FBI Background Check Apostille — All 50 States

What Is a FBI Background Check Apostille?

Most applicants believe that a certified copy is sufficient for international use. It is not. A notary stamp only confirms the identity of the signer. It carries no international legal weight. A FBI Background Check apostille, on the other hand, is a treaty-backed certification that foreign governments are legally required to accept. This certificate is the step that converts a US-issued FBI Background Check into one accepted in any of the 124 Hague member countries.

Many foreign authorities specify a recency window for accepted apostilles. Federal background documents, especially, are commonly required to be dated within 6 months. Birth certificates and marriage records generally have no expiration on the apostille itself, but the destination country may require documents issued within the past year. We confirm destination-country validity requirements when you place your order.

A FBI Background Check apostille is fundamentally not a standard document certification. An apostille is a standardized international authentication certificate that certifies the document's official seals and signatures are genuine. It is valid across all Hague signatories as the sole required form of document authentication. When a FBI Background Check must be used abroad, no other form of authentication replaces the apostille certificate.

Which US Authority Apostilles Your Document?

The Global Apostille Network manages submissions on both tracks simultaneously. Once we receive your document, we determines exactly which government office has jurisdiction. This prevents the costly mistake of routing to the wrong office. Our courier network covers both state apostille offices across all 50 states and the US Department of State in DC.

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 falls under the federal authentication office in Washington D.C.

There is also the question of what condition your FBI Background Check must be in before submission. Government-issued documents with original seals typically go straight to the apostille authority. Non-government records — like affidavits, powers of attorney, or private agreements — require notarization by a licensed notary before the Secretary of State will apostille them. We determine whether notarization is needed before submitting.

Why Local Offices Cannot Help

Most first-time applicants begin by contacting local document services. None of these can issue an apostille. A commissioned notary is authorized by the state to certify copies and administer oaths. They are explicitly not authorized to issue Hague certificates. The legal authority to issue an apostille is vested exclusively in designated government offices only.

The physical submission requirement means you cannot email or fax a document for apostille. The actual original document must travel to the apostille authority. This is why turnaround time is measured in weeks for mail-in submissions and days for courier services. The only variable you control is the delivery method: couriers eliminate the postal transit time entirely.

One important clarification: a local notarization can be a required step before the apostille process for certain document types. Private documents — like affidavits, powers of attorney, and private agreements — require prior notarization before a Secretary of State will apostille them. For these documents, the notarization is done locally and the state authority completes the apostille. Our team 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 factors in: obtaining the correct version of your document, any required pre-apostille notarization, courier transit to the authority, time at the apostille office, and return shipment to you. Without an expedited courier, the entire process runs weeks for state, longer for federal. With our runner service, turnaround shrinks to 3 to 7 business days total door to door.

The FBI Background Check apostille process follows a defined order of operations. First: obtain the correct version of your FBI Background Check — 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. Step four: collect your completed apostille and submit it to the foreign authority.

Once we receive your FBI Background Check, we performs an intake review: we check for original seals and signatures, confirm it is the correct document version, verify any pre-submission requirements, and confirm the correct routing. This step takes one business day and prevents the single most common cause of apostille delay: submitting an incorrect document to the wrong office.

Processing Times and Turnaround

Several factors influence how long your FBI Background Check apostille takes: government processing volume at time of submission, any pre-processing steps required, shipping time in each direction, and the submission method. We provide an accurate expected turnaround based on current government processing times when you place your order. If you have a specific deadline — like a visa appointment or consulate date — we prioritize accordingly.

The quickest path to getting your document apostilled requires a runner that hand-delivers to the apostille office. Many apostille offices offer same-day service for walk-in submissions. Our courier capitalizes on this to return apostilled documents within a business week. When you have a firm deadline, contact us before ordering so we can confirm whether same-day processing is available.

Apostille processing times 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 3 to 6 weeks, and records going to the US Department of State can take 6 to 11 weeks at peak periods. During spring and summer immigration seasons, government apostille offices can add 2 to 4 weeks beyond standard processing.

Common Mistakes That Delay Your Apostille

Sending original documents via standard postal mail is something we strongly advise against. Original FBI Background Checks can be lost, delayed, or damaged when sent by uninsured postal mail. Original apostillable documents are often difficult or time-consuming to replace. Every document we handle are sent via FedEx with insurance and end-to-end tracking.

Incorrect or missing payment frequently causes rejections that could easily be avoided. Both state and federal apostille offices charge fees per apostille document. Secretary of State fees differ but are generally $5 to $25 per apostille. Underpaying or submitting an incorrect payment form causes the submission to be returned without processing. We submit the correct fees directly to the authority on your behalf so this type of delay cannot happen.

Not researching the destination country's specific apostille requirements causes problems even when the apostille itself is correct. While the apostille format is standardized, requirements for supporting documents vary significantly. Spain, Italy, Germany, and Brazil require certified translations in addition to the apostille. 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

Instead of dealing with the government submission yourself, trust our submission specialists with your FBI Background Check. We have established relationships with the correct government authorities and turn around most submissions in 2 to 5 business days — compared to the 3 to 8 weeks for do-it-yourself postal submissions. Flat rates, insurance, and tracking on every submission.

Frequently Asked Questions — FBI Background Check Apostille