Colorado Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
Colorado Background Check from Abroad
Yes. The ICHC portal is name-based and instant, which works from anywhere; the posted route is also open.
- Fee
- $13.00 by post; $6.00 per result online through ICHC
- Processing
- Three to five business days
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Identification Unit |
|---|---|
| Form | Public Request for Criminal History Record Information |
| Fee | $13.00 by post; $6.00 per result online through ICHC |
| Payment | Money order or business or cashier’s cheque payable to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, issued by a U.S. bank; cards accepted. |
| Processing | Three to five business days |
| Post to | Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Identification Unit, 690 Kipling Street, Suite 3000, Denver, CO 80215 |
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Identification Unit page for this request
Specific to Colorado
- A money order must be drawn on a U.S. bank, which is the usual sticking point from abroad. Pay by card instead.
- A cashier’s cheque must be dated within 90 days.
The IdentoGO Cardscan route
Colorado is one of the states reachable through IdentoGO's Cardscan service, which exists specifically for people who cannot attend a live scan appointment. You have your prints taken on an ink card wherever you are, post the card to IdentoGO, and they scan and submit it on your behalf. Enrol online first; a card that arrives without an enrolment is not processed.
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 Colorado specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A Colorado criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Colorado, 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 Colorado 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 Colorado record from outside the United States?
Yes. The ICHC portal is name-based and instant, which works from anywhere; the posted route is also open.
What does it cost?
$13.00 by post; $6.00 per result online through ICHC Money order or business or cashier’s cheque payable to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, issued by a U.S. bank; cards accepted.
How long does it take?
Three to five business days. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the Colorado check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that Colorado reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A Colorado check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Colorado 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.
