FBI and State Background Checks from Abroad
For Americans living outside the United States
FBI and State Background Checks from Abroad
Nearly every residency application, work permit and foreign marriage eventually asks an American for a police certificate. Doing it from inside the United States is a twenty-minute errand. Doing it from Lisbon or Bangkok is not, because the one thing the process needs is your fingerprints on a piece of card, and the embassy that used to take them probably no longer does. This is the whole process, in order, from wherever you are.
- FBI fee
- $18
- FBI by post
- Up to 12 weeks
- Online, then post
- 1 to 3 days at the FBI
- States covered
- 52
Build your plan. Two questions, and you get the steps in order.
Choose a country to see your steps, who does each one, and whether the result will need an apostille or full legalisation at the end.
Which check do you actually need?
Ask the authority requesting it before you spend a penny. The wrong one is a total loss, not a partial one, and the two are not interchangeable.
An FBI Identity History Summary
A federal check covering arrests reported to the FBI from anywhere in the United States. This is what almost every consulate, immigration authority and foreign registrar means by an American police certificate. $18, and you can request your own.
A state criminal history check
One state's own record. Asked for when you lived in a particular state, or alongside the federal one. Each state has its own agency, form, fee and address, and some will not deal with you at all unless you are physically there.
There is a second distinction that catches people out. A personal record review is you asking for your own record, and that is what a visa office wants. An employment or licensing check is initiated by an employer or a board under a specific statute, and in most states you cannot request one about yourself at all. If a state's page talks only about employers, look for its record review or right-to-review route instead.
And one trap even that does not cover. A few states bar their own record-review product from immigration use. Florida says so in terms about its free Personal Review and points you at the paid certified search instead. So the rule is not simply “ask for the record review”, it is ask for the version the state will certify — because only a certified document can be apostilled, and an uncertified one is a wasted fee whatever it cost.
The hard part: getting fingerprinted
Everything else is paperwork. This is the step that strands people, and it is worth solving first, before you pay any fee.
Do not assume the embassy will do it. American Citizens Services units at U.S. embassies and consulates have widely discontinued fingerprinting, and availability keeps shrinking. Telephone or email the specific post and get an answer before you travel to it. This is the single most common wasted journey in the entire process.
A local police station
In many countries the police will ink a card for a small fee or nothing at all. Bring your own blank FD-1164 or FD-258 card and explain it is for a United States background check.
A private fingerprinting service
Expat hubs generally have businesses that do FBI cards specifically for visa applicants, and they know the rejection reasons.
A U.S. embassy or consulate, if the post still offers it
Some American Citizens Services units take fingerprints. Many have stopped, and availability has shrunk considerably.
Do it yourself with ink
Legal and accepted, but the FBI rejects poor-quality prints and you will not know until weeks later.
Which card
The FBI's current form is the FD-1164; the older FD-258 is still widely accepted and is what most states ask for. Print several. A rejected card is not a refund, it is another six weeks, and whoever rolls your prints will do a better job on the second attempt than the first.
Write your full name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, height, weight, hair and eye colour, and a return address that will still reach you. A card missing identifying details is rejected as often as one with smudged prints.
Three ways to submit to the FBI
All three produce the same document. They differ in what they cost you and how long you wait.
Apply online through eDO, then post your fingerprint card
Submit and pay the request at edo.cjis.gov, print the confirmation, and post it with your completed fingerprint card. The online step is instant; the card is what travels.
Use an FBI-approved Channeler that accepts posted cards
A Channeler is a private firm under contract to the FBI. Most only take live scans taken in the United States, but some accept ink cards by post. Check before you pay.
Post everything directly to the FBI
Post the signed Applicant Information Form, your fingerprint card and $18 to FBI CJIS Division - Summary Request, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306.
What the FBI needs, exactly
- A signed Applicant Information Form, or the confirmation page from an eDO request.
- One completed fingerprint card, FD-1164 or FD-258.
- $18, by card online or by money order or certified cheque drawn on a U.S. bank.
Post it to FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306. Questions go to (304) 625-5590 or identity@ic.fbi.gov.
On the twelve weeks. The FBI's own cover letter says a posted request can take up to twelve weeks. Some commercial guides quote two to four. Plan against the FBI's own figure, because that is the one you cannot argue with, and use the online eDO route if the date matters.
When to order, not how early
This is the counter-intuitive part. A police certificate has a shelf life. Most consulates and immigration authorities refuse one issued more than three to six months ago, and some are stricter still. Ordering the moment you decide to apply is a common and expensive mistake: the paperwork expires while you assemble the rest of the file.
Work backwards instead. Find the deadline, subtract the authentication time, subtract the postage both ways, subtract the processing time, and start then. The wizard above does this ordering for you, but the judgement about the date is yours.
| Stage | Allow |
|---|---|
| Getting fingerprinted locally | A few days to a few weeks, depending on the country |
| Post to Clarksburg | One to three weeks internationally |
| FBI processing | One to three business days by eDO; up to twelve weeks by post |
| Return post to you | One to three weeks internationally |
| Apostille or legalisation | Days to several weeks, depending on route |
| Certified translation, if needed | Several days |
The step almost everyone forgets
A background check on its own is just paper. A foreign authority will not accept a U.S. federal document without proof that the signature on it is genuine, and that proof is an apostille or consular legalisation.
An FBI summary is federal
It is authenticated by the U.S. Department of State. No state can certify it, and no notary should touch it. Notarising a federal document can invalidate it, and a state Secretary of State will reject it outright.
A state check is a state document
It is authenticated by the authenticating authority of that same state, and most states require the response to be notarised or certified before they will touch it. Several states sell a notarised version for exactly this reason. Buy it.
Order matters. Authenticate first, translate second. A translation attached before the apostille is normally not covered by it, and the receiving authority will send the whole file back.
State checks, all fifty-one
Every state and the District of Columbia, with the agency that holds the record, what it costs, how long it takes and whether you can do it from outside the country. Open a state for its address, payment rules and the traps specific to it.
| State | Agency | Fee | Processing | From abroad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Criminal Records and Identification Unit | $25.00 | Five to ten business days after they receive it | Possible |
| Alaska | Alaska Department of Public Safety | $35.00 fingerprint-based, $20.00 name-based | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Arizona | Arizona Department of Public Safety, Central State Repository | No fee published for record review; confirm when you request the packet | About two weeks | Possible |
| Arkansas | Arkansas State Police, Identification Bureau | $25.00 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| California | California Department of Justice, Bureau of Criminal Identification and Analysis | $25.00 record review fee | Allow several weeks. A posted ink card is processed manually and is slower than Live Scan. | Possible |
| Colorado | Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Identification Unit | $13.00 by post; $6.00 per result online through ICHC | Three to five business days | Possible |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, State Police Bureau of Identification | $36.00 name check; $75.00 for a full conviction history by name or by fingerprint | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Delaware | Delaware State Police, State Bureau of Identification | $72.00 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| District of Columbia | Metropolitan Police Department, Arrest and Criminal History Section | $7.00 | Six weeks by post; about two weeks if dropped off | Possible |
| Florida | Florida Department of Law Enforcement | $24.00 per search | Five business days non-certified, six to seven certified, before postage | Possible |
| Georgia | Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Crime Information Center | No fee by email; up to $15.00 for a record inspection | Varies; email is faster | Possible |
| Hawaii | Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center | $35.00 | Three to five business days | Possible |
| Idaho | Idaho State Police, Bureau of Criminal Identification | $25.00 per fingerprint check | Varies; requests are worked in the order received | Possible |
| Illinois | Illinois State Police, Bureau of Identification | No state fee; the fingerprinting vendor charges its own | Varies; confirm when you submit | Restricted |
| Indiana | Indiana State Police, Criminal History Limited Check | $7.00 by post | Varies; confirm when you submit | Extra step |
| Iowa | Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Support Operations Bureau | $15.00 per surname searched | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Kansas | Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Criminal History Records Section | $35.00 review and challenge, plus $10.00 to have it notarised; $30.00 certified name-based | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Kentucky | Kentucky State Police, Public Records Branch | $20.00 name-based; $30.00 fingerprint-supported | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Louisiana | Louisiana State Police, Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information | $26.00 | Fifteen to twenty-one business days | Possible |
| Maine | Maine State Police, State Bureau of Identification | $31.00, or $41.00 notarised | Three to five weeks by post | Possible |
| Maryland | Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, CJIS Central Repository | $18.00 | Ten to fifteen days after receipt | Extra step |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services | $25.00, waivable with an Affidavit of Indigency | About two weeks | Possible |
| Michigan | Michigan State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center | $30.00 fingerprint-based; $10.00 for an ICHAT name search | Three to five weeks for the fingerprint route | Possible |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension | $8.00 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Criminal Information Center | About $32.00; confirm the current fee | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Missouri | Missouri State Highway Patrol, CJIS Division | $20.00 fingerprint; $15.00 name-based | Four to six weeks by post | Possible |
| Montana | Montana Department of Justice, Criminal Records and Identification Services | $10.00 | Seven to ten business days | Possible |
| Nebraska | Nebraska State Patrol, Criminal Identification Division | $45.00 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Nevada | Nevada Department of Public Safety, Records, Communications and Compliance Division | $27.00 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire State Police, Criminal Records Unit | $25.00 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| New Jersey | New Jersey State Police, Criminal Information Unit | $45.73 including the vendor fee and sales tax | Twenty-four to seventy-two hours after fingerprinting | Restricted |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Department of Public Safety, Law Enforcement Records Bureau | $15.00 | Seven to fifteen working days from receipt | Possible |
| New York | New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services | $17.50 through IdentoGO, effective 2 February 2026 | Three to four weeks | Possible |
| North Carolina | North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation | $14.00 | Seven to ten business days | Possible |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Investigation | $15.00 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Ohio | Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Civilian Unit | $22.00 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Criminal History Reporting Unit | $20.00 name-based; $25.00 fingerprint-based | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Oregon | Oregon State Police, CJIS Division | $33.00 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania State Police, Central Repository | $22.00, or $27.00 for a notarised request | Instant through the PATCH portal; by post, varies | Possible |
| Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico Police Department (Negociado de la Policia de Puerto Rico) | Confirm the current fee at pr.gov; it has changed repeatedly | Varies; the online service is normally quick when available | Possible |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Identification | $5.00 | About seven business days | Possible |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Records Department | $25.00 by post; $25.00 plus $1.00 online | Immediate online; by post, varies | Possible |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Attorney General, Division of Criminal Investigation | $30.00 state-only | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, TORIS Unit | $29.00, non-refundable | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Texas | Texas Department of Public Safety, via IdentoGO | Paid to IdentoGO at enrolment | Varies; confirm when you enrol | Possible |
| Utah | Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification | $20.00 as of 1 July 2025 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Vermont | Vermont Crime Information Center | $30.00 per copy | Five to seven business days by post | Possible |
| Virginia | Virginia State Police, Civil and Applicant Records Exchange | Confirm the current fee with CARE before sending | Fifteen business days from receipt; there is no expedited service | Possible |
| Washington | Washington State Patrol, Identification and Background Check Section | $12.00 by post for the full record; $11.00 online through WATCH for convictions only | Immediate online; by post, varies | Possible |
| West Virginia | West Virginia State Police, Criminal Records Section | $20.00 | Varies; confirm when you submit | Possible |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Justice, Crime Information Bureau | $7.00, plus a $5.00 surcharge for a paper copy | Ten business days plus post | Possible |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Criminal Records Unit | $15.00 state check, including the Western Identification Network search; $5.00 if DCI takes the prints | Usually up to two weeks, but five to six weeks when volumes are high | Possible |
When it goes wrong
The card came back rejected
Almost always smudged, incomplete or missing identifying details. Get reprinted by someone who does it professionally rather than trying again with the same person, and send two cards next time so one rejection does not cost another cycle.
The record shows something wrong
Every agency has a challenge or correction process, and it is the reason personal record review exists. Start it immediately; corrections take longer than the original request, and the deadline will not move for you.
The certificate expired while you waited
Order again, and this time use the fastest route rather than the cheapest. An eDO request plus a courier both ways will beat a posted one by weeks.
The state will not deal with you
Some states genuinely cannot serve someone overseas, because they require live scan in state. Ask the requesting authority whether the FBI check alone will do. Very often it will, because the federal record already includes that state's reported arrests.
No U.S. bank account for the fee
Several states take cards; a few take only money orders drawn on a U.S. bank. Where a card is not accepted, an international money order from a post office or a friend or relative in the United States sending one is the usual solution.
Nothing has arrived and no one answers
The FBI's Identity History Summary line is (304) 625-5590 and identity@ic.fbi.gov. For a state, ring the number on its page here. Always use a tracked service so you can prove delivery.
The authentication part is ours
Once your FBI summary or state check exists, we handle the U.S. Department of State apostille, consular legalisation and certified translation. Tell us the country and the deadline and we will work backwards from it.
Questions people actually ask
Can I get an FBI background check while living abroad?
Yes. You can request your own Identity History Summary from anywhere in the world. The request and the $18 fee can be handled online through the FBI eDO system; the only step that has to happen physically is your fingerprints, which you have taken locally and then post to Clarksburg.
Will the U.S. embassy take my fingerprints?
Often not. American Citizens Services units have widely discontinued fingerprinting and availability keeps shrinking. Contact the specific post before travelling to it. Local police, a private fingerprinting service, or ink at home are the usual alternatives.
How long does an FBI check take from overseas?
The FBI processes an eDO request in about one to three business days once your fingerprint card arrives. A wholly posted request takes up to twelve weeks according to the FBI's own guidance. Add international postage in both directions to either figure.
Does my FBI check need an apostille?
Almost certainly. It is a federal document, so it is apostilled by the U.S. Department of State if the destination is in the Apostille Convention, or fully legalised through that country's embassy if it is not. Do not have it notarised first; that can invalidate it.
Do I need a state check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The federal record already includes arrests that states reported to the FBI. Some countries and some immigration categories ask specifically for the state where you lived, which is when you need both.
What is the difference between a record review and an employment check?
A personal record review is you asking a state for your own record, which is what a visa office wants and what you are entitled to request. An employment or licensing check is initiated by an employer or board under a specific statute and usually cannot be self-requested at all.
How long is a police certificate valid?
Most consulates and immigration authorities accept one issued within the last three to six months, and some are stricter. Order it at the right moment rather than as early as possible, because it can expire while you assemble the rest of your file.
Can a Channeler do it faster?
Yes, often same or next business day. FBI-approved Channelers are private firms under contract to the FBI. Most only accept live scans taken in the United States, but some take posted ink cards. Confirm before paying, and confirm you will receive a paper copy rather than only a PDF.
My fingerprint card was rejected. What now?
Get reprinted, ideally by a professional service rather than the same source, and send two cards. Poor ridge detail is the commonest rejection reason and you will not find out for weeks, which is why sending a spare is worth the small extra cost.
I have no U.S. bank account. How do I pay?
The FBI takes card payment through eDO. Several states take cards too. Where only a money order drawn on a U.S. bank is accepted, an international money order or one sent by someone in the United States is the usual route.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
