---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 C.F.R. § 92.39"
title: "22"
number: "92.39"
heading: "Authenticating foreign public documents (Federal procedures)."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/22/92.39"
---

# §92.39. Authenticating foreign public documents (Federal procedures).

- (a) A copy of a foreign public document intended to be used as evidence within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government of the United States must be authenticated in accordance with the provisions of [section 1](/cfr/22/1.md) of the act of June 25, 1948, as amended (sec. [1](/cfr/22/1.md), [62](/cfr/22/62.md) Stat. 948, sec. [92(b)](/cfr/22/92.md?p=b), [63](/cfr/22/63.md) Stat. 103; [28 U.S.C. 1741](/usc/28/1741.md)). This provision of Federal law provides that a copy of any foreign document of record, or on file in a public office of a foreign country or political subdivision thereof, if certified, by the lawful custodian thereof, may be admitted in evidence when authenticated by a certificate of a United States consular officer resident in the foreign country, under the seal of his office.
- (b) The consular officer's certificate should indicate that the copy has been certified by the lawful custodian.
- (c) In the absence of a consular officer of the United States as an officer resident in the State of the Vatican City, a copy of any document of record or on file in a public office of said State of the Vatican City, certified by the lawful custodian of such document may be authenticated by a consular officer of the United States resident in Rome, Italy ([22 U.S.C. 1204](/usc/22/1204.md)).

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2651a, 2656, 4215 and 4221.

### Source

Source: 22 FR 10858, Dec. 27, 1957, unless otherwise noted.