Criminal Background Check Apostille in New York

The New York Department of State in Albany is the official apostille authority for Criminal Background Checks. The New York Department of State charges $10 per apostille. Our courier service handles submissions from cities across New York.

Order NowFrom $89 all-inclusive · No office visits · Insured FedEx return

New York Apostille Requirements

Authority: New York Department of State
Office Location: Albany
State Fee: $10
Important Rule: County clerk certification is strictly required first.

Skip the New York government office.

Our courier handles submission to New York Department of State in Albany — standard 2–5 days, express available.

Order Now

Select your city to view local apostille processing options and courier times.

New York City Brooklyn Queens Manhattan The Bronx Staten Island Buffalo Upper West Side Jamaica Rochester Yonkers East Flatbush East New York Washington Heights Astoria Borough Park Syracuse Sunset Park Sheepshead Bay Amherst Harlem East Harlem Elmhurst Bushwick Gravesend Corona Albany Richmond Hill Fordham West Albany Flatbush Chinatown Canarsie Greenburgh New Rochelle South Ozone Park Cheektowaga Kings Bridge Brownsville Ridgewood Mount Vernon Forest Hills Jackson Heights Bayside Parkchester Schenectady Park Slope Flatlands East Village Utica Financial District Brentwood Bensonhurst Coney Island White Plains Clay Morningside Heights Hempstead Cypress Hills Ozone Park Briarwood Wakefield Queens Village Levittown Irondequoit Mott Haven Troy Sunnyside Niagara Falls Maspeth Binghamton Hell's Kitchen West Seneca Rego Park Freeport West Babylon Henrietta Woodside Hicksville Morris Heights Far Rockaway Kensington Coram Manhattan Valley East Meadow Valley Stream Kew Gardens Hills Whitestone Clifton Park Brighton Woodhaven Commack Greenpoint Central Islip Dyker Heights Glendale Throgs Neck New City Long Beach Elmont Bath Beach Huntington Station Williamsburg Spring Valley Rome Oceanside Cicero Centereach Brighton Beach Ithaca North Tonawanda Springfield Gardens Poughkeepsie Jamestown Port Chester Middle Village Franklin Square Fort Hamilton Fresh Meadows Harrison West Islip Newburgh Elmira Vestal Gramercy Park University Heights Shirley Middletown Saratoga Springs Deer Park Queensbury Glen Cove College Point Lindenhurst Hunts Point Holbrook Auburn Dix Hills Watertown Smithtown Bay Shore Plainview Howard Beach Rosedale Long Island City Ossining East Amherst Hillside Uniondale Rockville Centre Medford Peekskill Baldwin Unionport Van Nest Kingston East Elmhurst Morrisania Copiague East Tremont Tremont Kiryas Joel Garden City Melrose East Patchogue Merrick Great Kills Massapequa Laurelton Woodrow Hauppauge Grand Island New Springville Latham Rotterdam Lockport Cambria Heights Hollis Brooklyn Heights East Northport Lake Ronkonkoma North Bellmore Cortlandt Manor Mariners Harbor Selden Plattsburgh Holtsville Lynbrook Eastchester Mamaroneck Mineola Ronkonkoma East Massapequa Melville Kew Gardens North Bay Shore Cortland Wantagh West Hempstead Syosset Rossville Islip Monsey Huntington Amsterdam Lackawanna North Massapequa Scarsdale Nanuet North Amityville Oswego Times Square North Babylon Wilton Kings Park Massapequa Park Woodmere East Setauket Sayville North Valley Stream Cohoes Bethpage Baychester Roosevelt Bellmore Rye Floral Park Pearl River Port Washington Farmingville Mastic Setauket-East Setauket Port Richmond Terrace Heights Emerson Hill Westbury Seaford Graniteville Kenmore Depew Gates-North Gates Gloversville Eggertsville Batavia Tonawanda North New Hyde Park Mastic Beach Johnson City Douglaston Greece South Farmingdale East Islip Beacon Manorville Glens Falls Wykagyl Jefferson Valley-Yorktown Arverne New Cassel Rocky Point Olean Oneonta Greenlawn Stony Brook Hampton Bays Bergen Beach Jericho Nesconset Saint James Ridge Riverhead Geneva Endicott Arrochar Fort Drum Wawarsing Fallsburg Seaside Patchogue Miller Place North Castle North Merrick Haverstraw Babylon Stony Point Mount Sinai Salisbury Dunkirk North Wantagh Terryville West Henrietta North Lindenhurst Wyandanch Tarrytown Fulton North Bellport Endwell Lake Grove Elwood Oakwood Mount Kisco Oneida Dobbs Ferry Suffern Spuyten Duyvil Corning Ogdensburg Woodbury Roessleville Fredonia Massena Eltingville Middle Island Canandaigua West Haverstraw Morris Park Lancaster Sleepy Hollow Fairmount Watervliet Bohemia Great Neck Inwood Little Neck Fort Salonga Huguenot East Rockaway New Hyde Park Ballston Lake Potsdam Edgemere Rye Brook Hamburg Dongan Hills Clifton North Gates Amityville Rensselaer South Huntington Scotchtown Riverdale Valley Cottage Westerleigh New Windsor Bayport Airmont Concord Newark Plainedge Farmingdale Monroe Port Jervis Malverne North Elba Glens Falls North Mahopac Congers Brockport Johnstown Tompkinsville Hornell South Lockport Lake Carmel Croton-on-Hudson Delmar Geneseo Chestnut Ridge Oakdale Baldwin Harbor Manhasset New Square Boston South Beach Briarcliff Manor Hastings-on-Hudson Ilion Colonie Port Jefferson Port Jefferson Station Tribeca Garden City Park Baldwinsville Scotia Wading River Sound Beach Big Flats Airport Center Moriches Hillcrest Herkimer Battery Park City Midland Beach Northport Bay Wood Williston Park Woodlawn Westmere New Dorp North Patchogue Southport Hudson Falls Pleasantville East Hills Greenville West Glens Falls New Paltz Downtown Brooklyn Pelham Nyack Orange Lake Norwich Great Neck Plaza Mount Ivy Viola Mechanicstown North Syracuse Walden Warwick Hewlett Carmel Hamlet Myers Corner Bayville West Point Belle Harbor Manorhaven Oyster Bay Cedarhurst Seneca Falls South Hill East Rochester East Shoreham Glen Oaks Tuckahoe East Glenville Horseheads Tappan Irvington Springs Roslyn Heights Canton Lawrence Calverton Monticello East Farmingdale Mattydale Bronxville Hudson Solvay East Aurora East Garden City New Dorp Beach Larchmont Lake Mohegan Albion South Valley Stream Yaphank Wesley Hills Hilton Medina Volney Washingtonville Malone Southold Blauvelt Richland Highland Bath Lakeview Bellaire Pelham Manor West Hills Salamanca Wappingers Falls Marbletown Webster Old Bethpage Hamlin Fairview Centerport Harris Hill North Hills Goshen Islip Terrace Ballston Spa Stapleton Fairport New Hempstead Hartsdale Big Flats Saranac Lake Williamsville East Moriches Albertson Mechanicville Northumberland Kaser Kings Point Wheatley Heights Pound Ridge Cold Spring Harbor Waterloo Thiells Sea Cliff Penn Yan West Sayville Grymes Hill Carle Place West Elmira Westvale Firthcliffe Searingtown Chittenango Niskayuna Flower Hill Elmsford Carmel Little Falls Blue Point Island Park East Quogue Wellsville Glen Head Portland Kirkville Old Westbury Canastota Purchase Montebello West Bay Shore Ardsley Manlius Grandyle Village Galeville Montgomery Grant City Hawthorne Orangeburg Cobleskill Dansville East Greenbush Flanders North Sea Gardnertown City Island Clarkson Springville Armonk Herricks Le Roy Waverly Lyncourt University Gardens Mattituck Gang Mills Fayetteville Hamilton Rosebank East Hampton North Liberty Spackenkill Bardonia Rockaway Point Ellenville Alfred Arlington Gordon Heights Brewerton Garden City South North Great River Menands Elmira Heights Heritage Hills Highland Mills Chester Saugerties Village Green Catskill Lake Erie Beach Putnam Lake Highland Falls Cayuga Heights Newfane Eden Gouverneur Glenwood Landing Thornwood Sidney Owego Whitesboro Lloyd Harbor Muttontown Marlboro Lansing Perth Haviland Dannemora Lyons Red Oaks Mill Sloan Manhasset Hills Carthage Spencerport South Glens Falls Tupper Lake Noyack Brookville Port Ewen South Nyack Minoa Perry Calcium Rush Hurley Brookhaven West Nyack Hoosick Falls New Brighton Lowville Palmyra Locust Valley Islandia Ticonderoga Warsaw Vails Gate Cutchogue Montauk Avon Northwest Harbor New York Mills Maybrook Fort Edward Wynantskill Ravena Southampton South Hempstead Port Washington North Orchard Park Wanakah South Blooming Grove Homer Balmville Clinton Corners Valhalla Delhi Sloatsburg Greenwood Lake Pomona Warrensburg Westfield Brightwaters Milton Westhampton Sherrill Lake Success East Syracuse Bedford Hills Cornwall Chelsea Walton Willowbrook Lakewood Riverside Brinckerhoff Florida Mount Morris Lido Beach Chenango Bridge South Fallsburg Cazenovia Akron Horseheads North Crown Heights Moriches Voorheesville Great Neck Estates Blossvale Roslyn Berne Lakeland Victor McKownville Sands Point Montrose Munsons Corners Munsey Park Honeoye Falls East Norwich Coxsackie Durham Walton Park West Sand Lake Clarence Remsenburg-Speonk Northeast Ithaca Thomaston Gowanda Yorkville Mohawk Green Island Rhinebeck Lewiston Blasdell Alden Whitehall East Williston Piermont Elma Center Silver Creek North Boston Corinth Frankfort Halesite Williamson Harriman Skaneateles Attica Granville Lake Placid Broad Channel Aquebogue Hampton Manor Barnum Island Jamestown West Lake Katrine Groton Watchtower Byron Town Line Lincoln Park Brewster Falconer Phoenix Pulaski Pawling Liverpool Melrose Park Crompond Wallkill Sag Harbor Buchanan Clarence Center Oyster Bay Cove Fort Plain Nedrow Beaverdam Lake-Salisbury Mills Beaver Dam Lake Hartford East Ithaca Country Knolls Saugerties South Old Brookville Bay Park Greenport Canisteo Camden Bellerose Terrace Shinnecock Hills Upper Nyack Rouses Point Canajoharie Ontario Caledonia Fishkill Dolgeville Greenport West Angola Glasco Sparrow Bush Lima Dryden Clifton Springs Brewster Hill Woodstock Bellport West Carthage Lorenz Park East Atlantic Beach Saint Bonaventure Augusta Boonville Waterford Laurel Hollow Churchville Seneca Knolls Shrub Oak Clyde Painted Post Red Hook Arcade Port Morris Scottsville Cold Spring Clayton Lindley Phelps West End West Hurley Youngstown Atlantic Beach Stewart Manor Valatie Hyde Park Frewsburg Clark Mills Crown Point Shenorock Clinton Watkins Glen New Hartford Bedford Eastport Cambridge Adams Trumansburg Middleport Alabama Wayland Central Square Village of the Branch Central Valley Cooperstown Lattingtown South Floral Park Yorktown Heights Pine Bush Marcellus Morrisville Oakfield Weedsport Nissequogue Bridgehampton Sodus Upper Brookville Keeseville Westons Mills Greenwich Rock Hill Allegany Holley Saint Johnsville Stillwater Verplanck Westhampton Beach Altamont Addison Cropseyville Jamesport Clymer Chatham Averill Park Houghton Billington Heights Kerhonkson Franklinville Katonah Montour Falls Angola on the Lake Fort Wadsworth Mayville Dundee Niverville Manchester Steinway Sanborn Wolcott Baiting Hollow Rapids Goldens Bridge Peach Lake Cumberland Head Athens Norwood Deposit Port Dickinson Peru Mountain Lodge Park Tillson Mexico Fort Montgomery Adams Center Charleston Sparkill Water Mill Waterville Morrisonville Crugers Cuba Lincolndale Marion Chadwicks Greene Deansboro Bridgeport Sackets Harbor Great River Macedon Head of the Harbor Castleton-on-Hudson Weston Mills Clintondale Middleburgh Chappaqua Huntington Bay Brocton Shortsville Millbrook Ransomville Northwest Ithaca Oxford Eatons Neck Plandome Cairo Laurel Branchport Oriskany Stottville Schuylerville Plattsburgh West Holcomb Cortland West Neponsit Pine Plains Livonia Bernhards Bay Pittsford Rosendale Village Northville North Ballston Spa Jordan Shelter Island Black River Kiantone Sherburne Nunda Norfolk Bainbridge Dover Plains Philmont Springfield Fort Covington Hamlet Broadalbin Harbor Isle Hagaman Barryville Randolph Cassville Hewlett Harbor Mineville Roslyn Estates Plattekill Merritt Park Bloomfield Gasport Port Byron Olcott Moravia Wilson Camillus Lake Luzerne North Collins Richfield Springs Philadelphia Livingston Manor Edinburg Point Lookout Friendship Holland Bellerose Great Neck Gardens Shokan Washington Mills Constantia Kinderhook Yorkshire Union Springs Napanoch Stone Ridge Wurtsboro Amagansett Vernon Brownville Port Henry Pleasant Valley Bolivar Keuka Park Bergen Apalachin Nassau South Corning East Hampton Worcester Little Valley Tivoli Alexandria Bay Greenvale Jefferson Heights Roslyn Harbor Unadilla Dexter Hillside Lake Champlain Stamford Celoron Minetto Poestenkill Sylvan Beach Delevan Cincinnatus Shelter Island Heights Otisville Hannawa Falls Palenville Elbridge Zena Plandome Heights McGraw Naples Mill Neck Baxter Estates Hadley Andover Tribes Hill Belmont Schoharie Fonda Lake Pleasant Elizabethtown Wampsville

What Is a Criminal Background Check Apostille?

An important point is that getting an apostille does not mean your document is translated. The majority of Hague member countries also need a notarized translation in addition to the apostille. Most EU countries and many Middle Eastern authorities typically require both the apostille and a certified translation. We offer complete packages that cover both apostille and certified translation.

The Hague Apostille Convention replaced the cumbersome embassy-by-embassy authentication process that was required before the Convention. Under the old system, getting a US document recognized abroad required multiple rounds of authentication at different government levels followed by embassy stamps. The apostille replaced this with a single certificate issued by one designated authority. In New York, that authority is the New York Department of State in Albany.

Criminal Background Checks are regularly among the highest-volume apostille requests. This is because Criminal Background Checks come up in many international processes including immigration, employment, international education, and cross-border legal matters. If you are in New York, the apostille for a Criminal Background Check must come from the New York Department of State.

New York: State vs Federal Authority

The single most important thing to know about getting a Criminal Background Check apostilled is determining which government authority issues apostilles for your specific document type. In the US, there are two completely separate authentication tracks: state-level and federal-level. State-issued documents — like birth certificates, marriage certificates, and Criminal Background Checks go to the New York Department of State in Albany. Federally issued records, like FBI Identity History Summaries and federal agency documents, must go to the US Department of State in Washington D.C..

For New York-issued records, the apostille is only available from the New York Secretary of State's office. Typically, the document must carry an original official seal or notarization. The New York Department 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 submitting documents to the wrong office. For example, if you mail a Criminal Background Check issued in New York to the US Department of State in DC, it will be rejected and returned. Similarly, sending an FBI Background Check to the New York Department of State in Albany results in the same rejection. Either way, 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 New York Department of State is risky. Using a physical runner is the only way to access same-day processing at the New York Department of State. Our courier service handles New York-area pickups and submissions with complete end-to-end shipment tracking on every submission.

People across New York mistakenly believe they can get an apostille through any notary in NY. This is incorrect. A notary public is authorized only to witness signatures and administer oaths. They have no authority to issue an apostille certificate — that authority belongs exclusively to.

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 could delay your entire application even if you have all other documents in order.

The New York Apostille Authority

The New York Department of State in Albany is accessible for walk-in and mail-in submissions during standard business hours. Turnaround times without expedited service generally range from 5 business days to 4 weeks depending on seasonal demand. For New York residents who need faster turnaround, an in-person submission via a runner service can reduce processing time to 2 to 5 business days.

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 New York Department of State will apostille them. We advises you on any pre-apostille requirements before submitting to the New York Department of State so there are no delays from missing prerequisites.

In NY, the correct office is the New York Department of State in Albany. The New York Department of State is the sole office in NY to attach Hague Apostille certificates on records from New York government agencies. The New York Department of State holds the official seals of New York government officials and is therefore the only entity capable of certifying their authenticity.

How to Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in New York

Something many applicants miss is verifying that your document is current enough for the destination country. Federal 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, a new document must be requested before apostilling. Our team verifies document currency as part of our intake process to avoid submitting documents that will be refused.

Some document types require notarization before they can be apostilled. If your Criminal Background Check is not a government-issued record, it will typically need to be notarized by a licensed notary before submission to the New York Department of State in Albany. Our service handles this coordination so you never have to navigate this alone.

Once we have your documents, we inspect each document for compliance with the New York Department of State's submission requirements. This intake review catches common problems like improper certification, wrong document versions, or missing state fees. Catching these before submission saves days or weeks — a first-attempt rejection.

How Long Does a Criminal Background Check Apostille Take in New York?

Processing times for apostille certification vary depending on how the document is submitted and the New York Department of State's current workload. Mail-in submissions from New York to the New York Department of State in Albany usually require 4 to 8 weeks in total — including transit time, government processing, and return. During peak periods, particularly during visa application seasons, wait times can extend further.

For New York residents in a rush, the quickest option is a runner that hand-delivers to the New York Department of State in Albany. The New York Department of State in Albany can complete apostilles same-day for in-person deliveries. Our courier uses this option wherever available to get New York clients their apostilles within a business week.

The US Department of State operates on a separate schedule for federal documents. Standard mail-in processing to DC for federal apostilles often takes 6 to 11 weeks due to the volume of requests from all 50 states. A DC-based courier gets the federal authentication done in 2 to 5 business days by physically submitting at the federal office.

What to Include With Your Submission

An easy-to-miss detail: if your Criminal Background Check was issued in a language other than English, some New York Department of State offices may require a certified English translation before apostilling. In other cases, the New York Department 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, ensure you have: the original document or a certified copy, notarization if required for your document type, a completed submission form if required, correct fee payment for the state apostille, and a prepaid return envelope or shipping label. Missing any of these will delay your apostille.

Some New York residents ask whether a cover letter is needed with their apostille submission. For mail-in submissions, a brief cover letter is recommended stating your name, document type, document count, and return address. The New York Department of State processes high volumes of requests 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 common rejection reason. The New York Department of State in Albany will only apostille documents with an authentic original seal and signature. Sending a photocopy will be rejected without processing. Request a new certified copy before starting the apostille process.

Failing to provide a prepaid return label is a simple but common mistake. The New York Department of State in Albany will not return your document without a prepaid return method. 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. People in New York sometimes mail 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 adds 2 to 4 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 New York

Our courier network covers the New York Department of State in Albany, typically returning your apostilled document in 2 to 5 business days. No need to visit any government office.

Order Now

Frequently Asked Questions — Criminal Background Check Apostille in New York

Which office handles Criminal Background Check apostilles in New York?

In New York, the New York Department of State in Albany 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 New York Criminal Background Check apostille take from New York?

Processing times at the New York Department of State in Albany 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 New York?

It depends on the document type and its origin. Criminal Background Checks issued directly by a New York government office typically do not need additional notarization. However, documents from county offices or private institutions usually must be notarized or certified before the New York Department of State in Albany 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 New York Department of State in Albany?

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 New York Department of State in Albany, apostille issuance confirmation, and outbound FedEx tracking for return shipment to New York.