FBI Background Check Apostille — All 50 States

What Is a FBI Background Check Apostille?

Many people believe that a certified copy is sufficient for international use. This assumption is incorrect. A notarization only witnesses a signature at the local level. Foreign governments have no obligation to accept it. The Hague apostille on a FBI Background Check, by contrast, is an internationally binding certificate that foreign governments are legally required to accept. This certificate is what transforms a domestic document into one accepted in any of the 124 Hague member countries.

Consulates and immigration offices in most countries have rules about how recently the apostilled document must have been issued. Federal background documents, in particular, must often be dated within 6 months of the consulate appointment. Birth certificates and marriage records do not expire, but the destination country may require documents issued within the past year. We confirm destination-country validity requirements when you contact us.

A FBI Background Check apostille is fundamentally not a standard document certification. It is a specific Hague Convention certificate that certifies the document's official seals and signatures are genuine. It is valid across all Hague signatories without requiring any additional authentication or embassy legalization. When a FBI Background Check must be used abroad, the apostille is what makes it legally valid internationally.

Which US Authority Apostilles Your Document?

Our service handles both the state and federal apostille tracks. Once we receive your document, we determines exactly which government office has jurisdiction. This eliminates the costly mistake of routing to the wrong office. Our courier network covers both the federal authentication office in DC and Secretary of State offices nationwide.

The reason for the state vs federal split reflects how US jurisdiction works. A state Secretary of State only has the authority to authenticate documents that originated within that state. It has no authority over documents from the FBI, DHS, State Department, or other federal offices. That authority belongs exclusively to the federal authentication office in Washington D.C.

There is also the question of pre-apostille requirements. Official records bearing authentic government seals can generally be submitted directly. Privately executed documents — like affidavits, powers of attorney, or private agreements — must typically be notarized first. We determine whether notarization is needed before submitting.

Why Local Offices Cannot Help

Many people begin by contacting local document services. Unfortunately, none of these options can help with apostille certification. A notary public is authorized by the state to witness signatures and verify identity. They are explicitly not authorized to issue Hague certificates. Apostille authority is reserved for specific government offices: state Secretaries of State and, for federal documents, the US Department of State.

The physical submission requirement means you cannot email or fax a document for apostille. The actual original document must travel to the apostille authority. The reason processing time is measured in weeks for postal routes and days for courier services. The only variable you control is how the document reaches the apostille office: postal mail takes weeks in transit each way.

There is one nuance worth noting: notary certification can be a required step before the apostille process for documents that are not government-issued. Private documents — like affidavits, powers of attorney, and private agreements — must typically be notarized first before a Secretary of State will apostille them. For these documents, the notarization is done locally and the state authority completes the apostille. We determines whether notarization is required for your specific FBI Background Check before submitting.

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

The complete timeline for getting your document apostilled includes: document procurement, any required pre-apostille notarization, submission transit, government processing time, and return shipment to you. Via postal mail, this full cycle takes weeks for state, longer for federal. With a physical courier, turnaround shrinks to under a week from the day you ship us your document.

Getting your FBI Background Check apostilled follows a clear sequence of steps. Step one: ensure you have the right form of the document — the original or a properly certified copy. Second: determine whether your document needs notarization before submission. Step three: 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. Finally: collect your completed apostille and submit it to the foreign authority.

Once we receive your FBI Background Check, our team inspects it against the apostille office's requirements: we check for original seals and signatures, confirm it is the correct document version, check that no prior-notarization step is needed, and confirm the correct routing. This step typically takes one business day and is the most valuable part of the service: submitting an incorrect document to the wrong office.

Processing Times and Turnaround

Multiple variables influence how long your FBI Background Check apostille takes: the current backlog at the issuing authority, whether your document requires pre-apostille notarization, transit time, and the submission method. We provide an accurate expected turnaround reflecting current backlogs when you place your order. When timing is critical — like a visa appointment or consulate date — we prioritize accordingly.

The quickest path to getting your document apostilled involves a courier who physically delivers to the authority. Many apostille offices process walk-in documents same-day. Our courier capitalizes on this to return apostilled documents within a business week. When you have a firm deadline, reach out with your timeline so we can confirm whether same-day processing is available.

How long your apostille takes vary significantly depending on the submission method and current government backlogs. Postal submissions directly to the government take the longest: FBI Background Checks going to a Secretary of State typically take 1 to 4 weeks processing plus 1 to 2 weeks transit each way, and records going to the US Department of State can take 6 to 11 weeks due to national demand. In spring and summer immigration seasons, government apostille offices may experience extended backlogs.

Common Mistakes That Delay Your Apostille

Mailing irreplaceable originals without insurance or tracking is a significant risk. Government-issued originals can be lost, delayed, or damaged when sent by uninsured postal mail. Vital records and federal documents are often difficult or time-consuming to replace. All shipments in our network are insured for full replacement value and shipped via FedEx.

Wrong payment method is a surprisingly common reason submissions are rejected. Government apostille authorities assess a fee for each certificate issued. State fees vary but are generally $5 to $25 per apostille. Underpaying or submitting an incorrect payment form causes the submission to be returned without processing. Our service handles all fee payments on your behalf so this type of delay cannot happen.

Assuming all Hague countries have identical requirements can result in rejection at the consulate. While the apostille format is standardized, each destination country has additional requirements beyond the apostille. Some countries require a certified translation. Some also need notarization of the translation or embassy legalization in certain non-Hague countries. We confirm any requirements beyond the apostille itself when you place your order.

Get Your FBI Background Check Apostilled

Rather than navigating the bureaucracy alone, let our courier network handle your FBI Background Check apostille. Our team works directly with the correct government authorities and complete most FBI Background Check apostilles in under a week — compared to the 3 to 8 weeks typical of self-submission. Flat-rate pricing, full insurance, and FedEx tracking on every order.

Frequently Asked Questions — FBI Background Check Apostille