FBI Background Check Apostille in Delaware City, DE

How to Legalize Your FBI Background Check from Delaware City

People throughout Delaware are surprised to learn that getting their FBI Background Check apostilled requires submitting to a specific government office. We simplify it for you.

The US Department of State in Washington D.C. is the sole authority in DE that can certify a Hague Apostille on your FBI Background Check. Any other office will reject the document and send it back.

Instead of dealing with state offices directly, let our courier service handle it. We work with the US Department of State in Washington D.C. and can turn around most FBI Background Check apostilles in 2 to 5 business days.

What is an Apostille?

The Hague Apostille Convention currently includes more than 120 countries — including virtually all of Europe, much of Latin America, and major expat destinations in Asia and the Middle East. When you need documents for a foreign residency visa, a work permit, or citizenship documentation, Hague certification is a standard part of the application process. Our courier service handles Delaware-based orders for all 124 member countries.

FBI Background Checks are regularly among the highest-volume apostille requests. This is because FBI Background Checks are routinely required for immigration, employment, international education, and cross-border legal matters. For residents of Delaware City, only the US Department of State can issue this certification in DE.

The Hague Apostille Convention streamlined the old multi-step embassy legalization 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 Delaware, that authority is the US Department of State in Washington D.C..

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

Figuring out if your FBI Background Check goes to Washington D.C. or DC is usually straightforward. Ask yourself: which government agency originally issued it? State vital records — birth, death, marriage, divorce — come from the US Department of State in Washington D.C.. FBI Background Checks and federal agency records come from federal agencies and must go to the US Department of State in Washington D.C.

Submitting on your own, turnaround from Delaware City typically runs 4 to 8 weeks round trip. A physical courier runner cuts this to 2 to 5 business days by physically delivering your FBI Background Check to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. and obtaining same-day or next-day certification.

The rationale behind state vs federal apostilles reflects the federal structure of the United States. A state Secretary of State can only certify documents issued by that state's own agencies. It has no jurisdiction over records issued by federal agencies. That authority falls under the US Department of State.

Why a Local Notary in Delaware City Cannot Apostille Your Document

The reason a Delaware City notary cannot apostille your FBI Background Check comes down to what a notary public is legally empowered to do. A notary is a state-commissioned official authorized solely to verify signatures and certify document copies. Notaries are not a government authentication authority. Apostilles require the specific authority vested in the US Department of State — something no local notary possesses.

The US Department of State in Washington D.C. is typically not accessible to the average Delaware City resident without careful preparation. In Delaware, mailed documents from Delaware City to Washington D.C. take several days of shipping in each direction before the US Department of State even begins processing. A courier who physically delivers documents bypasses postal delays entirely and can secure same-day or next-day processing not available to mail-in submissions.

That said: a local notarization can play a role in the apostille process. Many document types must be notarized as a prerequisite to apostille submission. Educational records and private documents often must be notarized before being submitted to the US Department of State. In this case, a Delaware City notary handles step one and the US Department of State completes the apostille.

The Correct Authority: US Department of State

The US Department of State in Washington D.C. is typically open Monday through Friday. Turnaround times without expedited service typically run 1 to 3 weeks depending on current volume. For Delaware 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: some documents require prior notarization. Educational records and private documents typically require notarization as a first step. Our team identifies whether any notarization is needed before submitting to the US Department of State so you are not surprised by a rejection.

Something important to know is that the US Department of State in Washington D.C. apostilles the document as-is. If there are mistakes in your document, those errors must be fixed at the source before submitting for an apostille. Submitting a document with errors will cause it to be refused by the receiving foreign authority even if everything else is in order.

Step-by-Step: Getting Your FBI Background Check Apostilled from Delaware City

Getting your FBI Background Check apostilled requires a clear sequence of steps. First: ensure your FBI 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 along with the applicable state fee. Step four: collect the completed apostille — ready for any Hague member country.

When the US Department of State apostilles your FBI Background Check, the document is complete. Our courier returns it to you via FedEx with full tracking. Average door-to-door time from Delaware City, for our standard service, is 3 to 7 business days.

When your document is properly prepared, it must be delivered to the US Department of State in Washington D.C.. Mailing from Delaware City to Washington D.C. and back takes 2 to 4 weeks in transit alone. A physical runner hand-delivers the US Department of State and picks up the apostille same-day or next-day, dramatically reducing your wait from weeks to days.

How Long Does a FBI Background Check Apostille Take from Delaware City?

When timing is critical — such as a visa appointment, consulate date, or employment start — building in extra time is important. We recommend allowing 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 US Department of State's current capacity.

Tracking your apostille is one of the most valued aspects of a physical courier over postal mail. We provide real-time tracking at every milestone: pickup from your Delaware City address, receipt by our team, submission to the US Department of State in Washington D.C., apostille issuance notification, and outbound FedEx tracking back to Delaware City. This end-to-end tracking is not possible with direct mail.

The US Department of State has its own processing timeline for federal documents. Regular postal submissions to DC for federal apostilles can take 6 to 11 weeks due to the national volume of federal authentication requests. A physical courier in Washington D.C. gets the federal authentication done in 2 to 5 business days by physically submitting at the federal office.

What to Include with Your FBI Background Check Apostille Submission

When submitting your FBI Background Check for apostille, confirm you are sending: your original FBI Background Check or an official certified copy, notarization if required for your document type, the US Department of State's request form if applicable, correct fee payment for the state apostille, and a prepaid return envelope or shipping label. Missing any of these will cause rejection.

Some Delaware City residents ask whether a cover letter is needed with their apostille submission. For direct submissions to the US Department of State, including a short cover page is advisable with your contact information and document details. The US Department of State handles many submissions daily and a simple cover sheet helps the office handle your request correctly and quickly.

Payment for the state fee must be included. Accepted payment methods vary by state but typically include money order, certified check, or online payment. Our courier service includes fee payment in our all-in-one courier package so the submission is never rejected for payment reasons.

Common Apostille Mistakes Delaware City Residents Make

Sending the wrong fee is an easily avoidable mistake. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. charges $30 per apostille document. Sending an incorrect amount means the US Department of State will return your document unprocessed. We submit the correct fee for each document so this error never happens.

An often-missed issue is sending a document with any handwritten corrections. If there are any corrections on your document, it will likely be turned away. Any corrections, must be made officially at the issuing agency. We check each document before submission catches this type of problem before submission happens, so your submission goes through cleanly the first time.

The single most expensive apostille error is routing your FBI Background Check to the incorrect office. Delaware City residents sometimes send federal records to their state Secretary of State. Either way, the office will reject the submission and return the document unprocessed. This mistake costs weeks — the round-trip postal time to the wrong office — before you can resubmit correctly.

Shipping Your FBI Background Check from Delaware City — What to Know

How we return your apostilled FBI Background Check is covered by our flat-rate service fee. Once the government office issues the apostille, our courier ships your FBI Background Check back to Delaware City via FedEx with priority shipping with full insurance and end-to-end tracking. Returns from Washington D.C. to Delaware City arrive within 1 to 2 business days. Rush return shipping is an option for urgent situations.

After your FBI Background Check arrives, our team reviews it within one business day. This review verifies: document type and certification status, whether the official seals and signatures are present and readable, 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 sending original documents like your FBI Background Check is always use a tracked, insured service. Standard postal mail without tracking is a serious risk: if a document is lost in transit, there is no way to locate or recover it. FedEx Priority and UPS provide end-to-end tracking with insurance. For originals that cannot be easily replaced, the peace of mind is worth the extra cost.

After the Apostille: Using Your FBI Background Check Abroad

If the receiving authority returns your document despite the apostille, do not panic. Common reasons for rejection include an apostille issued too long before submission, a required translation that was not included, wrong type of FBI Background Check for that country's requirements, or country-specific additional requirements. Reach out to our team — we help clients resolve apostille rejections quickly.

For clients pursuing citizenship through descent programs, apostille quality is especially critical. Countries like Italy, Ireland, Poland, and Germany impose very specific requirements about which documents must be apostilled and how recently. Italian citizenship courts, in particular, require documents to be recently issued and apostilled. Plan ahead — we assist clients from Delaware City with citizenship by descent documentation.

Once you have the apostille back from Delaware City, you are ready to submit it to the foreign consulate, embassy, immigration authority, or employer. Submission requirements vary by country and institution: certain consulates require you to appear in person, others accept documents by mail or online portal. Check the exact requirements with the foreign consulate or employer in advance to avoid last-minute issues.

Why Delaware City Residents Use Our Apostille Courier Service

Navigating the apostille process alone involves determining the correct government authority, getting the right version of your document, managing the transit to and from Washington D.C., submitting the right amount to the US Department of State, and getting the document back. Our service handles every one of these steps for a flat rate. You send us your FBI Background Check and get it back ready for international use — without ever dealing with a government office yourself.

One concern Delaware City residents often have is the safety and security of entrusting original documents to a courier. All staff who touch documents in our service is a vetted US-based professional. Documents are never left unattended. Every document we process is treated with the same security as the most sensitive possible record. We are a registered US LLC and operate under the same legal framework as any US courier service handling sensitive documents.

Beyond speed, what sets our service apart is our intake review process. Before we submit your FBI Background Check, we review every document for common issues that cause rejection: expired dates, missing seals, uncertified copies, wrong document versions, and incorrect routing. Catching these before submission is the difference between a smooth process and weeks of additional delay. Many document services do not provide this review.

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