States › District of Columbia
Apostille in District of Columbia
Issued by Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia, Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications (ONCA).
Verified against the official source on 2026-11-02Where is your District of Columbia document going?
Pick the country to see whether it accepts the apostille or needs consular legalization.
How to apply
| Ways to apply | By mailWalk-in |
|---|---|
| Office | Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia, Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications (ONCA) |
| Walk-in address | 899 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 8100, Washington, DC 20002 (walk-in hours 9 AM - 1 PM, Mon-Fri, no appointment needed) |
| Mailing address | Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications, 899 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 8100, Washington, DC 20002 |
| Payment accepted | check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express |
| Notarization or prior certification | ONCA does not notarize. It authenticates only documents notarized by a DC notary public or certified by a DC Department Head. Most federal documents (FBI fingerprints, original passports), Birth Abroad certificates and documents not notarized by a DC notary are not accepted. DC Superior Court documents require a certified copy from the court. |
| Common documents | DC birth certificates, DC public school diplomas, MPD FL-20 police clearances, DC Superior Court marriage certificates, DC Superior Court divorce decrees and other court documents, DC-notarized copies of foreign birth/marriage certificates or passports |
| Fee details | "The cost is $15 per document." |
| Processing time (official wording) | Mail-in: "Requests are usually processed in 2-3 business days" (plus carrier transit). Walk-in: about 5-10 minutes. |
| Phone | (202) 727-3117 |
Source
https://os.dc.gov/page/authentications-frequently-asked-questions
Editor's note
Card payments accepted walk-in only; mail-in accepts only checks or money orders in US dollars drawn on a US bank, payable to "DC Treasurer". Cash is never accepted. Mail-in requests must include the printed request form and a pre-paid, self-addressed return envelope or they will not be processed. An email address is present on the page but obfuscated in the HTML, so it could not be captured. Office hours 8:15 AM - 4:45 PM Mon-Fri; walk-in window 9 AM - 1 PM.