Do Naturalization Records, NARA Records and USCIS Documents Need a State or Federal Apostille?

Why naturalization follows the federal route, not the state route

The naturalization certificate is issued by USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services), a federal government agency, not a state. That's why its apostille goes through the U.S. Department of State, the same federal authority that apostilles other documents issued by federal agencies, courts, or officials. No state, including the state where you currently reside, has authority to apostille a naturalization certificate, and the reverse is also true: the State Department doesn't apostille state vital records.

The step that makes this process different: the Certified True Copy

Before sending a naturalization certificate for apostille, it's generally necessary to obtain what USCIS calls a "Certified True Copy." This step requires scheduling an in-person appointment at a local USCIS office, showing up with the original document and a photocopy, and requesting that certified copy directly from the agency. The State Department refers to this same step, in its own terminology, as authentication. Only after completing this in-person step can the document be sent to the State Department's Office of Authentications for the apostille.

Why this process is more hands-on than a state vital record

Most state vital records can be requested by mail, online, or through an authorized third party, without the requester needing to show up in person at any office. The naturalization certificate is different: the Certified True Copy step requires an in-person appointment at a USCIS office, which adds scheduling time and, in some cases, wait time that doesn't apply to state processes. If your file combines state vital records with a naturalization certificate, keep in mind the naturalization step will likely set the pace for the whole file.

NARA and the records it holds

The National Archives (NARA) holds certain federal documents, and certified copies of those documents are also apostilled through the U.S. Department of State, following the same federal route as a naturalization certificate. However, it's important not to assume NARA routinely holds a living person's current naturalization certificate: that type of certificate generally isn't part of the federal court record holdings NARA maintains as standard practice.

Genealogical naturalization research: a different process

For people researching historical naturalization records for genealogical purposes, USCIS runs a Genealogy Program that's separate from the Certified True Copy process used for a current certificate. If your interest is researching a deceased ancestor's naturalization rather than authenticating your own current certificate, this genealogy program is the correct avenue, and it shouldn't be confused with the apostille process described here.

How it combines with state records in the same file

If your citizenship file combines a naturalization certificate with state vital records, each document follows its own route entirely independently: the vital records go through the state that issued them, and the naturalization certificate goes through USCIS first and then the State Department. We go into more detail on this scenario, including cases with documents from multiple states, in our guide to multi-state citizenship documents, and we explain the general state vs. federal authority principle in this guide.

We can guide you through the Certified True Copy step and coordinate the apostille once you have it. See our dual citizenship apostille page for more on how we coordinate files with both state and federal documents.