FBI Background Check Apostille in New Jersey

The US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. is the official apostille authority for FBI Background Checks. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. charges $25 per apostille. We service all cities in New Jersey — find yours below.

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New Jersey Apostille Requirements

Authority: US Department of State in Washington D.C.
Office Location: Washington D.C.
State Fee: $25
Important Rule: High processing fee.

Skip the New Jersey government office.

Our courier handles submission to US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. — standard 2–5 days, express available.

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Select your city to view local apostille processing options and courier times.

Newark Jersey City Paterson Elizabeth Edison Trenton Toms River Clifton Camden Passaic Cherry Hill Union City Bayonne Middletown East Orange North Bergen Irvington Vineland South Vineland Wayne New Brunswick Union Piscataway Jackson Lakewood Hoboken West New York Perth Amboy Plainfield Parsippany Bloomfield East Brunswick West Orange Sayreville Hackensack Bridgewater North Brunswick Sicklerville Sayreville Junction Kearny Linden Mount Laurel Marlboro Teaneck Montclair Atlantic City Hillsborough Sewell Belleville Fort Lee Ewing Pennsauken Orange Fair Lawn Garfield Willingboro Long Branch Westfield Princeton Rahway Englewood Millville Livingston Bergenfield Nutley Paramus West Milford Mercerville-Hamilton Square Randolph Ridgewood Bridgeton Maplewood Cliffside Park Lodi Vincentown South Plainfield Carteret Mahwah Old Bridge Scotch Plains South Old Bridge Cranford Hillside North Plainfield Somerset Summit Roselle Basking Ridge Pleasantville Palisades Park Bayville Elmwood Park Millburn Lyndhurst Sparta Woodbridge Glassboro Secaucus Maple Shade Hawthorne Iselin Rutherford Morristown Point Pleasant Dover Dumont Colonia Tinton Falls Lindenwold South Orange Wyckoff Avenel New Milford Denville South River Hopatcong Hills Ocean Acres Madison North Arlington Asbury Park Williamstown Harrison Warren Township Fords Ramsey Tenafly Cinnaminson Clark Hammonton Springdale Phillipsburg Hopatcong Fairview Springfield Highland Park Moorestown-Lenola Bradley Gardens Berkeley Heights Cherry Hill Mall Weehawken Collingswood Middlesex Metuchen Princeton Meadows Roselle Park West Freehold Verona Franklin Park Mercerville Oakland Short Hills Saddle Brook Ridgefield Park Hanover Holiday City-Berkeley Hamilton Square Lumberton Woodland Park New Providence Cedar Grove Ringwood Atco Eatontown Hasbrouck Heights Red Bank Somerville East Hanover Edgewater Glen Rock Martinsville Freehold Pennsville Wanaque Florham Park Wallington River Edge Guttenberg Upper Montclair Bellmawr Haddonfield Ridgefield Greentree Ocean City Gloucester City Robertsville Westwood Browns Mills Beachwood Pompton Lakes Totowa Little Ferry Franklin Lakes Mount Holly Echelon Somers Point Little Falls Hillsdale Pine Hill Bound Brook Ventnor City Manville Lincoln Park Kinnelon Colts Neck Marlton Waldwick Woodbury Lake Mohawk Keansburg Burlington Maywood Hackettstown River Vale White Horse Villas Lake Hiawatha Kendall Park Brookdale Leonia Brigantine East Rutherford Succasunna Lake Hopatcong Chatham Budd Lake Park Ridge Pitman Matawan South Amboy White Meadow Lake Whippany Cresskill Columbus Audubon Pine Lake Park East Franklin Closter North Haledon Northfield Clayton Mystic Island Spotswood Haledon Montvale Boonton Bogota Runnemede Upper Saddle River Absecon Ashland Wood-Ridge Oradell Bloomingdale Kenilworth Bedminster Raritan West Long Branch Newton Caldwell Crestwood Village Bernardsville Fort Dix Butler Emerson Glen Ridge Fanwood Berlin Haddon Heights Twin Rivers Dunellen Edgewater Park Carneys Point Midland Park Palmyra Strathmore Smithville Yardville Keyport Madison Park Pomona Dayton Fairfield Milltown Stratford Linwood Rumson Mountainside Allendale Barrington North Caldwell Wharton Laurence Harbor Yorketown Washington Rockaway Landing Carlstadt Ramtown Margate City Green Knoll Lincroft Fair Haven Jamesburg Old Tappan Paulsboro Prospect Park Woodcliff Lake Watchung Little Silver Ramblewood Roseland Norwood Heathcote Manasquan Oceanport Belmar Kingston Estates Finderne Union Beach Morris Plains Rochelle Park Hightstown Somerdale Englewood Cliffs Cape May Court House Mount Arlington Forked River Wildwood Demarest Morganville Mendham Clementon Penns Grove Haskell Highland Lake Salem East Freehold Highlands South Bound Brook Northvale Franklin Beckett Harrington Park Neptune City Brielle Glendora Spring Lake Heights Flemington Mount Ephraim Buena Beattystown Point Pleasant Beach Blackwood Wanamassa Franklin Center Westville Florence Ellisburg Leisure Village Magnolia Garwood Atlantic Highlands Mountain Lakes Riverdale Bradley Beach Egg Harbor City Leisure Village East Ho-Ho-Kus Medford Lakes Golden Triangle Shrewsbury Cedar Knolls Oakhurst Oaklyn Mullica Hill Country Lake Estates North Wildwood Beach Haven West Lawrenceville Bordentown Lambertville Society Hill Merchantville Port Monmouth Turnersville Gibbstown South Toms River Port Reading Roebling McGuire AFB Shark River Hills Holiday City South Singac Leisuretowne High Bridge Woodstown Cape May Leisure Village West-Pine Lake Park Oak Valley Haworth Richwood Stanhope Tuckerton Ocean Grove North Middletown Saddle River Netcong Monmouth Beach North Cape May Delanco Cliffwood Beach Sixmile Run Wildwood Crest Hamburg Concordia Robbinsville Woodbury Heights Kenvil National Park Laurel Lake Wood-Lynne Spring Lake Groveville Lawnside Seaside Heights Monmouth Junction Barnegat Moonachie Leonardo Sewaren Riverton Plainsboro Center Lakehurst Rio Grande Clearbrook Park Rossmoor Clinton Swedesboro Belvidere Pennington Beverly New Egypt West Belmar Leisure Knoll Woodbine Whittingham Princeton Junction Pemberton Heights East Newark Brownville Pine Ridge at Crestwood Presidential Lakes Estates Middlebush Manahawkin Alpha Ogdensburg Wenonah Gibbsboro North Beach Haven Helmetta Whitesboro Whitesboro-Burleigh Cranbury Essex Fells Pine Beach Mays Landing Erma Victory Lakes Holiday Heights Vista Center Whitehouse Station Sea Isle City Gladstone Peapack Sussex Navesink Ocean Gate Ten Mile Run Englishtown Brooklawn Hopewell Alpine Laurel Springs Long Valley Folsom Allentown Sea Girt Lavallette Avon-by-the-Sea South Belmar Upper Pohatcong Belford Lake Como Estell Manor Vernon Center Collings Lakes Annandale Chester Lebanon Island Heights Glen Gardner Chesilhurst Vernon Valley Waretown Brass Castle Seaside Park Newfield Victory Gardens Voorhees Winfield Kingston Seabrook Farms Hardwick Elwood Cedar Glen Lakes Olivet Alloway Frenchtown Pemberton Port Norris Hampton Sea Bright Elmer Farmingdale Avalon Cedar Glen West Fairton Lake Telemark Dover Beaches North Weston Dover Beaches South Surf City Milford Crandon Lakes Beach Haven Ship Bottom Silver Ridge Port Republic Rosenhayn Oxford Califon West Cape May Audubon Park West Caldwell

What Is a FBI Background Check Apostille?

An apostille is a form of international document authentication established by the Convention of 5 October 1961. Unlike a notarization, an apostille is accepted by all 124 Hague member countries — meaning your FBI Background Check is valid for submission to foreign embassies, government offices, and employers. If you are in New Jersey, New Jersey, obtaining this certification goes through the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C..

An important point is that an apostille is not a translation. Many countries require a sworn or certified translation as well as the apostille. Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and the UAE typically require both the apostille and a certified translation. We offer comprehensive apostille-plus-translation packages.

The Hague Apostille Convention streamlined the cumbersome embassy-by-embassy authentication process that was standard before the Hague system. Under the old system, getting an American document accepted overseas required notarization, state-level certification, federal certification, and then embassy legalization. The apostille replaced this with a single certificate from the appropriate government office. In New Jersey, that authority is the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C..

New Jersey: State vs Federal Authority

For urgent submissions, same-day processing is available in many cases. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. have expedited tracks for urgent requests. Our courier uses these expedited tracks by walking documents in, which is typically the only way to access same-day or next-day processing.

The single most important thing to know about getting a FBI Background Check apostilled is knowing which office processes your specific document type. In the US, there are two distinct apostille pathways: state and federal-level. Documents issued by New Jersey, including FBI Background Checks go to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C.. Documents from US federal agencies, like FBI Identity History Summaries and federal agency documents, must go to the US Department of State in Washington D.C..

For documents issued by New Jersey government agencies, the apostille must come from the New Jersey Secretary of State's office. Before submission, the document needs to be in certified form with an authentic seal. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. reviews the document's seals and signatures and attaches the apostille usually within 1 to 4 weeks.

Why Local Offices Cannot Help

Beyond notaries, local government offices in New Jersey do not have apostille authority. Even visiting the New Jersey city hall, county courthouse, or register of deeds would not produce an apostille. The only office in NJ authorized to issue apostilles for state documents is the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C..

For New Jersey residents who need a FBI Background Check apostilled urgently, mail-in self-processing is rarely the right option. A courier-assisted submission reduces turnaround from weeks to days. Our courier service handles New Jersey-area pickups and submissions with complete end-to-end shipment tracking on every submission.

First-time applicants in New Jersey initially assume they can get an apostille at a local UPS Store or notary. This is incorrect. A notary public can only witness signatures and verify identity. They have no authority to issue an apostille certificate — only the US Department of State in Washington D.C. can do this.

The New Jersey Apostille Authority

Once your document arrives at the US Department of State in Washington D.C., a state official verifies the seals and signatures and checks that signatures are from known, authorized officials. If everything checks out, the apostille is affixed as a separate certificate appended to your document. The completed document is then held for courier pickup. Our courier retrieves it and ships it back to New Jersey.

The US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. is typically open Monday through Friday. Processing times for mail-in submissions generally range from 5 business days to 4 weeks depending on submission backlog. For New Jersey residents who need faster turnaround, a physical courier gets the apostille in 2 to 5 business days.

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. We advises you on any pre-apostille requirements before submitting to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. so there are no delays from missing prerequisites.

How to Get Your FBI Background Check Apostilled in New Jersey

Getting a FBI Background Check apostilled requires 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. Step three: submit it to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. along with the applicable state fee. Fourth: receive your apostilled document — ready for any Hague member country.

Something many applicants miss is verifying that your document is current enough for the destination country. Federal background checks, for example, have a shelf life of six months or less at the time of submission to the foreign authority. If your document is past its useful window, a new document must be requested before apostilling. Our team verifies document currency as part of our intake process to flag any potential rejections early.

Depending on your document type require notarization before they can be apostilled. When your document is not a government-issued record, a notarization is usually required by a licensed notary before the US Department of State in Washington D.C. will accept it. Our service coordinates any required pre-notarization so there are no surprises at the US Department of State in Washington D.C..

How Long Does a FBI Background Check Apostille Take in New Jersey?

Tracking your apostille is one of the most valued aspects of using our courier service. We provide 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 New Jersey. This end-to-end tracking is unavailable with standard postal submission.

Processing times for apostille certification depend on the submission method and current government backlog. Documents sent by postal mail from New Jersey to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. usually require 3 to 6 weeks round trip — accounting for shipping each way plus processing. During peak periods, such as spring and summer immigration seasons, wait times can extend further.

For New Jersey residents in a rush, the quickest option is a runner that hand-delivers to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C.. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. offer same-day service for walk-in submissions. Our runner uses this option wherever available to get New Jersey clients their apostilles in 2 to 5 business days.

What to Include With Your Submission

The US Department of State in Washington D.C.'s fee of $25 must accompany your submission. Forms of payment differ at each US Department of State in Washington D.C. but generally include money order, certified check, or online payment. We includes fee payment in our all-in-one courier package so the submission is never rejected for payment reasons.

An easy-to-miss detail: for non-English documents, additional steps may be required depending on the US Department of State in Washington D.C.. Alternatively, the apostille is issued without requiring a translation and translation is handled separately after the apostille. Our team clarifies document-specific requirements when you place your order.

When submitting your FBI Background Check for apostille, make sure you include: your original FBI Background Check or an official certified copy, notarization if required for your document type, a completed submission form if required, correct fee payment for the state apostille, and a prepaid FedEx or USPS return. Leaving out any item will cause rejection.

Common Apostille Mistakes to Avoid

Mailing irreplaceable originals through standard postal mail without insurance is something we strongly advise against. Documents sent by uninsured mail are vulnerable to loss with no recourse. Vital records and FBI Background Checks are difficult or expensive to replace. We use FedEx with full insurance and tracking for complete end-to-end protection.

Sending a scanned printout instead of an original or certified copy is a frequent cause of delays at the US Department of State in Washington D.C.. 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. Obtain an original certified copy from the issuing agency before starting the apostille process.

Forgetting to include return shipping is a simple but common mistake. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. 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.

Get Your FBI Background Check Apostilled in New Jersey

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.

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Frequently Asked Questions — FBI Background Check Apostille in New Jersey

Why can't I apostille my FBI Background Check through my state Secretary of State?

FBI Background Checks are issued by a federal agency — the US Department of Justice — not by any state government. State Secretaries of State can only apostille documents that originated within their own state. Federal documents must be authenticated by the US Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington D.C., regardless of which state you live in.

How long does a federal FBI Background Check apostille take from New Jersey?

Standard mail-in processing at the US Department of State typically takes 6 to 11 weeks. A physical courier who walks documents directly into the Office of Authentications in Washington D.C. reduces turnaround to 2 to 5 business days — critical when you have a visa appointment or consulate deadline.

Do I need a certified translation after getting the apostille on my FBI Background Check?

The apostille certifies the document's authenticity but does not translate it. Many countries — including Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and the UAE — require a sworn or certified translation in addition to the apostille before a foreign authority will accept the document. We offer comprehensive apostille-plus-translation packages.

What is the difference between an FBI Background Check and a state criminal background check for apostille purposes?

An FBI Identity History Summary is a federally issued document and must be apostilled by the US Department of State in Washington D.C. A state-issued criminal background check from New Jersey is apostilled by the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C.. Many countries specifically require the federal FBI check rather than a state record — confirm the requirement with your consulate before ordering.