Puerto Rico Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
Puerto Rico Background Check from Abroad
Yes. Puerto Rico issues its certificate online, which is one of the few U.S. jurisdictions you can complete entirely from another country.
- Fee
- Confirm the current fee at pr.gov; it has changed repeatedly
- Processing
- Varies; the online service is normally quick when available
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | Puerto Rico Police Department (Negociado de la Policia de Puerto Rico) |
|---|---|
| Form | Certificado de Antecedentes Penales, requested online at pr.gov or by post |
| Fee | Confirm the current fee at pr.gov; it has changed repeatedly |
| Payment | Online at pr.gov, or as directed for a posted request. |
| Processing | Varies; the online service is normally quick when available |
| Post to | Any Puerto Rico Police Department station, or as directed by pr.gov |
The Puerto Rico Police Department (Negociado de la Policia de Puerto Rico) page for this request
Specific to Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rico is a U.S. jurisdiction, so its certificate is a state-level document: it is apostilled by Puerto Rico, not by the U.S. Department of State.
- The certificate is issued in Spanish. A destination that does not accept Spanish will need a certified translation after the apostille.
- The pr.gov service goes offline for maintenance from time to time. If it is down, a request in person at any police station is the fallback.
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 Puerto Rico specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A Puerto Rico criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Puerto Rico, 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 Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico record from outside the United States?
Yes. Puerto Rico issues its certificate online, which is one of the few U.S. jurisdictions you can complete entirely from another country.
What does it cost?
Confirm the current fee at pr.gov; it has changed repeatedly Online at pr.gov, or as directed for a posted request.
How long does it take?
Varies; the online service is normally quick when available. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the Puerto Rico check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that Puerto Rico reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A Puerto Rico check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Puerto Rico 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.
