Maryland Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
Maryland Background Check from Abroad
Yes, but with an extra step: Maryland will not accept a card from another state or an FBI card, so you must order its own card first.
- Fee
- $18.00
- Processing
- Ten to fifteen days after receipt
- From abroad
- Extra step needed
Possible, but with an extra step that costs weeks. Read the notes below before you pay anything, and build the extra time into your deadline.
What to send, and where
| Agency | Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, CJIS Central Repository |
|---|---|
| Form | Fingerprint Card Order Form, then the card itself |
| Fee | $18.00 |
| Payment | Cheque or money order payable to CJIS Central Repository. Cash is refused. |
| Processing | Ten to fifteen days after receipt |
| Post to | CJIS Central Repository, PO Box 32708, Pikesville, MD 21282-2708 |
Specific to Maryland
- This is the one trap that catches expats. An FD-258 will be rejected. Request Maryland's own card by fax first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
- Build in four to six extra weeks for the card to travel out to you and back.
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 Maryland specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A Maryland criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Maryland, 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 Maryland 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 Maryland record from outside the United States?
Yes, but with an extra step: Maryland will not accept a card from another state or an FBI card, so you must order its own card first.
What does it cost?
$18.00 Cheque or money order payable to CJIS Central Repository. Cash is refused.
How long does it take?
Ten to fifteen days after receipt. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the Maryland check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that Maryland reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A Maryland check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Maryland 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.
