Montana Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
Montana Background Check from Abroad
Yes, by post, with a card taken by any law enforcement agency.
- Fee
- $10.00
- Processing
- Seven to ten business days
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | Montana Department of Justice, Criminal Records and Identification Services |
|---|---|
| Form | Criminal history record request |
| Fee | $10.00 |
| Payment | With the request. |
| Processing | Seven to ten business days |
| Post to | Montana Criminal Records, PO Box 201403, Helena, MT 59620-1403 |
Specific to Montana
- At $10.00 and seven to ten business days, Montana is among the cheapest and fastest states.
- There is also an online public record search, but a foreign authority will normally want the official response rather than a screen print.
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 Montana specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A Montana criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Montana, 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 Montana 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 Montana record from outside the United States?
Yes, by post, with a card taken by any law enforcement agency.
What does it cost?
$10.00 With the request.
How long does it take?
Seven to ten business days. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the Montana check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that Montana reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A Montana check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Montana 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.
