In accordance with 22 CFR, Part 131, the Office of Authentications provides signed certificates of authenticity for a variety of documents to individuals, institutions, and government agencies. Examples of documents that may require authentication for use abroad may include, but are not limited to, company bylaws, powers of attorney, trademarks, diplomas, treaties, warrants, extraditions, agreements, certificates of good standing, and courier letters.
The U.S. Department of State issues both Authentication and Apostille Certificates. The determination of which certificate is issued is based on the country in which the document will be used.. Authentication Certificates are issued for documents which are destined for use in non-participating Hague countries, and Apostille Certificates are issued for documents destined for use in participating Hague countries.
