A Step by Step Guide to Get your FBI Background Check Apostille

You might consider this article as your reference of how to get your FBI background check. As an American citizen, and you need to travel abroad for work or for any other reason, you have to have a certificate, stating that you don’t have a criminal history or felonies which disqualify you from traveling abroad. Getting your FBI background check might be time-consuming and a very tiring thing to do when you plan to travel abroad.

To get your FBI Background Check, there’ are 2 ways to obtain a CBC apostille, you can do it yourself way or the fast way using expedited services.

To do it yourself, there are some steps come first before getting the apostille stamp.

Steps to get your FBI CBC Apostille

1. Get an Application Information Form.
2. Take your Fingerprints on FD-258 form.
3. Submit the Payment with the envelope.
4. Review your Package again.
5. Send your CRC to FBI CJIS Division.
6. Apostille your FBI Background Check.

Note: The Apostille authentication must be obtained from the US Department of State for the FBI background check because it’s a Federal issued documents.

“Federally issued documents destined for use in participating Hague Apostille countries may need to be authenticated with an Apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State. Documents requiring an Apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State are those which have been signed by U.S. Federal Official, an American Consular Officer, Military Notary, Judge Advocate (10 USC 1044a), or a foreign Consul diplomatic official registered with the State Department Office of Protocol”

So, Let’s start to show you how to get it yourself done in the following steps.

Step 1: Application Information Form

1. For starters, get an Application Information Form, then complete and sign it.
   
   
2. If your request is for more than one person, let’s say your family or your partner for example,  you will need a form for each one of them to complete and sign.
   
   
3. what you should do next is to include your address, phone number, and a complete mailing address.
   
   
4. A couple of years ago, self-addressed envelopes were accepted, now they are not. So, all you have to do is send the completed application(s) directly to the US Department of State to complete the apostille process.

Step 2: Getting your Fingerprints

1. obtain FD-258 fingerprint form from the FBI.
   
2. DON’T use previously processed fingerprints cards. Use your current one.
   
3. include your name and your date of birth in your card.
   
4. try to have a fingerprinting technician to take your fingerprints. If you go to a law enforcement agency, you will find this service available.
   
5. It is okay if you take fingerprints with ink or live scan. Both are accepted.
   
6. Sometimes, fingerprints can be illegible. So, unfortunately, they will be rejected. the best way to ensure legible fingerprints is to go to Recording Legible Fingerprints page on the official website of the FBI for instruction and the dos and don’ts.  Otherwise, that will take much longer and could cost extra fees.
   
7. The name on your response letter and the one indicated on your fingerprint card will be the same.
   
8. If you are asked to give the last 4 digits of your social security number on your response letter, then write your full social security number which consists of 9 digits on your fingerprint card when you submit your request.

Step 3: Submit Payment

When it comes to the payment method you will use, you have two options:

a. Paying by credit cards. Use the Credit Card Payment Form on the official FBI website. Include the expiration date of the card you use.

b. The other option is paying by money or cheque of $18.00, then make it payable to The Treasury of The United States. Don’t forget to sign it.

One more thing, your payment must be for exactly the amount of money required.

And again, if your request is for more than one person, you will pay extra $18.00 for each single person.

You will be sent a sealed response for each received request. Once you get your response, make as many copies as you can. You might need them later.

In case you need another sealed response instead of copying it, submit another request with an additional $18.00.

Unfortunately, you don’t have the option of paying extra fees to get expedited services. Stick to the fees I mentioned.

Step 4: Review

Now you have the following:

A completed application information form.

A completed FD-258 fingerprint form.

And you have chosen the payment method you will use.

To make sure you have everything you need, go to  Identity History Summary Request Checklist of the official FBI website, just in case you missed a step.

Step 5: Mailing your FBI CBC

The fifth step of getting your FBI Background Check is to mail everything you have prepared to the following address:

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306

Now you have mailed the documents to the FBI. That will take a while…

it may take from 10 to 12 weeks, which means that you have to wait for 3 months to get it back.

So, we have a suggestion to make. What about relying on one of the FBI Approved Channeler?

These FBI approved channelers have contracted with the FBI to process your requests on your behalf. All you need to do is sending them your fingerprints card and all the relevant documents, with the required fees included, and the processing time will be the same as we do it yourself.

These FBI channelers have different ways to process your documents and they charge you with extra fees, in return.

For more details concerning the cost and the processing time, contact each channelers.

Final Step: Apostille FBI Background Check

You need to stamp your document with an Apostille stamp in order for your certificate to be valid for us in the Apostille convention countries.

According to The US Department of State – Office of Authentications “The U.S. Department of State issues both Authentication Certificates and Apostilles. The determination of which certificate is issued is based on the country in which the document will be used.  Authentication Certificates are issued for documents which are destined for use in countries that are not parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.  Apostille Certificates are issued for documents destined for use in countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.

Second,

The Fast way to Get your FBI Background Check Apostille

using expedited services

As we have mentioned there are two ways, Another suggestion would be using one of the private agencies that offer expedited services for getting your FBI Background Check apostilled. For example, California Apostille provides expedited Apostille service for documents issued by the federal agencies in the United States such as FBI from the US Department of State, for $60.00 per Document you can get it within 4 business days, that will save you much time.

California Apostille will help you to expedite your Apostille Criminal Background Check from US Department of State in Washington DC.

California Secretary of State Office can certify only California Public State Documents.
Criminal Background Check is a federally issued document that requires the US Department of State authentication (USDOS Apostille) in Washington DC for use in the Hague Convention Apostille Countries.

California Apostille processes all types of documents issued in the U.S United States and destined for use in any country. If you did not find your document here, please contact us at: info@california-apostille.com to review your request free of charge, or Call: (323) 977-4900

Our prices does not include the shipping fees. clients must enclose a prepaid airway bill to return your documents, otherwise, it will be returned via United State Postal Services. If you need to return your document to an international address, please include an international airway bill with your request.

We accept all major credit cards payments, company check, and money order.

Make your payment payable to California Apostille

Resources:

1- Applicant Information Form: http://1.usa.gov/1SNcOHB

2- standard fingerprint form (FD-258): http://1.usa.gov/1R1txmM

3- Recording Legible Fingerprints brochure: http://1.usa.gov/1Qe0QQi

4- Identity History Summary Request Checklist: http://1.usa.gov/1myOwCA

5- Submit your request directly to the FBI: http://1.usa.gov/1VbWSMs

6- FBI-approved Channeler: http://1.usa.gov/1QyNHlp7- frequently asked questions: http://1.usa.gov/1Xq4Tib