Pennsylvania Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
Pennsylvania Background Check from Abroad
Yes. The PATCH portal at epatch.pa.gov runs a name-based check online and needs no fingerprints.
- Fee
- $22.00, or $27.00 for a notarised request
- Processing
- Instant through the PATCH portal; by post, varies
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | Pennsylvania State Police, Central Repository |
|---|---|
| Form | SP 4-164, Request for Criminal Record Check |
| Fee | $22.00, or $27.00 for a notarised request |
| Payment | Money order payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. |
| Processing | Instant through the PATCH portal; by post, varies |
| Post to | Pennsylvania State Police, Central Repository, 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110 |
The Pennsylvania State Police, Central Repository page for this request
Specific to Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania is one of the easiest states from abroad because PATCH is name-based and online.
- Some consulates insist on a fingerprint-based result. Ask before relying on the online certificate.
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 Pennsylvania specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A Pennsylvania criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania record from outside the United States?
Yes. The PATCH portal at epatch.pa.gov runs a name-based check online and needs no fingerprints.
What does it cost?
$22.00, or $27.00 for a notarised request Money order payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
How long does it take?
Instant through the PATCH portal; by post, varies. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the Pennsylvania check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that Pennsylvania reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A Pennsylvania check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Pennsylvania 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.
