Criminal Background Check Apostille in Valley City, ND

How to Legalize Your Criminal Background Check from Valley City

Getting a Criminal Background Check authenticated is a distinct legal process. If you are in Valley City, North Dakota, here is what you need to know.

The North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck is the only office in ND that can certify a Hague Apostille on your Criminal Background Check. Submitting to a county office will result in rejection.

Our nationwide courier service picks up the entire submission process for residents of Valley City. You ship your originals to us via FedEx or UPS. We hand-deliver them to the North Dakota Secretary of State, secure the apostille, and ship everything back within 3 to 7 business days. All shipments are fully insured and tracked.

What is an Apostille?

An apostille is a form of government certification created under the Hague Convention of 1961. Unlike standard document certification, an apostille is recognized internationally — meaning your Criminal Background Check is valid for submission to overseas institutions without further legalization. If you are in Valley City, North Dakota, obtaining this certification requires working with the North Dakota Secretary of State.

Something many Valley City residents overlook is that an apostille is not a translation. The majority of Hague member countries additionally ask for a sworn or certified translation in addition to the apostille. Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and the UAE typically require the apostille plus a sworn translation. Our service includes complete packages that cover both apostille and certified translation.

The Hague Apostille Convention streamlined a previously complex chain of certifications that existed before 1961. Under the old system, getting a US document recognized abroad 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 North Dakota, that authority is the North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck.

State vs. Federal Apostille: Which Applies to Your Criminal Background Check?

Figuring out if your Criminal Background Check goes to Bismarck or DC is usually straightforward. The key question: which government agency originally issued it? Documents like Criminal Background Checks issued by North Dakota government agencies go to the North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck. FBI Background Checks and federal agency records are processed by the US Department of State in Washington D.C.

Going directly through the mail, turnaround from Valley City typically runs 4 to 8 weeks round trip. A physical courier runner cuts this to under a week by hand-delivering your Criminal Background Check to the correct government office and picking up the apostille same-day or next-day.

Why this two-track system exists is rooted in constitutional jurisdiction. A state Secretary of State only has jurisdiction over documents issued by that state's own agencies. It has no jurisdiction over documents from the FBI, DHS, or other federal offices. The certification of federal documents falls under the US Department of State.

Why a Local Notary in Valley City Cannot Apostille Your Document

First-time applicants in Valley City mistakenly believe they can get an apostille at a local UPS Store or notary. This assumption is wrong. A notary public can only witness signatures and verify identity. They cannot issue an apostille certificate — only designated government offices hold this power.

Something else to consider is that foreign authorities check whether the apostille was issued by the proper office. If the apostille comes from an unauthorized office, your documents will be rejected at the destination. This may delay your entire application even if everything else in your application is correct.

It is also worth knowing, county clerks, municipal offices, and city government offices are equally unable to apostille documents. Even visiting any local Valley City government office would not produce a Hague certificate. The only office in ND that can attach the Hague certificate for state documents is the North Dakota Secretary of State.

The Correct Authority: North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck

The North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck is typically open Monday through Friday. Turnaround times without expedited service typically run 1 to 3 weeks depending on current volume. For Valley City residents who need faster turnaround, a physical courier can reduce processing time to 2 to 5 business days.

There is sometimes a step before apostille submission: it may need to be notarized or certified first. Diplomas, powers of attorney, and affidavits typically require notarization as a first step. We identifies whether any notarization is needed before submitting to the North Dakota Secretary of State so there are no delays from missing prerequisites.

One detail many Valley City residents overlook is that the North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck apostilles the document as-is. If your Criminal Background Check contains errors, those errors must be fixed at the source before sending it to the North Dakota Secretary of State. Trying to apostille an incorrect document will cause it to be refused by the receiving foreign authority even if the apostille itself is technically correct.

Step-by-Step: Getting Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled from Valley City

Getting a Criminal Background Check apostilled requires 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. Third: send it to the correct authority with the required state fee of $10. Step four: collect the completed apostille — ready for international submission.

Something many applicants miss is ensuring the document is not expired. Federal background checks, for example, have a shelf life of six months or less at the time of submission to the foreign authority. If your Criminal Background Check is past its useful window, a new document must be requested before submission to the North Dakota Secretary of State. 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 the North Dakota Secretary of State will accept it. Our service manages the full notarization and apostille process so you never have to navigate this alone.

How Long Does a Criminal Background Check Apostille Take from Valley City?

For time-sensitive requests — like a visa application deadline or an immigration hearing — starting early is essential. Budget at least 2 to 3 weeks for mail-in service and 5 to 7 business days for our expedited track. Expedited processing is sometimes possible on shorter notice depending on the North Dakota Secretary of State's current capacity.

Knowing where your Criminal Background Check is is one of the most valued aspects of a physical courier over postal mail. We provide real-time tracking at every milestone: initial pickup, receipt by our team, delivery to the government office, completion confirmation, and outbound FedEx tracking back to Valley City. This end-to-end tracking is unavailable with standard postal submission.

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 physical courier in Washington D.C. gets the federal authentication done in 2 to 4 business days by physically submitting at the federal office.

What to Include with Your Criminal Background Check Apostille Submission

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, correct fee payment for the state apostille, and a prepaid FedEx or USPS return. Missing any of these will cause rejection.

Some Valley City 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 North Dakota Secretary of State processes high volumes of requests and a simple cover sheet reduces processing errors.

The North Dakota Secretary of State's fee of $10 is required. Forms of payment differ at each North Dakota 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 you never worry about wrong payment forms.

Common Apostille Mistakes Valley City Residents Make

Not including the correct state fee is an easily avoidable mistake. The North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck charges $10 per apostille document. Underpaying or overpaying means the North Dakota Secretary of State will return your document unprocessed. Our service handles the fee payment directly so this error never happens.

Some Valley City residents try to apostille a document through the wrong state's office. If you were born in California but now live in Valley City, North Dakota, the correct apostille comes from the state that issued the document — not from the North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck. The apostille must come from the Secretary of State of the state where the document was originally issued. Our team verifies the issuing state for every submission to ensure correct routing.

Another common problem is submitting documents that are expired or outdated. Many foreign authorities specify that criminal record documents, in particular, are no older than 6 months at the time of consulate submission. If your Criminal Background Check is older than 6 months, a new document must be requested before apostilling. We check document dates as part of our intake review.

Shipping Your Criminal Background Check from Valley City — What to Know

Return shipping is included in our flat-rate service fee. After the North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck attaches the apostille, we ships your Criminal Background Check back to Valley City via FedEx with priority shipping with full insurance and end-to-end tracking. Most return shipments arrive within 1 to 2 business days. Rush return shipping is an option for urgent situations.

When your document arrives at our processing center, we inspect it within one business day. The intake check looks at: document type and certification status, presence of valid official seals, whether any pre-apostille notarization is required, and whether the document is within any recency window required by the destination. If any issues are found, we contact you immediately before proceeding.

The single most critical shipping instruction when mailing irreplaceable records like your Criminal Background Check is never use standard mail without tracking and insurance. Sending documents without tracking or insurance is a serious risk: if a document is lost in transit, there is no way to locate or recover it. FedEx Priority or UPS provide door-to-door tracking and insurance options. For irreplaceable original Criminal Background Checks, the peace of mind is worth the extra cost.

After the Apostille: Using Your Criminal Background Check Abroad

In some cases, the foreign government rejects your apostilled Criminal Background Check, do not panic. Common reasons for rejection include an expired validity window, a required translation that was not included, wrong type of Criminal Background Check for that country's requirements, or additional attestation required by the receiving country. Contact us if this happens — we help clients resolve apostille rejections quickly.

For clients pursuing citizenship through descent programs, the stakes are particularly high. Countries like Italy, Ireland, Poland, and Germany impose very specific requirements about which documents must be apostilled and how recently. Some foreign authorities, for example, may require apostilled records issued within the last year. Start the process early — we have helped many Valley City residents with complex multi-document apostille packages.

Once you have the apostille back from Valley City, you are ready to submit it to the foreign consulate, embassy, immigration authority, or employer. Submission requirements vary by country and institution: some require in-person delivery, others accept documents by mail or online portal. Check the exact requirements with the foreign consulate or employer in advance to ensure your submission is accepted.

Why Valley City Residents Use Our Apostille Courier Service

Every Criminal Background Check we process travel via FedEx with full insurance and tracking in each direction of the process: from Valley City to our hub, from our hub to the North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck, and back to Valley City. All shipments include full replacement-value insurance. If any issue arises, we handle it end to end. Irreplaceable original Criminal Background Checks deserve this level of care.

The flat-rate pricing for Valley City apostille orders is all-inclusive: document intake review, state fee payment to the North Dakota Secretary of State, courier delivery to Bismarck, retrieval of the completed certificate, and insured FedEx return to Valley City. No additional fees arise after ordering — the price you see is the total. For Valley City clients on a fixed budget, our flat-rate structure provides complete transparency.

{Our service isfully US-based|Our team is entirely US-based}. We work directly with the North Dakota Secretary of State in Bismarck and the federal apostille office in DC — directly, without subcontracting to third parties. All certifications obtained through our service comes directly from the authorized government office with no additional intermediary certifications. The result is that your Criminal Background Check carries only the legitimate government apostille — which is all any foreign government will need.

Not sure what an apostille is? Read our complete guide.