Criminal Background Check Apostille in Arkansas

Arkansas Apostille Requirements

• Authority: Arkansas Secretary of State
• Office Location: Little Rock
• State Fee: $10
• Important Rule: Signatures must be verified by the county clerk.

What Is a Criminal Background Check Apostille?

The Hague Apostille Convention streamlined a previously complex chain of certifications that was standard before the Hague system. Previously, getting an American document accepted overseas required notarization, state-level certification, federal certification, and then embassy legalization. The apostille replaced this with one standardized certificate issued by one designated authority. For Criminal Background Checks issued in Arkansas, that authority is the Arkansas Secretary of State in Little Rock.

Criminal Background Checks are among the most frequently apostilled documents in the United States. This is because Criminal Background Checks are routinely required for visa applications, residency permits, citizenship documentation, employment verification, and foreign legal proceedings. If you are in Arkansas, the apostille for a Criminal Background Check must come from the Arkansas Secretary of State.

An apostille is a form of government certification formalized by the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Unlike a notarization, an apostille is recognized internationally — meaning your Criminal Background Check is valid for submission to international authorities without additional authentication. If you are in Arkansas, Arkansas, obtaining this certification goes through the Arkansas Secretary of State in Little Rock.

Arkansas: State vs Federal Authority

For Arkansas-issued records, the apostille must come from the Arkansas Secretary of State in Little Rock. In most cases, the document must carry an original official seal or notarization. The Arkansas Secretary of State verifies the document's origin and seal and attaches the apostille within 1 to 4 weeks depending on current volume.

One of the most costly apostille mistakes is routing documents to the incorrect government authority. For example, if you mail a Criminal Background Check issued in Arkansas to Washington D.C., it will be rejected and returned. In reverse, sending an FBI Background Check to the Arkansas Secretary of State in Little Rock results in the same rejection. Either way, the wasted transit time adds 2 to 4 weeks to your timeline.

When timelines are tight, same-day processing is offered by our courier service. Some state offices have expedited tracks for urgent requests. Our courier takes advantage of in-person processing by walking documents in, getting you the fastest possible turnaround from Arkansas.

Why Local Offices Cannot Help

People across Arkansas initially assume they can obtain Hague legalization at a local UPS Store or notary. This is incorrect. A local notary is authorized only to witness signatures and administer oaths. They are not permitted to attach an apostille certificate — only designated government offices hold this power.

Another reason local options fail is that Hague member countries will verify that the apostille came from the correct authority. If your Criminal Background Check is apostilled by the wrong authority, the receiving country will refuse the document. This may result in an outright rejection from the foreign authority even if you have all other documents in order.

Beyond notaries, county clerks, municipal offices, and city government offices do not have apostille authority. Even visiting any local Arkansas government office will not produce a Hague certificate. The sole authority in Arkansas that can attach the Hague certificate for state documents is the Arkansas Secretary of State in Little Rock.

The Arkansas Apostille Authority

There is sometimes a step before apostille submission: some documents require prior notarization. Educational records and private documents often must be notarized before the Arkansas Secretary of State will apostille them. Our team identifies whether any notarization is needed before starting the submission so your submission is accepted on the first attempt.

When apostilling a Criminal Background Check from Arkansas, the correct office is the Arkansas Secretary of State. Only the Arkansas Secretary of State is authorized to issue Hague Apostille certificates on Arkansas-issued public documents. The Arkansas Secretary of State is authorized to verify the seals and signatures of all Arkansas public officials and is therefore the only authorized source for apostilles on Arkansas-issued records.

Once your document arrives at the Arkansas Secretary of State, a state official verifies the seals and signatures and checks that signatures are from known, authorized officials. If everything checks out, the apostille is issued as a cover page or attachment. The apostilled document is then returned by mail. Our runner picks it up within 24 hours.

How to Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in Arkansas

Certain Criminal Background Checks require notarization before they can be apostilled. If your Criminal Background Check is a private document — such as an affidavit, power of attorney, or diploma, it will typically need to be notarized by a licensed notary prior to the Arkansas Secretary of State will accept it. Our service manages the full notarization and apostille process so there are no surprises at the Arkansas Secretary of State.

Once we have your documents, we inspect each document for any issues that could cause rejection. This pre-flight review identifies issues like missing seals, uncertified copies, outdated notarizations, or incorrect fees. Finding problems upfront avoids the need to resubmit — a first-attempt rejection.

Getting an apostille on your Criminal Background Check follows a clear sequence of steps. Step one: ensure your Criminal Background Check is in its original, certified form. Step two: verify the document carries an authentic official seal. Step three: submit it to the Arkansas Secretary of State in Little Rock with the required state fee of $10. Fourth: receive your apostilled document — ready for any Hague member country.

How Long Does a Criminal Background Check Apostille Take in Arkansas?

If you need your Criminal Background Check apostilled urgently, the quickest option is a runner that hand-delivers to the Arkansas Secretary of State in Little Rock. Many Arkansas Secretary of State offices can complete apostilles same-day for in-person deliveries. Our runner capitalizes on this to get Arkansas clients their apostilles within a business week.

The US Department of State operates on a separate schedule for federal documents. Regular postal submissions to the Office of Authentications often takes 6 to 11 weeks due to the volume of requests from all 50 states. A physical courier in Washington D.C. can complete the federal apostille in 2 to 4 business days by walking documents in directly.

Tracking your apostille is a key advantage of a physical courier over postal mail. Our service includes status updates at each step: pickup from your Arkansas address, receipt by our team, submission to the Arkansas Secretary of State in Little Rock, completion confirmation, and outbound FedEx tracking back to Arkansas. This level of visibility is not possible with direct mail.

What to Include With Your Submission

When submitting your Criminal Background Check for apostille, make sure you include: the original document or a certified copy, any required notarization, the Arkansas Secretary of State's request form if applicable, correct fee payment for the state apostille, and a prepaid return envelope or shipping label. Leaving out any item will cause rejection.

Some Arkansas residents ask whether a cover letter is needed with their apostille submission. For direct submissions to the Arkansas Secretary of State, a brief cover letter is recommended with your contact information and document details. The Arkansas Secretary of State handles many submissions daily and a simple cover sheet reduces processing errors.

Payment for the state fee is required. Accepted payment methods vary by state but generally include money order, certified check, or online payment. We pays the Arkansas Secretary of State fee as part of the service so the submission is never rejected for payment reasons.

Common Apostille Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting to include return shipping is an easily preventable error that delays apostille returns. The Arkansas Secretary of State in Little Rock will not return your document without a prepaid return method. Without a return label, your completed apostille could wait weeks to reach you. We handle return shipping as part of our flat-rate fee — you never have to worry about return logistics.

The number one mistake is routing your Criminal Background Check to the incorrect office. Arkansas residents sometimes send state documents like Criminal Background Checks to the US Department of State in DC. In both cases, the documents come back with a rejection notice. This mistake costs weeks — the round-trip postal time to the wrong office — before you are even back to square one.

Sending original documents through standard postal mail without insurance is something we strongly advise against. Documents sent by uninsured mail can be lost, delayed, or damaged. Original government-issued documents are sometimes time-consuming and costly to replace. We use FedEx with full insurance and tracking for complete end-to-end protection.

Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in Arkansas

Our courier network covers the Arkansas Secretary of State in Little Rock, typically returning your apostilled document in 2 to 5 business days. No need to visit any government office.

Frequently Asked Questions — Criminal Background Check Apostille in Arkansas