Massachusetts Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
Massachusetts Background Check from Abroad
Yes, by post. The iCORI online system needs a Massachusetts licence or state identification card, which rules it out from abroad.
- Fee
- $25.00, waivable with an Affidavit of Indigency
- Processing
- About two weeks
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services |
|---|---|
| Form | Personal CORI Request Form |
| Fee | $25.00, waivable with an Affidavit of Indigency |
| Payment | Money order payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
| Processing | About two weeks |
| Post to | Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150, Attn: CORI Unit |
The Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services page for this request
Specific to Massachusetts
- Do not waste time on iCORI without a Massachusetts credential. The posted form is the route for anyone overseas.
- The form must be notarised. Plan a consular appointment.
The IdentoGO Cardscan route
Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A Massachusetts criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts record from outside the United States?
Yes, by post. The iCORI online system needs a Massachusetts licence or state identification card, which rules it out from abroad.
What does it cost?
$25.00, waivable with an Affidavit of Indigency Money order payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
How long does it take?
About two weeks. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the Massachusetts check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that Massachusetts reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A Massachusetts check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Massachusetts 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.
