Criminal Background Check Apostille in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Apostille Requirements

• Authority: Pennsylvania Department of State
• Office Location: Harrisburg
• State Fee: $15
• Important Rule: Original signatures are required.

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 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 from the appropriate government office. For Criminal Background Checks issued in Pennsylvania, that authority is the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg.

Criminal Background Checks are among the most frequently apostilled documents in the United States. This is because Criminal Background Checks come up in many international processes including immigration, employment, international education, and cross-border legal matters. For residents of Pennsylvania, the apostille for a Criminal Background Check must come from the Pennsylvania Department of State.

An apostille is a type of Hague certification established by the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Unlike a local notary stamp, an apostille is recognized internationally — meaning your Criminal Background Check is valid for submission to international authorities without additional authentication. If you are in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, obtaining this certification means submitting your document to the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg.

Pennsylvania: State vs Federal Authority

For documents issued by Pennsylvania government agencies, the apostille must come from the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg. Before submission, the document must carry an original official seal or notarization. The Pennsylvania Department 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 Pennsylvania to the US Department of State in DC, it will be rejected and returned. In reverse, mailing a federal document to the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg will also come back unprocessed. In both cases, the wasted transit time adds 2 to 4 weeks to your timeline.

For urgent submissions, same-day processing is available in many cases. The Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg offer walk-in or expedited processing. Our team uses these expedited tracks by submitting in person rather than by mail, which is typically the only way to access same-day or next-day processing.

Why Local Offices Cannot Help

First-time applicants in Pennsylvania mistakenly believe they can obtain Hague legalization at a local UPS Store or notary. This is incorrect. A notary public is authorized only to witness signatures and administer oaths. They cannot issue an apostille certificate — that authority belongs exclusively to.

Something else to consider is that Hague member countries check whether the apostille was issued by the proper office. If your Criminal Background Check is apostilled by the wrong authority, your documents will be rejected at the destination. This may trigger a visa denial even if everything else in your application is correct.

Beyond notaries, county clerks, municipal offices, and city government offices are equally unable to apostille documents. Even a trip to any local Pennsylvania government office will not produce a Hague certificate. The only office in PA authorized to issue apostilles for state documents is the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg.

The Pennsylvania Apostille Authority

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. Our team advises you on any pre-apostille requirements before starting the submission so your submission is accepted on the first attempt.

In PA, the correct office is the Pennsylvania Department of State. The Pennsylvania Department of State is the sole office in PA to issue Hague Apostille certificates on Pennsylvania-issued public documents. The Pennsylvania Department of State is authorized to verify the seals and signatures of all Pennsylvania public officials and is therefore the only entity capable of certifying their authenticity.

Once your document arrives at the Pennsylvania Department of State, a state official reviews the document and checks that signatures are from known, authorized officials. If everything checks out, the apostille is attached as a cover page or attachment. The apostilled document is then returned by mail. Our courier collects it same-day or next-day.

How to Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg. We manages the full notarization and apostille process so there are no surprises at the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Once we have your documents, our team reviews it 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 — rejection from the Pennsylvania Department of State that restarts the whole process.

Getting a Criminal Background Check apostilled follows a clear sequence of steps. First: confirm that your document is the original or a certified copy. Second: check that it has an official seal and signature from the issuing authority. Third: submit it to the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg with the required state fee of $15. Step four: receive your apostilled document — ready for any Hague member country.

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

For Pennsylvania residents in a rush, the most time-efficient route is a runner that hand-delivers to the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg offer same-day service for walk-in submissions. Our courier uses this option wherever available to get Pennsylvania clients their apostilles in 2 to 5 business days.

The US Department of State has its own processing timeline for FBI Background Checks and other federal records. Standard mail-in processing to DC for federal apostilles often takes 8 to 12 weeks due to the national volume of federal authentication requests. A DC-based courier gets the federal authentication done in 2 to 4 business days by physically submitting at the federal office.

Knowing where your Criminal Background Check is is one of the most valued aspects of using our courier service. We provide real-time tracking at each step: initial pickup, receipt by our team, submission to the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg, apostille issuance notification, and dispatch of the return shipment to Pennsylvania. 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, make sure you include: the original document or a certified copy, any required notarization, the Pennsylvania Department of State's request form if applicable, correct fee payment for the state apostille, and a prepaid FedEx or USPS return. Missing any of these will cause rejection.

Some Pennsylvania residents ask whether a cover letter is needed with their apostille submission. For mail-in submissions, including a short cover page is advisable with your contact information and document details. The Pennsylvania Department of State handles many submissions daily and a clear cover letter helps the office handle your request correctly and quickly.

Payment for the state fee must accompany your submission. Accepted payment methods vary by state but generally include personal check, money order, or credit card for online portals. Our courier service handles the fee payment so the submission is never rejected for payment reasons.

Common Apostille Mistakes to Avoid

Failing to provide a prepaid return label is a simple but common mistake. The Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg 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 number one mistake is routing your Criminal Background Check to the incorrect office. People in Pennsylvania sometimes mail federal records to their state Secretary of State. Either way, the documents come back with a rejection notice. This mistake costs weeks — the round-trip postal time to the wrong office — before you can resubmit correctly.

Sending original documents through standard postal mail without insurance is something we strongly advise against. Uninsured postal shipments can be lost, delayed, or damaged. Original government-issued documents are difficult or expensive to replace. We use FedEx with full insurance and tracking for maximum protection from the moment we receive your document to its return to Pennsylvania.

Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in Pennsylvania

Our courier network covers the Pennsylvania Department of State in Harrisburg, 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 Pennsylvania