FBI Background Check Apostille in Pennsylvania

The US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. handles all Hague legalization requests for the state. The state charges $15 per apostille. Select your city to get started with a localized quote.

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Pennsylvania Apostille Requirements

Authority: US Department of State in Washington D.C.
Office Location: Washington D.C.
State Fee: $15
Important Rule: Original signatures are required.

Skip the Pennsylvania 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.

Philadelphia Pittsburgh Allentown Erie Reading Scranton Bethlehem Bensalem Lancaster Center City Abington Levittown Harrisburg Wharton Whitman Altoona Penn Hills York State College Wilkes-Barre Norristown Chester Mount Lebanon Bethel Park Wayne Radnor Williamsport Monroeville Cranberry Township Drexel Hill Plum Back Mountain Easton Pennsport Lebanon Whitehall Township Hazleton Springfield Pottstown New Castle Allison Park Chambersburg Murrysville West Mifflin Johnstown King of Prussia West Chester Baldwin McKeesport Upper Saint Clair Carlisle Limerick Nicetown-Tioga Phoenixville Lansdale Hermitage Wilkinsburg Willow Grove Hanover Fullerton Horsham West Norriton Bloomsburg Greensburg Franklin Park Hershey Indiana Ephrata Whitehall Pottsville East Norriton Sharon Washington South Park Township Dunmore Butler Colonial Park Coatesville Saint Marys Meadville Kingston Weigelstown New Kensington Montgomeryville Ardmore Fernway Lower Burrell Elizabethtown Yeadon Carnot-Moon Emmaus Jefferson Hills Munhall Shiloh Mountain Top Waynesboro Broomall Darby Lansdowne North Versailles Wyomissing Columbia Nanticoke Berwick East Stroudsburg Oil City Uniontown Croydon Northampton Progress Park Forest Village Sunbury Lock Haven Bristol Brentwood Woodlyn Economy Jeannette Warren Bala Cynwyd Harleysville Lititz Aliquippa Middletown Mechanicsburg Glenshaw Northwest Harborcreek Canonsburg Quakertown Swissvale Collingdale East York Beaver Falls Morrisville Carbondale Bradford Perkasie Fairless Hills Dormont Audubon Millersville Bedminster Glenside Sanatoga Folsom Doylestown Lewistown Bellevue Pleasant Hills Castle Shannon Kulpsville Grove City Latrobe Brookhaven Mount Joy Old Forge Conshohocken Downingtown Carnegie Camp Hill Village Green-Green Ridge Wilson White Oak Pittston Maple Glen Ellwood City Gettysburg DuBois Willow Street Chester Springs Connellsville Monessen Palmyra Hatboro New Cumberland Leola Glenolden Shamokin Blandon Ridley Park Huntingdon Tacony Archbald Milton 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Swoyersville Green Tree Clarks Summit Westmont Boothwyn Duryea Spry Shenandoah Manheim Telford Exton Gilbertsville Sierra View Cheltenham Eagleville Farrell North Braddock West Pittston Royersford Annville Whitfield Edwardsville Danville Donora McMurray Avalon Jim Thorpe Lemoyne Fountain Hill Chesterbrook New Freedom West York Bridgeport Hummelstown Montoursville Flourtown East Petersburg West Hazleton Mount Pleasant Jessup Penn Estates Littlestown Tarentum Larksville Jenkintown Beaver Glassport Dorneyville Hamburg Indian Mountain Lake Tinicum Plains Narberth Rutherford Jersey Shore Slatington Sharpsville Minersville Scottdale Cresco Lorane Honesdale Cornwall Pennside Sellersville Monongahela West Reading Reiffton North East Aldan Breinigsville Churchville Forty Fort Kenmar Warminster Heights Sinking Spring Fleetwood Mahanoy City Chalfont Boyertown Waynesburg Greencastle Baden Level Green Dallastown Saw Creek Charleroi Skyline View Akron Lawrence Park Windber Throop Village Shires 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Wormleysburg Feasterville Edgewood McSherrystown Mount Pocono Rothsville Wyncote Wyoming Mohnton Girard New Britain The Hideout Saint Clair Orwigsburg East Greenville Churchill Penbrook Lake City Youngwood Summit Hill Midland Schnecksville Strasburg Nanty Glo Wolfdale Emerald Lakes Halfway House Pleasant Gap Ford City Kenhorst West Grove Womelsdorf Mountville Kulpmont Luzerne Seven Fields North Catasauqua Gastonville Johnsonburg Valley View Brownstown Towanda Harveys Lake Belmont Tannersville Dallas Aspinwall Manchester Bedford McGovern Quarryville Lima Ashland Gibsonia Ashley Philipsburg Dupont Reynoldsville State Line Pine Ridge West Wyoming Wind Gap Morton Salunga Meadowood Emigsville Bath East Lansdowne Hallam Avoca Pleasant Hill Delmont Lake Wynonah Plumsteadville Chester Heights Freemansburg Marietta Wyomissing Hills Matamoras Derry Dillsburg Flying Hills Lake Meade Colwyn Leith-Hatfield Wayne Heights West Newton Imperial Rockledge Wernersville Cambridge Springs Roaring Spring Millersburg Oliver Marysville Barnesboro Hyde Park Bentleyville Liberty Alburtis New Hope Portage Muse Garden View Sand Hill Coudersport Newmanstown Cecil-Bishop Curwensville Weatherly Greenwood Verona Yardley Old Orchard Muncy Woodside Coopersburg East Uniontown Emsworth Eddystone Sun Valley Marcus Hook Mount Union Conneaut Lakeshore Egypt Stonybrook Red Hill Highspire Geistown Stormstown Fairview Parkside Oak Hills Watsontown Stewartstown Brownsville Towamensing Trails Wrightsville Swartzville Lemont Oakwood Lebanon South Effort Pymatuning Central Susquehanna Trails Spring Mount New Wilmington Newtown Penndel McAdoo Coaldale Greenock Elysburg Lawson Heights Southmont Dublin Spring Grove Canadensis Wilmerding Trucksville Conway Lafayette Hill Pine Grove Fairview-Ferndale Guilford Cleona Evansburg New Stanton Braddock New Eagle Midway Cetronia East McKeesport Hughesville Chinchilla Jermyn McDonald Port Allegany Hopwood Rankin Southwest Greensburg Meyersdale South Pottstown Bowmansville Leechburg Robesonia Topton Reynolds Heights Walnutport Fairdale South Greensburg Toftrees Brockway Mount Holly Springs Glen Rock Lynnwood-Pricedale Zion North York Beech Mountain Lakes Berlin Shavertown Burnham East Berwick Dover Trexlertown West Hamburg East Washington Moscow Jonestown Orchard Hills Pennville Spangler Guilford Siding Mercer South Connellsville Emporium North Warren Fairchance Gap Big Beaver Canton West Homestead Yorklyn Riverside Martinsburg Kenilworth Eddington North Belle Vernon Landisville Leesport Conyngham Temple Glen Lyon Lakemont Braddock Hills Tullytown Jacobus Industry Trainer Adamstown Trevorton Gold Key Lake Bellwood Bonneauville Belleville Spinnerstown Inkerman Port Carbon Houserville Forest City Saint Lawrence Susquehanna Reinholds Brodheadsville Mount Cobb New Oxford East Pittsburgh Tunkhannock Elkland Ben Avon Evans City Dravosburg Bakerstown Everett Lykens Honey Brook Freeport Mayfield Mont Alto Youngsville Cheswick Perryopolis Wickerham Manor-Fisher Tremont West Lawn Sturgeon Shamokin Dam Patton Edgeworth Lampeter Avon Mars Homer City Mundys Corner Eagleview Espy Georgetown Cresson Church Hill Claysburg Cressona Weissport East Fox Chase Lincoln Park Mill Hall Gallitzin Langhorne Rheems Smethport Apollo Montrose Cherryville Shiremanstown Oakland East Bangor Newport Baidland Richland Clay Mercersburg Ferndale Montgomery Albion Nescopeck Roseto Paxtang Ligonier Cementon Waterford East Berlin Freedom Friedens Caln Blossburg Devon Catawissa Avis Chevy Chase Heights Pine Grove Mills Elizabeth Milroy Versailles Elizabethville Toughkenamon Saxonburg Linntown Duncannon Girardville Windsor Laflin Clarks Green Dewart Oakdale Grill Black Lick Troy New Beaver Hudson Marshallton Russellton Bressler South Coatesville Langhorne Manor Sandy South Temple Muhlenberg Park Browntown Blawnox New Castle Northwest Pocono Pines Atglen Russell Avondale Hyde Schwenksville Hughestown Scotland Bell Acres Faxon Bryn Athyn Cornwells Heights Sunrise Lake Birchwood Lakes Mount Wolf Terre Hill West Conshohocken Highland Park Loretto Williamstown Nixon Shoemakersville New Berlinville South Uniontown Dunnstown Fredericksburg Bainbridge Hummels Wharf Burgettstown Hasson Heights Conemaugh Hometown Flemington Lake Heritage Newville Woxall Tower City Clymer Elverson Middleburg Richlandtown Brickerville Palmdale Hebron Vinco Conashaugh Lakes West Leechburg North Charleroi Oley West Fairview Waymart Wallenpaupack Lake Estates Simpson Intercourse Big Bass Lake Houston West Hills Woodland Heights Conestoga Belfast North Apollo Whitaker Mifflinville Foster Brook West Easton Hallstead Hilldale Centre Hall Laurys Station Calumet Shenandoah Heights Loganville Heidelberg Renovo Boswell Hastings Milford Williamsburg Factoryville West Mayfield Biglerville Dalton Duboistown Avonia Duncansville Leetsdale McConnellstown Mountainhome Fellsburg Dale Christiana Bradford Woods Greenfields Lenape Heights Marianne Millbourne East Conemaugh Fivepointville Hiller Hawley Fairhope Rennerdale Salix East Earl Ellport Point Marion Prospect Sykesville Alleghenyville West Kittanning Sheffield Speers Tatamy Davidsville Paradise Saylorsburg Castanea Collinsburg Galeton Earlston Stiles Cochranton Osceola Mills Harleigh Bally Knox Milesburg White Haven Republic Bloomfield Light Street Shinglehouse Raubsville Tipton New Bloomfield Almedia Colony Park Belle Vernon Central City Bessemer Seneca Curtisville New Philadelphia Pocono Ranch Lands Lincoln Schoeneck Ivyland Westfield Yeagertown McConnellsburg Bear Rocks Stony Creek Mills Beaverdale Blue Ball South Waverly Penryn Royalton Abbottstown Falls Creek Dunbar Jerome Stoneboro Enlow New Columbia Lake Latonka Yoe Palo Alto Enhaut Chicora Spring Ridge Mifflintown Tionesta Laporte Reservoir

What Is a FBI Background Check Apostille?

An apostille is a type of Hague certification created under the Hague Convention of 1961. Unlike a local notary stamp, an apostille is recognized internationally — meaning your FBI Background Check will be accepted by foreign embassies, government offices, and employers. For residents of Pennsylvania, obtaining this certification goes through the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C..

Something many Pennsylvania residents overlook is that getting an apostille does not mean your document is translated. The majority of Hague member countries require a certified translation into the local language as well as the apostille. Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and the UAE routinely ask for both the apostille and a certified translation. We offer complete packages that cover both apostille and certified translation.

The Hague Apostille Convention eliminated a previously complex chain of certifications that was standard before the Hague system. Previously, getting an American document accepted overseas involved multiple rounds of authentication at different government levels followed by embassy stamps. The apostille replaced this with one standardized certificate issued by one designated authority. For FBI Background Checks issued in Pennsylvania, that authority is the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C..

Pennsylvania: State vs Federal Authority

If you have a deadline, rush processing may be available. Some state offices offer walk-in or expedited processing. Our team takes advantage of in-person processing by submitting in person rather than by mail, bypassing the mail queue entirely.

The most commonly misunderstood thing to know about getting a FBI Background Check apostilled is determining which government authority issues apostilles for your specific document type. In the US, there are two parallel systems: state and federal-level. State-issued documents — like birth certificates, marriage certificates, and 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.

For state-issued FBI Background Checks, the apostille is only available from the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C.. Typically, the document must carry an original official seal or notarization. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. reviews the document's seals and signatures and issues the Hague certificate typically in 1 to 3 weeks.

Why Local Offices Cannot Help

Beyond notaries, county clerks, municipal offices, and city government offices are equally unable to apostille documents. Even visiting the Pennsylvania city hall, county courthouse, or register of deeds would not produce a Hague certificate. The only office in PA authorized to issue apostilles for state documents is the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C..

If you are working under a tight deadline, relying on postal mail to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. is risky. Using a physical runner cuts the timeline from 3 to 6 weeks down to 2 to 5 business days. Our courier service handles Pennsylvania-area pickups and submissions with full FedEx tracking and insurance on every submission.

First-time applicants in Pennsylvania often expect they can get an apostille at a local UPS Store or notary. This is incorrect. A local notary 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 Pennsylvania Apostille Authority

When the US Department of State in Washington D.C. receives your FBI Background Check, an authorized state officer verifies the seals and signatures and confirms that the issuing official's seals match the registry. Once verified, the apostille is issued as a cover page or attachment. The apostilled document is then held for courier pickup. Our courier retrieves it and ships it back to Pennsylvania.

The US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. 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. If you are in Pennsylvania and need it faster, an in-person submission via a runner service dramatically cuts the wait.

Before your document can be submitted to the US Department of State in Washington D.C.: it may need to be notarized or certified first. Educational records and private documents often must be notarized before the US Department of State in Washington D.C. will apostille them. Our team advises you on any pre-apostille requirements before starting the submission so there are no delays from missing prerequisites.

How to Get Your FBI Background Check Apostilled in Pennsylvania

Getting an apostille on your FBI Background Check involves a defined process. Step one: ensure your FBI Background Check is in its original, certified form. Step two: check that it has an official seal and signature from the issuing authority. Third: send it to the correct authority along with the applicable state fee. Fourth: collect the completed apostille — ready for any Hague member country.

One of the most overlooked steps is verifying that your document is current enough for the destination country. FBI 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, 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 flag any potential rejections early.

Certain FBI Background Checks must be notarized before they can be apostilled. If your FBI Background Check is not a government-issued record, a notarization is usually required by a licensed notary prior to submission to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C.. Our service manages the full notarization and apostille process 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 Pennsylvania?

Tracking your apostille is one of the most valued aspects of using our courier service. We provide real-time tracking at every milestone: initial pickup, receipt by our team, submission to the US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C., completion confirmation, and outbound FedEx tracking back to Pennsylvania. This level of visibility is not possible with direct mail.

Processing times for apostille certification vary depending on the submission method and current government backlog. Mail-in submissions from Pennsylvania 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, particularly during visa application seasons, wait times can extend further.

If you need your FBI Background Check apostilled urgently, the most time-efficient route 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 courier capitalizes on this to get Pennsylvania clients their apostilles within a business week.

What to Include With Your Submission

Payment for the state fee is required. Accepted payment methods vary by state but generally 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.

One detail that matters: 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 apostille is issued without requiring a translation and translation is handled separately after the apostille. We advise you on this when you submit your request.

Before sending your document to the US Department of State in Washington D.C., ensure you have: your original FBI Background Check or an official certified copy, notarization if required for your document type, the US Department of State in Washington D.C.'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.

Common Apostille Mistakes to Avoid

Mailing irreplaceable originals through the US Postal Service without a tracking number is a significant risk. Uninsured postal shipments can be lost, delayed, or damaged. Vital records and FBI Background Checks are sometimes time-consuming and costly 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. Request a new certified copy before submitting your documents.

Failing to provide a prepaid return label is a simple but common mistake. The US Department of State in Washington D.C. in Washington D.C. 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 FBI Background Check Apostilled in Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania?

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 Pennsylvania 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.