Criminal Background Check Apostille in Illinois
In Illinois, Criminal Background Check apostilles must be processed through the Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield. The state fee is $2 per document. Select your city below to see local courier options and processing times.
Illinois Apostille Requirements
- Authority: Illinois Secretary of State
- Office Location: Springfield
- State Fee: $2
- Important Rule: Requires a cover letter.
Select your city to view local apostille processing options and courier times.
What Is a Criminal Background Check Apostille?
Something many Illinois residents overlook is that getting an apostille does not mean your document is translated. The majority of Hague member countries additionally ask for a certified translation into the local language in addition to the apostille. Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and the UAE almost always require both the apostille and a certified translation. Ask us about complete packages that cover both apostille and certified translation.
The Hague Apostille Convention eliminated the old multi-step embassy legalization process that existed before 1961. Previously, getting a US document recognized abroad involved notarization, state-level certification, federal certification, and then embassy legalization. The apostille replaced this with one standardized certificate from the appropriate government office. In Illinois, the designated office is the Illinois Secretary of State.
Criminal Background Checks are regularly among the highest-volume apostille requests. This is because Criminal Background Checks are routinely required for visa applications, residency permits, citizenship documentation, employment verification, and foreign legal proceedings. For residents of Illinois, only the Illinois Secretary of State can issue this certification in IL.
Illinois: State vs Federal Authority
The most commonly misunderstood thing to know about getting a Criminal Background Check apostilled is determining which government authority processes your specific document type. In the US, there are two completely separate authentication tracks: state-level and federal. Documents issued by Illinois, including Criminal Background Checks go to the state apostille office. Documents from US federal agencies, like FBI Identity History Summaries and federal agency documents, must go to the federal authentication office in DC.
For documents issued by Illinois government agencies, the apostille is only available from the Illinois Secretary of State's office. Before submission, the document must carry an original official seal or notarization. The Illinois Secretary of State verifies the document's origin and seal and issues the Hague certificate within 1 to 4 weeks depending on current volume.
The most common apostille mistake is sending your Criminal Background Check to the incorrect government authority. If you send a state Criminal Background Check to the US Department of State in DC, the federal office will refuse to process it. In reverse, sending an FBI Background Check to a state Secretary of State office will also come back unprocessed. In both cases, the round-trip postal time sets your application back by weeks.
Why Local Offices Cannot Help
If you are working under a tight deadline, relying on postal mail to the Illinois Secretary of State is risky. A courier-assisted submission is the only way to access same-day processing at the Illinois Secretary of State. Our courier service serves all cities in Illinois with complete end-to-end shipment tracking on every submission.
People across Illinois mistakenly believe they can get an apostille at a local UPS Store or notary. This is incorrect. A notary public can only witness signatures and verify identity. They have no authority to issue an apostille certificate — only designated government offices hold this power.
Something else to consider is that the receiving country will verify that the apostille came from the correct authority. If your Criminal Background Check is apostilled by the wrong authority, your documents will be rejected at the destination. This could trigger a visa denial even if you have all other documents in order.
The Illinois Apostille Authority
The Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield is typically open Monday through Friday. Turnaround times for mail-in submissions typically run 1 to 3 weeks depending on submission backlog. If you are in Illinois and need it faster, an in-person submission via a runner service gets the apostille in 2 to 5 business days.
Before your document can be submitted to the Illinois Secretary of State: it may need to be notarized or certified first. Educational records and private documents often must be notarized before the Illinois Secretary of State will apostille them. We identifies whether any notarization is needed before submitting to the Illinois Secretary of State so your submission is accepted on the first attempt.
When apostilling a Criminal Background Check from Illinois, the official Hague authority is the Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield. The Illinois Secretary of State is the sole office in IL to attach Hague Apostille certificates on Illinois-issued public documents. The Illinois Secretary of State is authorized to verify the seals and signatures of all Illinois public officials and is therefore the only authorized source for apostilles on Illinois-issued records.
How to Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in Illinois
Something many applicants miss is ensuring the document is not expired. FBI Background Checks, for example, have a shelf life of six months or less at the time of consulate or visa submission. If your Criminal Background Check is past its useful window, you will need to obtain a fresh copy before apostilling. We check document dates as a standard step to flag any potential rejections early.
Depending on your document type must be notarized before they can be apostilled. When your document is not a government-issued record, it will typically need to be notarized by a licensed notary prior to submission to the Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield. Our service handles this coordination so you never have to navigate this alone.
After we receive your Criminal Background Check, we inspect each document for compliance with the Illinois Secretary of State's submission requirements. This pre-flight review identifies issues like improper certification, wrong document versions, or missing state fees. Finding problems upfront saves days or weeks — a first-attempt rejection.
How Long Does a Criminal Background Check Apostille Take in Illinois?
Turnaround for apostille certification depend on the submission method and current government backlog. Mail-in submissions from Illinois to the Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield typically take 4 to 8 weeks in total — accounting for shipping each way plus processing. At busy times, particularly during visa application seasons, government processing alone can take 4 to 6 weeks.
If you need your Criminal Background Check apostilled urgently, the most time-efficient route is a runner that hand-delivers to the Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield. Many Illinois Secretary of State offices process walk-in submissions same-day. Our runner capitalizes on this to get Illinois clients their apostilles in 2 to 5 business days.
The US Department of State operates on a separate schedule for federal documents. Standard mail-in processing to the Office of Authentications can take 8 to 12 weeks because of 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 physically submitting at the federal office.
What to Include With Your Submission
An easy-to-miss detail: for non-English documents, additional steps may be required depending on the Illinois Secretary of State. In other cases, the Illinois Secretary of State apostilles the foreign-language document as-is and translation is handled separately after the apostille. We advise you on this when you submit your request.
When submitting your Criminal Background Check for apostille, confirm you are sending: the original document or a certified copy, any required notarization, a completed submission form if required, payment for the state fee of $2, and a prepaid FedEx or USPS return. Missing any of these will delay your apostille.
A common question is whether a cover letter is needed with their apostille submission. For direct submissions to the Illinois Secretary of State, including a short cover page is advisable with your contact information and document details. The Illinois Secretary of State handles many submissions daily and a simple cover sheet reduces processing errors.
Common Apostille Mistakes to Avoid
Sending a scanned printout instead of an original or certified copy is a frequent cause of delays at the Illinois Secretary of State. The Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield will only apostille documents with an authentic original seal and signature. Sending a photocopy will be rejected without processing. Obtain an original certified copy from the issuing agency before submitting your documents.
Failing to provide a prepaid return label is an easily preventable error that delays apostille returns. The Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield does not automatically return documents. Without a return label, your apostilled document may sit uncollected for days. Our service includes return shipping — you never have to worry about return logistics.
The single most expensive apostille error is sending your document to the wrong government authority. Illinois residents sometimes send federal records to their state Secretary of State. Either way, the office will reject the submission and return the document unprocessed. This mistake costs weeks — the time lost in transit to and from the wrong authority — before you are even back to square one.
Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in Illinois
Our courier network covers the Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield, typically returning your apostilled document in 2 to 5 business days. No need to visit any government office.
Order NowFrequently Asked Questions — Criminal Background Check Apostille in Illinois
Which office handles Criminal Background Check apostilles in Illinois?
In Illinois, the Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield 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 Illinois Criminal Background Check apostille take from Illinois?
Processing times at the Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield 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 Illinois?
It depends on the document type and its origin. Criminal Background Checks issued directly by a Illinois government office typically do not need additional notarization. However, documents from county offices or private institutions usually must be notarized or certified before the Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield 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 Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield?
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 Illinois Secretary of State in Springfield, apostille issuance confirmation, and outbound FedEx tracking for return shipment to Illinois.