What changed

Every FBI Identity History Summary (the "FBI background check") carries the signature of the Section Chief of the CJIS Biometric Services Section. That signature is what the U.S. Department of State verifies when it issues a federal apostille or authentication for the report. The signing official on newly issued reports is now Samuel E. Lee, II.

Samuel E. Lee, II
Section Chief
Biometric Services Section
Criminal Justice Information
   Services Division

What it means for your apostille

• Check the signature block. A report issued under the new Section Chief should show the name and title above. If the name, title or seal looks different from what you expect, send us a photo before you mail anything.
• Reports signed by the previous Section Chief are still valid. A change in signing official does not invalidate an FBI report that was properly signed and sealed when it was issued. Whether a foreign authority will accept an older report is a separate question of how recent it must be, which varies by country and purpose.
• The report must stay intact. Do not sign, stamp, laminate, staple or write on the FBI report. Any alteration can cause the Department of State to reject it.
• Transition periods can bring short delays. When a new federal official begins signing, processing may occasionally slow while signature records are updated. We monitor this daily and will tell you up front if it affects your timeline.

Who needs to know

This affects anyone apostilling an FBI background check for use abroad: work and residence visas, teaching positions, marriage abroad, adoption, long-stay visas, and citizenship or naturalization applications in another country. It also matters to employers, immigration attorneys and relocation firms who review FBI reports before submission.

Federal Apostille & Notary Processing is a private document processing service and is not affiliated with the FBI or the U.S. Department of State. 400 8th St NW, Washington, DC 20004.