Iowa Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
Iowa Background Check from Abroad
Yes, and unusually flexibly: Iowa accepts the forms by email, fax or post, and takes card payment.
- Fee
- $15.00 per surname searched
- Processing
- Varies; confirm when you submit
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Support Operations Bureau |
|---|---|
| Form | DCI Record Check request form plus the billing form |
| Fee | $15.00 per surname searched |
| Payment | Cash, cheque, money order, or Mastercard, Visa or Discover. |
| Processing | Varies; confirm when you submit |
| Post to | Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, 215 E 7th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0041 |
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Support Operations Bureau page for this request
Specific to Iowa
- Email submission plus card payment makes Iowa one of the few states you can complete entirely from abroad without posting anything.
- The fee is charged per surname, so a maiden name or a previous married name costs another $15.00.
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 Iowa specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A Iowa criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Iowa, 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 Iowa 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 Iowa record from outside the United States?
Yes, and unusually flexibly: Iowa accepts the forms by email, fax or post, and takes card payment.
What does it cost?
$15.00 per surname searched Cash, cheque, money order, or Mastercard, Visa or Discover.
How long does it take?
Varies; confirm when you submit. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the Iowa check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that Iowa reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A Iowa check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Iowa 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.
