FBI Background Check Apostille — All 50 States

What Is a FBI Background Check Apostille?

Getting your FBI Background Check apostilled is increasingly requested as more Americans move abroad. Foreign consulates and immigration offices have specific rules about which US documents they will accept. The apostille is the only form of US document authentication they will accept. Your document that has not been apostilled will not be processed.

Most applicants believe that a certified copy is sufficient for international use. It is not. A notarization only witnesses a signature at the local level. Foreign governments have no obligation to accept it. A FBI Background Check apostille, by contrast, is an internationally binding certificate that consulates and immigration authorities must recognize. The apostille is what transforms a domestic document into a document that is valid internationally.

Consulates and immigration offices in most countries specify a recency window for accepted apostilles. FBI Background Checks and criminal record documents, in particular, are commonly required to be dated within 6 months. Birth certificates and marriage records do not expire, but individual country requirements vary. We confirm destination-country validity requirements when you contact us.

Which US Authority Apostilles Your Document?

The most important aspect of the FBI Background Check apostille process is determining which government office is authorized to apostille it. Under the US apostille system, there are two separate authentication tracks: state-issued documents go to the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Federal documents — like the FBI Background Check — are apostilled by the US Department of State in Washington D.C. Routing your document incorrectly adds weeks of delay before you can resubmit.

The Global Apostille Network handles both the state and federal apostille tracks. Once we receive your document, our team reviews it and identifies the correct authority immediately. This prevents the costly mistake of misdirecting your document. Our courier network covers both the federal authentication office in DC and Secretary of State offices nationwide.

Why there are two separate apostille tracks reflects how US jurisdiction works. The state-level apostille authority can only certify the seals and signatures of that state's government officials. It has no authority over documents from the FBI, DHS, State Department, or other federal offices. Authenticating federal records belongs exclusively to the US Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington D.C.

Why Local Offices Cannot Help

People unfamiliar with the process wonder whether online apostille services are a legitimate option. The US does not currently issue e-apostilles for most document types. Apostilles for US documents are physical certificates attached to the original document. Any website offering an online-only apostille for US documents is not issuing a legally valid Hague certificate.

Most first-time applicants begin by contacting a local notary, UPS Store, or county office. None of these can issue an apostille. A notary public is authorized by the state to witness signatures and verify identity. Notaries are not designated apostille authorities. Apostille authority is reserved for specific government offices: state Secretaries of State and, for federal documents, the US Department of State.

Because apostilles require physical documents means digital copies are never accepted. The physical FBI Background Check itself must travel to the government office. The reason turnaround time is measured in weeks for postal routes and days for courier services. The main factor under your control is the delivery method: postal mail takes weeks in transit each way.

Step-by-Step: Getting Your FBI Background Check Apostilled

The apostille process requires actual physical document submission. Applicants need to provide the original to the government authority. The authority physically reviews the document and affixes the Hague certificate directly to your document. Once completed, the document is sent back. Since this is a physical process, time is determined by government processing speed and transit time.

End-to-end turnaround for getting your document apostilled includes: document procurement, pre-submission preparation if needed, submission transit, time at the apostille office, and return delivery. Without an expedited courier, this full cycle takes 3 to 8 weeks for state documents. With a physical courier, the timeline compresses to 3 to 7 business days total door to door.

Getting your FBI Background Check apostilled involves a defined order of operations. First: ensure you have the right form of the document — an original with an official seal, not a photocopy. Step two: determine whether your document needs notarization before submission. Third: submit to the correct authority — state Secretary of State or US Department of State depending on whether your FBI Background Check is state or federally issued. Step four: collect your completed apostille and submit it to the foreign authority.

Processing Times and Turnaround

One commonly overlooked timing factor is document expiration. Many foreign authorities specify that the apostille must have been issued recently. Federal background documents, especially, must often be dated within 6 months. If your FBI Background Check was apostilled more than 6 months ago, you will need to obtain and apostille a fresh copy. We confirm destination-country validity requirements when you contact us.

Several factors affect how long your FBI Background Check apostille takes: the current backlog at the issuing authority, whether your document requires pre-apostille notarization, shipping time in each direction, and whether you are using postal mail or a courier. Our service includes an accurate expected turnaround reflecting current backlogs when you place your order. If you have a specific deadline — like a visa appointment or consulate date — we prioritize accordingly.

The quickest path to getting your document apostilled requires a runner that hand-delivers to the apostille office. Many apostille offices process walk-in documents same-day. Our courier capitalizes on this to get clients their apostilles in 2 to 5 business days. For time-critical situations, reach out with your timeline so we can advise on the fastest realistic option.

Common Mistakes That Delay Your Apostille

The single biggest cause of delays is submitting to the wrong government authority. State documents sent to the US Department of State will be returned unprocessed. Federal documents sent to a Secretary of State meet the same fate. Either way, the postal time wasted — usually 2 to 4 weeks of wasted transit — delays your timeline and forces you to start the submission over.

Sending original documents without insurance or tracking is something we strongly advise against. Government-issued originals can be lost in transit or delayed indefinitely when sent by uninsured postal mail. Original apostillable documents are sometimes impossible or expensive to replace if lost. Every document we handle are sent via FedEx with insurance and end-to-end tracking.

Including the wrong fee is a surprisingly common reason submissions are rejected. Both state and federal apostille offices assess a fee for each certificate issued. State fees vary but typically range from $5 to $25 per document. Sending the wrong amount causes the submission to be returned without processing. Our service handles all fee payments on your behalf so payment errors never occur.

Get Your FBI Background Check Apostilled

Getting your FBI Background Check apostilled through our service is straightforward: mail your original document to us, and we handle everything from there. Our runners hand-deliver your document to the correct authority and return the certified document within under a week in most cases. You never need to visit any government office. Rush options are available for urgent visa deadlines.

Frequently Asked Questions — FBI Background Check Apostille