United States

Apostille in District of Columbia

Verified as of August 9, 2026

Everything below is transcribed from this office's own published sources and printed in its words. A value we could not confirm against an official page carries an unverified marker — but the absence of that marker is not a guarantee that a fact was checked, and the source's own doubts stay inside the notes reproduced here verbatim. Confirm fees, addresses and deadlines with the office before you send documents or money.

Who issues the apostille

Competent authority: Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia — Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications (ONCA)

Which documents this office will accept

From the source: Only documents notarized by a DC notary public OR certified/signed by a DC government agency Department Head (e.g., DC birth certificates, DC Public School diplomas, MPD FL-20 police clearances); court documents only if issued by DC Superior Court (marriage certificates, divorce decrees, etc.); most federal documents (FBI results, passports) not accepted — US Dept. of State handles those

Certifications you may need first

No additional certification step is required before the apostille.

The request form

Form: A PDF request form.
Where to get it: https://os.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/os/page_content/attachments/Mail-In%20Request%20for%20Authentications_Updated.pdf

Requesting online

Online route: There is no online request route — this office takes requests on paper.
From the source: No true portal — ONCA "Mail In Services Request Notification Form" (Microsoft Forms) is a notification step only; nap.os.dc.gov portal covers notary commissions

Where to go in person

Washington

ONCA, 899 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 8100, Washington, DC 20002

Access: Open for walk-in service.
Hours: Walk-in hours 9:00 AM–1:00 PM Mon–Fri (except holidays)
Same-day service: Available.
From the source: No appointment needed, first come first served; same-day processing

What it costs

Fee

$15.00 USD per document

"$15 per document" (apostilles, Department Head Certificates, Foreign Certificates)

How to pay

By mail

Check or money order.

In person

Check, money order, or card payment.

Make it payable to

DC Treasurer

Copy that exactly as written.

From the source

Payment must be drawn on a U.S. bank.

Walk-in: checks, money orders, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express (credit card in person); mail: "only checks or money orders" from a US financial institution in US dollars, payable to "DC Treasurer"

Where to send your documents

Mailing address: DC Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications (ONCA), 899 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 8100, Washington, DC 20002
From the source: Authentications page also prints "NW" in one instance; NE is the address used everywhere else

How long it takes

By mail: Mail: FAQ says "2-3 business days," Authentications page says returned to mail "in five (5) business days from receipt of completed requests"
In person: Walk-in: same day, "usually takes about 5-10 minutes"
From the source: No paid expedite option stated

Checking status and verifying an apostille

Verify an issued apostille: No public verification register is published for this office. That is not the same as an apostille being unverifiable — ask the office how it confirms one.
Check a request's status: No status-tracking page is published for this office.

Remote online notarization

Status

Remote online notarization is permitted here.

Legal basis

D.C. Code § 1-1231.13a (RULONA, D.C. Law 22-189), remote provisions added/amended by D.C. Law 24-178 (eff. Sept. 21, 2022) and D.C. Law 24-194 (eff. Dec. 13, 2022); implementing rules 17 DCMR 2416–2417 (per NNA, adopted Nov. 3 — year not confirmed on an official page) (unverified)

What the notary must register

No separate RON endorsement, but before the first remote act the notary must notify the Mayor and identify the technologies to be used (D.C. Code § 1-1231.13a(k); 17 DCMR 2416.1). Separate electronic-notary endorsement: $30 application fee + mandatory training (per NNA/E-Notary Handbook)

How the signer is identified

Personal knowledge (§ 1-1231.06(a)); or credible witness on oath/affirmation; or at least 2 different types of identity proofing (§ 1-1231.13a(b)(1)). Per 17 DCMR 2417 (via NNA): credential analysis (automated authenticity testing + visual comparison) and dynamic KBA (min. 5 questions, 80% pass, 5-minute window). Biometric not specified

Fee caps

Standard notarial act: $5.00 USD

No maximum fee is recorded here for a remote act. A missing cap is not the same as “no cap” — the reason is in the notes below.

From the source

Max RON fee: no statutory cap found; E-Notary Handbook: e-notaries "may charge a reasonable fee based on the electronic technology... if that fee is agreed to in advance... and itemized separately" (unverified whether a numeric RON cap exists in rules). "Notaries may charge up to $5 per notarial act" (ONCA FAQ). Conflict: DC E-Notary Handbook (July 2023) states "E-Notaries cannot notarize documents remotely in Washington, DC. At present, all parties are required to be present" — predates the remote-notarization rulemaking cited by NNA (17 DCMR 2416–2417); statute clearly authorizes remote acts

Every United States jurisdiction in this handbook

Other countries: Canada — Federal — Global Affairs Canada · Mexico — Federal — Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB)

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