Criminal Background Check Apostille in Michigan

Michigan Apostille Requirements

• Authority: Michigan Secretary of State
• Office Location: Lansing
• State Fee: $1
• Important Rule: One of the lowest fees.

What Is a Criminal Background Check Apostille?

The Hague Apostille Convention replaced the cumbersome embassy-by-embassy authentication process that was standard before the Hague system. Under the old system, getting an American document accepted overseas required multiple rounds of authentication at different government levels followed by embassy stamps. The apostille replaced this with a single certificate from the appropriate government office. In Michigan, that authority is the Michigan Secretary of State in Lansing.

Criminal Background Checks are among the most frequently apostilled documents in the United States. This is because Criminal Background Checks are routinely required for immigration, employment, international education, and cross-border legal matters. If you are in Michigan, the apostille for a Criminal Background Check must come from the Michigan Secretary of State.

An apostille is a form of Hague certification formalized by the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Unlike standard document certification, an apostille is accepted by all 124 Hague member countries — meaning your Criminal Background Check is valid for submission to international authorities without additional authentication. If you are in Michigan, Michigan, obtaining this certification requires working with the Michigan Secretary of State.

Michigan: State vs Federal Authority

For state-issued Criminal Background Checks, the apostille can only be issued by the Michigan Secretary of State's office. Typically, the document must carry an original official seal or notarization. The Michigan Secretary of State reviews the document's seals and signatures and attaches the apostille within 1 to 4 weeks depending on current volume.

One of the most costly apostille mistakes is submitting documents to the incorrect government authority. For example, if you mail a Criminal Background Check issued in Michigan to the US Department of State in DC, it will be rejected and returned. Similarly, sending an FBI Background Check to the Michigan Secretary of State in Lansing results in the same rejection. In both cases, the round-trip postal time adds 2 to 4 weeks to your timeline.

When timelines are tight, expedited apostille service is offered by our courier service. Some state offices provide same-day service for in-person deliveries. Our courier uses these expedited tracks by physically appearing at the office, getting you the fastest possible turnaround from Michigan.

Why Local Offices Cannot Help

First-time applicants in Michigan initially assume they can handle this through any notary in MI. Unfortunately, this is not how it works. A notary public 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.

Something else to consider 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 everything else in your application is correct.

It is also worth knowing, local government offices in Michigan in MI also cannot issue apostilles. Even visiting the Michigan city hall, county courthouse, or register of deeds would not produce a Hague certificate. The only office in MI authorized to issue apostilles for state documents is the Michigan Secretary of State.

The Michigan Apostille Authority

There is sometimes a step before apostille submission: some documents require prior notarization. Diplomas, powers of attorney, and affidavits often must be notarized before the Michigan Secretary of State will apostille them. We identifies whether any notarization is needed before starting the submission so you are not surprised by a rejection.

In MI, the correct office is the Michigan Secretary of State in Lansing. Only the Michigan Secretary of State is authorized to grant Hague Apostille certificates on records from Michigan government agencies. The Michigan Secretary of State is authorized to verify the seals and signatures of all Michigan public officials and is therefore the only authorized source for apostilles on Michigan-issued records.

Once your document arrives at the Michigan Secretary of State, an authorized state officer reviews the document and checks that signatures are from known, authorized officials. Once verified, the apostille is issued as a cover page or attachment. The completed document is then mailed back to you. Our courier collects it same-day or next-day.

How to Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in Michigan

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, a notarization is usually required by a licensed notary prior to the Michigan Secretary of State will accept it. Our service handles this coordination so you never have to navigate this alone.

Once we have your documents, our team reviews it for any issues that could cause rejection. This intake review catches common problems like missing seals, uncertified copies, outdated notarizations, or incorrect fees. Finding problems upfront saves days or weeks — rejection from the Michigan Secretary of State that restarts the whole process.

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. Second: check that it has an official seal and signature from the issuing authority. Third: send it to the correct authority along with the applicable state fee. Fourth: receive your apostilled document — ready for international submission.

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

For Michigan residents in a rush, the quickest option is a courier service that physically delivers to the Michigan Secretary of State. Many Michigan Secretary of State offices can complete apostilles same-day for in-person deliveries. Our courier uses this option wherever available to return apostilled documents to Michigan 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 can take 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 one of the most valued aspects of a physical courier over postal mail. We provide real-time tracking at each step: initial pickup, receipt by our team, delivery to the government office, completion confirmation, and dispatch of the return shipment to Michigan. This end-to-end tracking is not possible with direct mail.

What to Include With Your Submission

When submitting your Criminal Background Check for apostille, confirm you are sending: the original document or a certified copy, any required notarization, the Michigan Secretary of State's request form if applicable, payment for the state fee of $1, and a prepaid FedEx or USPS return. Missing any of these will delay your apostille.

A common question is whether they should include a cover letter with their apostille submission. For mail-in submissions, including a short cover page is advisable with your contact information and document details. The Michigan Secretary of State processes high volumes of requests and a clear cover letter reduces processing errors.

Payment for the state fee must accompany your submission. Forms of payment differ at each Michigan Secretary of State but generally include money order, certified check, or online payment. Our courier service includes fee payment in our all-in-one courier package so the submission is never rejected for payment reasons.

Common Apostille Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting to include return shipping is a simple but common mistake. The Michigan Secretary of State in Lansing does not automatically return documents. Without a prepaid return envelope, your apostilled document may sit uncollected for days. Our service includes return shipping — you never have to worry about return logistics.

The most common and costly apostille mistake is routing your Criminal Background Check to the incorrect office. People in Michigan sometimes mail state documents like Criminal Background Checks to the US Department of State in DC. In both cases, the office will reject the submission and return the document unprocessed. This adds 2 to 4 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 a significant risk. 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 maximum protection from the moment we receive your document to its return to Michigan.

Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in Michigan

Our courier network covers the Michigan Secretary of State in Lansing, 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 Michigan