U.S. citizens or people who lived in the States for over six month may be asked to present a “certificate of good conduct” or “lack of a criminal record” for a variety of reasons for use abroad, including adoption, school attendance, employment, etc. U.S. law enforcement authorities may not be familiar with such a procedure since it is not commonly requested in the United States. There are a three options available to applicants seeking to obtain proof of their lack of a criminal record. 1, FBI 2, State issued 3, Town/city. Most often target country will accept first two only, so please confirm with the authority of target country before applying to avoid hassle.
The FBI Police Certificate
A Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI) certificate processing times are normally between 16 to 18 weeks. Expedited service two weeks, extra cost apply.
Document Required:
- A set of FD-258 fingerprints form
- Photo page of passport
- Application Fees
State certificates from all U.S. states except FBI
States |
Requirement Documents |
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Alaska |
* A set of fingerprints |
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Arkansas |
* A set of fingerprints |
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California |
* A set of fingerprints |
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Colorado |
* A set of fingerprints |
Georgia |
* Two set of fingerprint cards |
Illinois |
* A set of fingerprints |
Indiana |
* A Limited Criminal History Search |
Updating…
Apostille/Legalization
Document required for legalization of concerned countries Embassy/Consulate in the States:
1, Hard copy or pdf scan of police background check;
2, Application form of Embassy/Consulate authentication;
3, Color copy of passport photo page;
Turnaround time: 7-8 working days+ courier
Documents that frequently require legalization include:
- Academic documents, such as degrees and diplomas
- Birth and marriage certificates
- Divorce decrees
- Business contracts
- Certificates of Incorporation
- Certificates of No Impediment
- Documents issued by British Overseas Territories
- Export certificates
- Religious documents, such as baptism certificates