Criminal Background Check Apostille in Utah

Utah Apostille Requirements

• Authority: Utah Lieutenant Governor
• Office Location: Salt Lake City
• State Fee: $15
• Important Rule: Processed by the Lieutenant Governor's office.

What Is a Criminal Background Check Apostille?

An apostille is a standardized Hague certification established by the Hague Convention of 1961. Unlike standard document certification, an apostille is valid in over 120 countries worldwide — meaning your Criminal Background Check is valid for submission to foreign embassies, government offices, and employers. For residents of Utah, obtaining this certification goes through the Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City.

Something many Utah residents overlook is that getting an apostille does not mean your document is translated. Many countries additionally ask for a notarized translation as well as the apostille. Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and the UAE routinely ask for the apostille plus a sworn translation. We offer comprehensive apostille-plus-translation packages.

The Hague Apostille Convention replaced the cumbersome embassy-by-embassy authentication process that was required before the Convention. Before apostilles, 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. In Utah, the designated office is the Utah Lieutenant Governor.

Utah: State vs Federal Authority

When timelines are tight, rush processing may be available. Some state offices offer walk-in or expedited processing. Our courier uses these expedited tracks by walking documents in, bypassing the mail queue entirely.

The most commonly misunderstood thing to know about the apostille process for your document is knowing which office issues apostilles for your specific document type. In the US, there are two completely separate authentication tracks: state and federal. State-issued documents — like birth certificates, marriage certificates, and Criminal Background Checks go to the Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City. Federally issued records, such as FBI Background Checks, must go to the US Department of State in Washington D.C..

For state-issued Criminal Background Checks, the apostille is only available from the Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City. Before submission, the document needs to be in certified form with an authentic seal. The Utah Lieutenant Governor verifies the document's origin and seal and issues the Hague certificate usually within 1 to 4 weeks.

Why Local Offices Cannot Help

Beyond notaries, local government offices in Utah do not have apostille authority. Even a trip to the Utah city hall, county courthouse, or register of deeds would not produce a Hague certificate. The sole authority in Utah authorized to issue apostilles for state documents is the Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City.

For Utah residents who need a Criminal Background Check apostilled urgently, mail-in self-processing is rarely the right option. Using a physical runner cuts the timeline from 3 to 6 weeks down to 2 to 5 business days. Our team serves all cities in Utah with complete end-to-end shipment tracking on every submission.

Many residents of Utah initially assume they can obtain Hague legalization through any notary in UT. This is incorrect. A local notary can only witness signatures and verify identity. They have no authority to issue an apostille certificate — that authority belongs exclusively to.

The Utah Apostille Authority

When the Utah Lieutenant Governor receives your Criminal Background Check, a state official verifies the seals and signatures and checks that signatures are from known, authorized officials. If everything checks out, the apostille is issued as a separate certificate appended to your document. The apostilled document is then mailed back to you. Our courier picks it up within 24 hours.

The Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City is typically open Monday through Friday. Turnaround times for mail-in submissions generally range from 5 business days to 4 weeks depending on current volume. For Utah residents who need faster turnaround, 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 Utah Lieutenant Governor: it may need to be notarized or certified first. Diplomas, powers of attorney, and affidavits often must be notarized before the Utah Lieutenant Governor will apostille them. We advises you on any pre-apostille requirements before starting the submission so you are not surprised by a rejection.

How to Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in Utah

Getting a Criminal Background Check apostilled follows a defined process. Step one: confirm that your document is the original or a certified copy. Step two: check that it has an official seal and signature from the issuing authority. Third: send it to the correct authority with the required state fee of $15. Step four: collect the completed apostille — ready for international submission.

One of the most overlooked steps is ensuring the document is not expired. FBI Background Checks, for example, are typically required to be dated within 6 months at the time of submission to the foreign authority. If your document is past its useful window, you will need to obtain a fresh copy before submission to the Utah Lieutenant Governor. We check document dates as part of our intake process to flag any potential rejections early.

Some document types must be notarized before they can be apostilled. When your document is a private document — such as an affidavit, power of attorney, or diploma, it will typically need to be notarized by a licensed notary prior to the Utah Lieutenant Governor will accept it. Our service coordinates any required pre-notarization so there are no surprises at the Utah Lieutenant Governor.

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

Tracking your apostille is one of the most valued aspects of using our courier service. Our service includes real-time tracking at each step: initial pickup, arrival at our processing hub, delivery to the government office, completion confirmation, and outbound FedEx tracking back to Utah. This end-to-end tracking is unavailable with standard postal submission.

Processing times for a Criminal Background Check apostille vary depending on the submission method and current government backlog. Documents sent by postal mail from Utah to the Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City usually require 4 to 8 weeks in total — accounting for shipping each way plus processing. During peak periods, particularly during visa application seasons, backlogs can push timelines to 8 to 12 weeks.

If you need your Criminal Background Check apostilled urgently, the quickest option is a runner that hand-delivers to the Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City. The Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City can complete apostilles same-day for in-person deliveries. Our runner capitalizes on this to return apostilled documents to Utah in 2 to 5 business days.

What to Include With Your Submission

The Utah Lieutenant Governor's fee of $15 must be included. Accepted payment methods vary by state but generally include personal check, money order, or credit card for online portals. Our courier service includes fee payment in our all-in-one courier package so you never worry about wrong payment forms.

One detail that matters: for non-English documents, additional steps may be required depending on the Utah Lieutenant Governor. Alternatively, the Utah Lieutenant Governor apostilles the foreign-language document as-is and translation is handled separately after the apostille. We advise you on this when you place your order.

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, the Utah Lieutenant Governor's request form if applicable, payment for the state fee of $15, and a prepaid FedEx or USPS return. Leaving out any item will cause rejection.

Common Apostille Mistakes to Avoid

Mailing irreplaceable originals through the US Postal Service without a tracking number is something we strongly advise against. Documents sent by uninsured mail can be lost, delayed, or damaged. Original government-issued documents are difficult or expensive to replace. We ship all documents via FedEx for maximum protection from the moment we receive your document to its return to Utah.

Submitting a photocopy instead of an original or certified copy is a common rejection reason. The Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City requires the original document or a properly certified copy. Sending a photocopy will be rejected without processing. Request a new certified copy before starting the apostille process.

Forgetting to include return shipping is an easily preventable error that delays apostille returns. The Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City will not return your document without a prepaid return method. Without a return label, your completed apostille could wait weeks to reach you. Our service includes return shipping — no separate arrangements needed.

Get Your Criminal Background Check Apostilled in Utah

Our courier network covers the Utah Lieutenant Governor in Salt Lake City, 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 Utah