Criminal Background Check Apostille — All 50 States
Every year, US citizens and residents need their Criminal Background Check apostilled for overseas use in immigration, employment, and legal proceedings. This certification certifies that the document's seals and signatures are from legitimate authorized officials. Without this certification, foreign governments will not accept your Criminal Background Check regardless of how genuine it is.
Find Criminal Background Check Apostille Requirements by State
What Is a Criminal Background Check Apostille?
The Criminal Background Check apostille process is increasingly requested as more Americans move abroad. Overseas government agencies set strict requirements about which US documents they will accept. The Hague certificate is the only form of US document authentication that satisfies these requirements. Your document without an apostille will not be processed.
Many people assume that a certified copy is sufficient for international use. This assumption is incorrect. A notarization simply witnesses a signature at the local level. It carries no international legal weight. A Criminal Background Check apostille, on the other hand, is an internationally binding certificate that overseas institutions cannot reject on authentication grounds. The apostille is what transforms a domestic document into a document that is valid internationally.
Consulates and immigration offices in most countries specify a recency window for accepted apostilles. Federal background documents, especially, must often be dated within 6 months of the consulate appointment. Vital record apostilles generally have no expiration on the apostille itself, but individual country requirements vary. We confirm destination-country validity requirements when you contact us.
Which US Authority Apostilles Your Document?
The most commonly misunderstood aspect of getting your Criminal Background Check apostilled is determining which US government authority is authorized to apostille it. In the United States, there are two separate authentication tracks: the state track and the federal track. Federal documents — like the Criminal Background Check — must go to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. Routing your document incorrectly is the most common and most costly apostille mistake.
The Global Apostille Network handles both the state and federal apostille tracks. When you submit a document to us, our team determines exactly which government office has jurisdiction. This prevents the costly mistake of routing to the wrong office. Our courier network covers both state apostille offices across all 50 states and the US Department of State in DC.
Why there are two separate apostille tracks is rooted in how US jurisdiction works. The state-level apostille authority can only certify the seals and signatures of that state's government officials. It cannot certify records issued by federal agencies. Authenticating federal records belongs exclusively to the federal authentication office in Washington D.C.
Why Local Offices Cannot Help
Some applicants wonder whether digital authentication services can replace the physical process. The United States has not implemented e-apostilles for most document types. Apostilles for US documents are physical certificates attached to the original document. Any website offering an online-only apostille for US documents should be treated with extreme caution.
Most first-time applicants first try local document services. None of these can issue an apostille. A notary public is authorized by the state to witness signatures and verify identity. They are explicitly not designated apostille authorities. The legal authority to issue an apostille is vested exclusively in designated government offices only.
The physical submission requirement means you cannot email or fax a document for apostille. The physical Criminal Background Check itself must travel to the government office. This is why turnaround time is measured in weeks for mail-in submissions and days when a courier physically delivers. The only variable you control is how the document reaches the apostille office: postal mail takes weeks in transit each way.
Step-by-Step: Getting Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled
Getting a Criminal Background Check apostilled is a physical process, not a digital one. You must submit the original document to the government authority. The authority physically reviews the document and attaches the apostille certificate as a cover page or attachment. Once completed, the document is sent back. Since this is a physical process, time is determined by government processing speed and transit time.
The complete timeline for a Criminal Background Check apostille includes: document procurement, pre-submission preparation if needed, courier transit to the authority, government processing time, and return shipment to you. Via postal mail, the entire process runs 3 to 8 weeks for state documents. With our runner service, the timeline compresses to under a week from the day you ship us your document.
Getting your Criminal Background Check apostilled involves a clear sequence of steps. First: obtain the correct version of your Criminal Background Check — the original or a properly certified copy. Step two: determine whether your document needs notarization before submission. Step three: submit to the correct authority — state Secretary of State or US Department of State depending on whether your Criminal Background Check is state or federally issued. Step four: receive the apostilled document and submit it to the foreign authority.
Processing Times and Turnaround
Something many applicants miss is document expiration. Many foreign authorities specify that the apostille must have been issued recently. Federal background documents, in particular, are typically required to be no older than 6 months of the consulate submission date. If your Criminal Background Check is past the validity window, a new apostille is required. We advise you on destination-country validity requirements when you contact us.
Multiple variables influence how long your Criminal Background Check apostille takes: the current backlog at the issuing authority, any pre-processing steps required, shipping time in each direction, and whether you are using postal mail or a courier. Our service includes a realistic timeline estimate reflecting current backlogs when you contact us. When timing is critical — like a visa appointment or consulate date — we prioritize accordingly.
The fastest possible Criminal Background Check apostille turnaround involves a runner that hand-delivers to the apostille office. Many apostille offices offer same-day service for walk-in submissions. Our runner uses this option where available to return apostilled documents faster than any postal alternative. When you have a firm deadline, contact us before ordering so we can confirm whether same-day processing is available.
Common Mistakes That Delay Your Apostille
The single biggest cause of delays is submitting to the wrong government authority. A state-issued Criminal Background Check mailed to the federal office will be returned unprocessed. Federal documents sent to a Secretary of State face the same rejection. Either way, the postal time wasted — usually 2 to 4 weeks of wasted transit — delays your timeline and forces you to start the submission over.
Mailing irreplaceable originals via standard postal mail is something we strongly advise against. Original Criminal Background Checks can be lost, delayed, or damaged when sent by uninsured postal mail. Original apostillable documents are sometimes impossible or expensive to replace if lost. Every document we handle are sent via FedEx with insurance and end-to-end tracking.
Including the wrong fee frequently causes rejections that could easily be avoided. Government apostille authorities assess a fee for each certificate issued. State fees vary but typically range from $5 to $25 per document. Underpaying or submitting an incorrect payment form results in rejection. We handles all fee payments on your behalf so this type of delay cannot happen.
Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled
Getting your Criminal Background Check apostilled through our service is straightforward: ship your original document to us, and our team takes it from there. Our runners hand-deliver your document to the correct authority and ship the apostilled Criminal Background Check back within under a week in most cases. You never need to visit any government office. Rush options are available for urgent visa deadlines.
Order NowFrequently Asked Questions — Criminal Background Check Apostille
Which office handles Criminal Background Check apostilles in your state?
In your state, the apostille authority in your state capital is the only office authorized to issue Hague Apostille certificates on Criminal Background Checks. County clerks, local notaries, and municipal offices cannot issue apostilles — submitting to the wrong office results in rejection and significant delays.
How long does a state Criminal Background Check apostille take from your city?
Processing times at the apostille authority in your state capital typically range from 1 to 3 weeks for mailed-in requests depending on current volume. Courier-assisted submissions — where a runner physically delivers your documents — generally complete in 2 to 5 business days.
Does my Criminal Background Check need to be notarized before I can get an apostille in your state?
It depends on the document type and its origin. Criminal Background Checks issued directly by a state government office typically do not need additional notarization. However, documents from county offices or private institutions usually must be notarized or certified before the apostille authority in your state capital will accept them. We review your document before submission to confirm any pre-apostille requirements.
Can I track my Criminal Background Check while it is being apostilled at the apostille authority in your state capital?
With direct mail-in submission, tracking is limited to postal delivery confirmation. With our courier service, you receive status updates at every stage: document receipt at our hub, hand-delivery to the apostille authority in your state capital, apostille issuance confirmation, and outbound FedEx tracking for return shipment to your city.