California Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
California Background Check from Abroad
Yes. Applicants outside California submit a manual FD-258 ink card instead of Live Scan.
- Fee
- $25.00 record review fee
- Processing
- Allow several weeks. A posted ink card is processed manually and is slower than Live Scan.
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | California Department of Justice, Bureau of Criminal Identification and Analysis |
|---|---|
| Form | BCIA 8705, Application to Obtain Copy of State Summary Criminal History Record |
| Fee | $25.00 record review fee |
| Payment | Personal cheque drawn on a U.S. bank, money order, or certified cheque payable to the California Department of Justice. |
| Processing | Allow several weeks. A posted ink card is processed manually and is slower than Live Scan. |
| Post to | California Department of Justice, BCIA, Record Review & Challenge Section, PO Box 160207, Sacramento, CA 95816-0207 |
Specific to California
- The Live Scan form BCIA 8016RR is for people physically in California. From abroad you want BCIA 8705 and an ink card.
- Your fingerprint card must carry your full name, date of birth, sex and a return mailing address.
Getting fingerprinted where you are
Local police, a private fingerprinting service, a U.S. post if it still offers it, or ink at home. Take more than one card. Use the FD-258 unless California specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A California criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by California, not by the U.S. Department of State. Most states require the response to be notarised or certified before the authenticating authority will touch it, and several sell a notarised version for exactly this purpose. Buy it at the time rather than discovering later that you have to start again.
We handle the apostille
Once your California check exists we can authenticate it, legalise it for a non-Convention country, and have it translated. Tell us the destination and the deadline.
Questions people actually ask
Can I request my California record from outside the United States?
Yes. Applicants outside California submit a manual FD-258 ink card instead of Live Scan.
What does it cost?
$25.00 record review fee Personal cheque drawn on a U.S. bank, money order, or certified cheque payable to the California Department of Justice.
How long does it take?
Allow several weeks. A posted ink card is processed manually and is slower than Live Scan.. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the California check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that California reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A California check is a state document, so it is authenticated by California rather than by the U.S. Department of State, and it usually has to be notarised or certified first.
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.
