How to obtain the document
Request directly from the FBI ($18 fee) at https://www.edo.cjis.gov (electronic Departmental Order, eDO): submit the online application, pay by card, then get fingerprinted at a participating USPS location (electronic capture; result often within 48 hours) or mail a hard-copy FD-1164/FD-258 fingerprint card (about 15 days after receipt). Mail-only route (Applicant Information Form + fingerprint card + $18 money order/certified check to 'Treasury of the United States', FBI CJIS Division - Summary Request, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306) can take up to 100 days. FBI-approved channelers (private contractors) return results in days but add their own fee and serve only U.S. citizens/LPRs located in the U.S. Results are delivered electronically (printable, as many copies as needed) and/or by First-Class Mail on plain white paper; FBI mails to foreign addresses too. FBI does not expedite.
Why it goes to the U.S. Department of State
It is a document of a federal agency (DOJ/FBI); travel.state.gov lists 'FBI background checks' among federal documents. State Secretaries of State cannot apostille it; only the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications can.
Format the Office of Authentications accepts
Per the FBI FAQ, the FBI authenticates results for use abroad at the time of submission by placing the FBI watermark and the signature of a division official on the response; requests to authenticate previously processed results are not accepted. travel.state.gov instructs sending the FBI result to the Office of Authentications with the country of use stated. FBI eDO results are printable electronic responses; 7 FAM 870 says the office can authenticate signatures on documents in electronic form. Whether channeler-delivered results are accepted was not confirmed on any official page opened.
Filing the request
- Keep the document unaltered
Do not notarize it, write on it or remove staples. Originals or agency-certified copies only.
- Complete Form DS-4194
Name the destination country for each document. Download DS-4194.
- Pay $20 per document
Check or money order payable to ‘U.S. Department of State’ by mail; card at the counter.
- Mail or hand-deliver
Mail: U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, 44132 Mercure Cir., PO Box 1206, Sterling, VA 20166-1206. Walk-in: Office of Authentications, 600 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, Drop-off and pick-up 7:30-9:00 a.m., Monday-Thursday, no appointment needed; processing about 7 business days. Max 15…
- Allow for processing
Mail-in: up to 5 weeks from receipt (tracking 'delivered' at the Sterling PO box does not mean processing has started; package takes several days to reach DC). Walk-in: about 7 business days.
Common reasons for rejection
- Result lacking the FBI watermark/division official signature (e.g., older-format or unauthenticated result).
- Notarized copy of the FBI result (notarization voids federal documents at this office).
- State/county police checks sent to DOS instead of the state Secretary of State.
Practical notes
- Local police and state checks are state documents; only the FBI summary is federal.
- Ask the FBI for the hard-copy option too if the destination insists on a paper original; mailed copies are one sealed response per $18 request.
- U.S. embassies/consulates abroad do not take fingerprints.
- For non-Hague countries DOS attaches a certification over the FBI seal, then the foreign embassy legalizes.
Non-Hague destinations
For countries outside the Hague Convention the office issues an authentication certificate rather than an apostille, and the document must then be legalized at the destination's embassy or consulate in Washington. See embassy legalization.
Frequently asked questions
Can my state apostille a FBI Background Check?
No. Only the U.S. Department of State authenticates federal signatures. A state can apostille a notarized copy, but many destinations will not accept that in place of the federal apostille on the original.
How much is the federal apostille fee?
$20 per document, payable to the U.S. Department of State. The fee is charged even if the request is returned unprocessed.
How long does it take?
Mail-in: up to 5 weeks from receipt (tracking 'delivered' at the Sterling PO box does not mean processing has started; package takes several days to reach DC). Walk-in: about 7 business days.
Should I notarize it first?
No. Notarizing a federal document makes it invalid for authentication at the Office of Authentications.
