Wisconsin Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
Wisconsin Background Check from Abroad
Yes, and cheaply. The name-based check needs no fingerprint card.
- Fee
- $7.00, plus a $5.00 surcharge for a paper copy
- Processing
- Ten business days plus post
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | Wisconsin Department of Justice, Crime Information Bureau |
|---|---|
| Form | DJ-LE-250, Criminal History Single Name Record Request |
| Fee | $7.00, plus a $5.00 surcharge for a paper copy |
| Payment | Cheque payable to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. |
| Processing | Ten business days plus post |
| Post to | Wisconsin Department of Justice, Crime Information Bureau, PO Box 2688, Madison, WI 53701-2688 |
The Wisconsin Department of Justice, Crime Information Bureau page for this request
Specific to Wisconsin
- At $7.00 this is the cheapest state check in the country.
- A self-addressed, postage-paid envelope must accompany every request, which from abroad means arranging return postage in advance.
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 Wisconsin specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A Wisconsin criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin record from outside the United States?
Yes, and cheaply. The name-based check needs no fingerprint card.
What does it cost?
$7.00, plus a $5.00 surcharge for a paper copy Cheque payable to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
How long does it take?
Ten business days plus post. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the Wisconsin check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that Wisconsin reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A Wisconsin check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Wisconsin 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.
