New York Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
New York Background Check from Abroad
Yes, through IdentoGO Cardscan: you enrol online and post an ink card.
- Fee
- $17.50 through IdentoGO, effective 2 February 2026
- Processing
- Three to four weeks
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services |
|---|---|
| Form | Record review request through IdentoGO |
| Fee | $17.50 through IdentoGO, effective 2 February 2026 |
| Payment | Paid to IdentoGO at enrolment. |
| Processing | Three to four weeks |
| Post to | As directed by IdentoGO once you enrol for Cardscan submission |
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services page for this request
Specific to New York
- The response is returned by U.S. mail, normally in three to four weeks.
- You must enrol before posting the card; an unannounced card 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 New York specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A New York criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by New York, 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 New York 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 New York record from outside the United States?
Yes, through IdentoGO Cardscan: you enrol online and post an ink card.
What does it cost?
$17.50 through IdentoGO, effective 2 February 2026 Paid to IdentoGO at enrolment.
How long does it take?
Three to four weeks. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the New York check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that New York reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A New York check is a state document, so it is authenticated by New York 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.
