

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Official sources

• New York Department of State — Apostille or Certificate of Authentication: https://dos.ny.gov/apostille-certificate-authentication
• New York County Clerk — Official verification of name (apostille step): https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courts/1jd/supctmanh/OfficialVON.shtml
• U.S. Department of State — Requesting authentication services: https://travel.state.gov/en/replace-certify/authenticate-documents/request-services.html
• HCCH — Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41

This article is general information about document authentication procedures, not legal advice. Government fees, hours and requirements change. Confirm what your receiving authority requires before you submit.