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How to Verify a U.S. Apostille Is Genuine

Use the authority named in field 7, the certificate number in field 8, and the issue date in field 6. Search the authority's public register when one exists, or ask that office to confirm its registry entry.

51

state and D.C. authorities

13

public e-registers

3

fields needed first

Art. 7

registry requirement

The shortest reliable check

Do not decide from paper color, borders, or an embossed seal alone. U.S. apostilles vary by state and federal authority. The reliable test is whether the competent authority named on the certificate can match its number and date to the record it keeps under Article 7 of the Hague Apostille Convention.

Six-Point Check

Verify the certificate in this order

STEP 1

Identify the issuing authority

Read field 7, labeled By. It should name a state authority, the U.S. Department of State, Passport Services, or an authorized federal court clerk.

STEP 2

Read the certificate number

Field 8 contains the unique apostille or certificate number. Copy it exactly, including letters, spaces, and leading zeros.

STEP 3

Read the issue date

Field 6 contains the date. Most public e-registers require both the number and date to prevent open-ended searches.

STEP 4

Use the correct official register

Open the direct state lookup below if one is available. Do not enter document details into an unrelated third-party verification site.

STEP 5

Compare the returned record

The result should match the number, date, signer or underlying authority, and capacity shown on the document packet.

STEP 6

Contact the issuer if needed

No online result does not automatically mean fake. Older records and many U.S. authorities require a phone or written registry check.

State-by-State Directory

Find the authority that issued the apostille

Search all 50 states and the District of Columbia. States marked Public e-register have a direct online verification link published by the authority or listed by the Hague Conference. Other authorities verify through their office or published instructions.

51 of 51 authorities shown

Last verified: August 2026 · Source: HCCH U.S. Competent Authority directory

Federal Certificates

How federal documents are processed and verified

Apostilles.us can process most federal documents through our true copy path. FBI background checks can also use true copy, but acceptance is low, so we process FBI reports federally through the U.S. Department of State. Existing federal apostilles are verified with the authority named on the certificate.

Most federal documents

We process most federally issued records through a notarized true copy and state apostille path.

FBI background checks

Because true copy acceptance is low for FBI reports, we use the federal U.S. Department of State route.

Existing federal apostilles

Verify an existing certificate with the U.S. Department of State, Passport Services, or federal court clerk named in field 7.

What to Compare

The fields that should agree

An online hit is useful only when it matches the certificate and the attached public document.

6

Issue date

Must match the date used in the register search.

7

Issuing authority

Must be competent for the state, federal agency, consular record, or court involved.

8

Certificate number

Must match exactly. A close number is not a match.

9

Seal or stamp

Should belong to the authority named in field 7 and show no obvious alteration.

10

Authorized signature

Should be the issuing official's signature, not the signer of the underlying document.

2-4

Underlying signer and seal

Should describe the official, capacity, and seal on the document attached to the apostille.

Know the Limit

What verification proves, and what it does not

A successful check supports

  • That the named authority issued an apostille with that number and date
  • That the recorded signer, capacity, or seal aligns with the underlying public document
  • For some e-apostilles, that the digital file has not changed since issuance

It does not prove

  • That every statement inside the underlying document is true
  • That the receiving institution will accept the document for its intended purpose
  • That a photocopy, detached certificate, edited scan, or reassembled packet is valid
  • That the apostille came from the correct authority when the document was routed incorrectly
Tampering and Fraud

Stop and contact the issuer when you see these signs

The certificate number or date does not match the official record
Field 7 names an authority that does not issue apostilles for that jurisdiction or document
Pages appear detached, substituted, cropped, re-stapled, or digitally edited
The seal, signature, or numbered fields overlap obvious changes in font, spacing, or background
A seller asks you to verify through a private link instead of the issuing authority
The receiving party was sent only a scan when it requires the attached physical packet

Preserve the document as received. Do not remove staples, grommets, ribbons, or seals while investigating.

Electronic Apostilles

How to check an e-apostille PDF

An e-apostille is electronically signed and linked to the underlying public document. Check the authority's e-register when available, then inspect the PDF's digital signature status. A valid signature should identify the issuing authority, remain unrevoked, and show that the file has not been altered after signing.

  • Open the original PDF, not a print-to-PDF copy or screenshot
  • Inspect the digital signature panel in a PDF reader
  • Confirm the certificate chain identifies the issuing authority
  • Use the authority's e-register or contact details for an independent match
HCCH guidance on e-apostille verification
Identify the authority in field 7, then use that authority's official e-register if one exists. Enter the exact certificate number from field 8 and date from field 6. Compare the result with the signer, capacity, and seal on the attached document.
No. U.S. competent authorities keep separate registers. State documents are generally handled by a state authority, federal agency documents by the U.S. Department of State, and designated federal court records by court clerks.
Contact the issuing authority listed on the certificate. Provide the apostille number, issue date, underlying signer or agency, and a copy if requested. A missing public search tool does not make the apostille invalid.
Not by itself. The number or date may have been entered incorrectly, the record may predate the public system, or the authority may verify older certificates manually. Contact the issuing office before concluding that it is fraudulent.
Not on that basis. On the widely used notarized true copy pathway, the apostille is issued by the state where the certifying notary is commissioned, which is often not the state that issued the underlying document. The certificate is genuine if the authority named in field 7 confirms its number and date. If your receiving authority requires the apostille from the issuing state itself, that is a routing preference, not evidence of fraud.
The seal is one checkpoint, not the final test. Paper, colors, embossed marks, and layouts vary. Verify the certificate number and date against the issuing authority's register or office record.
No. The Hague Conference maintains Convention information and competent-authority details, but apostilles are issued and verified by the designated authority whose name appears on the certificate.
It confirms the origin of the apostille and the registry particulars, including number and date and generally the underlying signer's name and capacity or the authority whose seal appears. It does not certify that the document's contents are true.
For a federal agency document, contact the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications. For consular vital records, use Passport Services, Vital Records Section. For a federal court apostille, contact the clerk's office named on it.
No. Do not detach or disturb the certificate, staples, grommets, ribbon, seals, or attached pages. The connection between the apostille and the underlying document is part of the packet's integrity.

Understand the certificate

See an annotated apostille example

State vs federal apostille

Apostille requirements

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Start online with any document. We handle true copy, state, original, and federal processing from one order. FBI background checks use the federal route because true copy acceptance is low.

Trusted Nationwide · All 50 States + DC

This directory is an informational aid and does not replace confirmation by the issuing authority. Links and public search availability were checked against official authority pages and the Hague Conference directory on August 30, 2026. Apostilles.us is an independent service provider and cannot declare an existing third-party certificate authentic.

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