FBI Background Check Apostille in Delaware

Delaware Apostille Requirements

• Authority: US Department of State in Washington D.C.
• Office Location: Washington D.C.
• State Fee: $30
• Important Rule: Expedited service available for an additional fee.

What Is a FBI Background Check Apostille?

FBI Background Checks are among the most frequently apostilled documents in the United States. The reason FBI Background Checks are routinely required for immigration, employment, international education, and cross-border legal matters. If you are in Delaware, the apostille for a FBI Background Check must come from the US Department of State in Washington D.C..

An apostille is a standardized government certification created under the Convention of 5 October 1961. Unlike a notarization, an apostille is valid in over 120 countries worldwide — meaning your FBI Background Check will be accepted by foreign embassies, government offices, and employers. If you are in Delaware, Delaware, obtaining this certification requires working with the US Department of State in Washington D.C..

An important point is that an apostille is not a translation. The majority of Hague member countries additionally ask for a certified translation into the local language alongside the apostille. Most EU countries and many Middle Eastern authorities almost always require both the apostille and a certified translation. We offer complete packages that cover both apostille and certified translation.

Delaware: State vs Federal Authority

A frequent and expensive error is sending documents to the incorrect government authority. For example, if you mail a FBI Background Check issued in Delaware to Washington D.C., the federal office will refuse to process it. In reverse, mailing a federal document to a state Secretary of State office will also come back unprocessed. In both cases, the round-trip postal time adds 2 to 4 weeks to your timeline.

If you have a deadline, same-day processing is offered by our courier service. Some state offices offer walk-in or expedited processing. Our courier uses these expedited tracks by submitting in person rather than by mail, bypassing the mail queue entirely.

The most critical thing to know about getting a FBI Background Check apostilled is knowing which office handles your specific document type. In the United States, there are two completely separate authentication tracks: state-level and federal. Documents issued by Delaware, including FBI Background Checks go to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C.. Federally issued records, like FBI Identity History Summaries and federal agency documents, must go to the federal authentication office in DC.

Why Local Offices Cannot Help

Something else to consider is that the receiving country 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 trigger a visa denial even if you have all other documents in order.

Beyond notaries, county clerks, municipal offices, and city government offices in DE also cannot issue apostilles. Even a trip to any local Delaware government office would not produce a Hague certificate. The sole authority in Delaware that can attach the Hague certificate for state documents is the US Department of State in Washington D.C..

If you are working under a tight deadline, mail-in self-processing is rarely the right option. Using a physical runner is the only way to access same-day processing at the US Department of State in Washington D.C.. Our courier service handles Delaware-area pickups and submissions with complete end-to-end shipment tracking on every submission.

The Delaware Apostille Authority

For FBI Background Checks issued in Delaware, the designated apostille authority is the US Department of State in Washington D.C.. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. is the sole office in DE to attach Hague Apostille certificates on records from Delaware government agencies. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. holds the official seals of Delaware government officials and is consequently the only authorized source for apostilles on Delaware-issued records.

When the US Department of State in Washington D.C. receives your FBI Background Check, an authorized state officer reviews the document and checks that signatures are from known, authorized officials. Once verified, the apostille is attached as a separate certificate appended to your document. The completed document is then held for courier pickup. Our courier collects it same-day or next-day.

The US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. is typically open Monday through Friday. Processing times without expedited service generally range from 5 business days to 4 weeks depending on submission backlog. If you are in Delaware and need it faster, a physical courier gets the apostille in 2 to 5 business days.

How to Get Your FBI Background Check Apostilled in Delaware

Once we have your documents, we inspect each document for any issues that could cause rejection. This pre-flight review catches common problems like improper certification, wrong document versions, or missing state fees. Catching these before submission avoids the need to resubmit — rejection from the US Department of State in Washington D.C. that restarts the whole process.

Getting an apostille on your FBI Background Check involves a clear sequence of steps. Step one: ensure your FBI Background Check is in its original, certified form. Step two: verify the document carries an authentic official seal. Step three: submit it to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. with the required state fee of $30. Step four: collect the completed apostille — ready for any Hague member country.

One of the most overlooked steps is ensuring the document is not expired. Federal background checks, for example, are typically required to be dated within 6 months at the time of submission to the foreign authority. If your FBI Background Check is outdated, you will need to obtain a fresh copy before submission to the US Department of State in Washington D.C.. We check document dates as part of our intake process to avoid submitting documents that will be refused.

How Long Does a FBI Background Check Apostille Take in Delaware?

The US Department of State has its own processing timeline for federal documents. Standard mail-in processing to DC for federal apostilles can take 8 to 12 weeks because of the national volume of federal authentication requests. A DC-based courier can complete the federal apostille in 2 to 5 business days by walking documents in directly.

Knowing where your FBI Background Check is is a key advantage of a physical courier over postal mail. We provide status updates at every milestone: pickup from your Delaware address, receipt by our team, delivery to the government office, apostille issuance notification, and dispatch of the return shipment to Delaware. This end-to-end tracking is unavailable with standard postal submission.

Turnaround for a FBI Background Check apostille depend on how the document is submitted and the US Department of State in Washington D.C.'s current workload. Mail-in submissions from Delaware to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. typically take 3 to 6 weeks round trip — accounting for shipping each way plus processing. During peak periods, such as spring and summer immigration seasons, government processing alone can take 4 to 6 weeks.

What to Include With Your Submission

Some Delaware residents ask whether they should include a cover letter with their apostille submission. For direct submissions to the US Department of State in Washington D.C., a brief cover letter is recommended stating your name, document type, document count, and return address. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. handles many submissions daily and a clear cover letter helps the office handle your request correctly and quickly.

The US Department of State in Washington D.C.'s fee of $30 must accompany your submission. Forms of payment differ at each US Department of State in Washington D.C. but typically include personal check, money order, or credit card for online portals. We pays the US Department of State in Washington D.C. fee as part of the service so the submission is never rejected for payment reasons.

An easy-to-miss detail: if your FBI Background Check was issued in a language other than English, additional steps may be required depending on the US Department of State in Washington D.C.. Alternatively, the US Department of State in Washington D.C. 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.

Common Apostille Mistakes to Avoid

The most common and costly apostille mistake is sending your document to the wrong government authority. People in Delaware sometimes mail federal records to their state Secretary of State. Either way, the office will reject the submission and return the document unprocessed. This adds 2 to 4 weeks — the round-trip postal time to the wrong office — before you can resubmit correctly.

Sending original documents through the US Postal Service without a tracking number is a significant risk. Uninsured postal shipments are vulnerable to loss with no recourse. Original government-issued documents are sometimes time-consuming and costly to replace. We use FedEx with full insurance and tracking for maximum protection from the moment we receive your document to its return to Delaware.

Mailing an uncertified copy instead of an original or certified copy is a common rejection reason. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. requires the original document or a properly certified copy. Submitting a scan or uncertified copy will be rejected without processing. Request a new certified copy before starting the apostille process.

Get Your FBI Background Check Apostilled in Delaware

Our courier network physically delivers to the US Department of State in Washington D.C., typically returning your apostilled document in 2 to 5 business days. No need to visit any government office.

Frequently Asked Questions — FBI Background Check Apostille in Delaware