Federal apostille, by mail
FBI apostille service for your background check.
We prepare and mail your FBI Identity History Summary to the U.S. Department of State for its apostille, then return it to you. Send your FBI PDF by email today, or upload a photo for preview.
First document, all in
$214
Includes $124 service fee, $20 federal fee and $70 mailing both ways.
Each additional FBI document: $107. Mailing is charged once for documents processed together.
Our service estimate: 2–4 weeks. Federal processing may take longer. Shipping time is additional.
Pricing
Every required fee, shown up front.
Our service fee
$124
Same service fee as our California apostille. Government fee and mailing are separate and mandatory, listed alongside.
No same-day or rush option for federal processing. FBI additional-document pricing is shown below.
| Item | What it covers | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Our service fee | Review, preparation, submission and tracking | $124 |
| U.S. Department of State fee | Per document, paid to the federal government | $20 |
| Outbound mailing to Washington, DC | Once per combined submission | $35 |
| Return mailing to you | Once per combined submission | $35 |
| Mailing subtotal | Both directions, once per combined submission | $70 |
| Total, one FBI document | $214 | |
The $20 federal fee is paid to the U.S. Department of State, not to our business.
Each additional FBI document: $107
Each additional FBI document is $107 ($87 service + $20 federal fee) when processed together. The $70 round-trip mailing fee is charged only once per combined submission.
- 2 documents, including mailing
- $321
- 3 documents, including mailing
- $428
These totals apply to FBI documents processed and mailed together.
Estimated processing: 2–4 weeks
This is our service estimate, not a guaranteed completion date. Government processing times vary and may take longer. The U.S. Department of State currently reports about five weeks for direct-mail requests. Shipping time is additional.
Check current U.S. Department of State timesSending your document
Three easy ways to get started.
Email the FBI PDF
Forward the original electronic PDF the FBI issued to admin@firstchoicenotary.com. Delivery is instant; authentication is not.
Email admin@firstchoicenotary.comUpload for preview
Open our request form and attach a PDF, Word file or phone photo (up to 10 files, 5MB combined). A photo is for preview only, not a guaranteed substitute for an eligible FBI document.
Upload PDF or photo for previewMail a paper original
Have a paper FBI document? Please wait for our mailing instructions before sending anything. Call or submit a request first.
Call 866.828.6856Why the federal route?
An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document. A state Secretary of State cannot apostille it. The apostille is issued only by the U.S. Department of State, not by our business.
We are an independent notary and apostille service, not a government agency. We prepare and submit your request; the Department of State controls federal processing, and the receiving authority decides whether it accepts your document.
How it works
- 1
Send or preview
Email your FBI-issued PDF, or upload a photo or scan through our request form for a preview.
- 2
We confirm
We check your document and send instructions. Mail a paper original only after you receive them.
- 3
We submit
We mail your document to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC with the federal fee.
- 4
Returned to you
We mail the apostilled document back to you. Shipping time is additional.
FBI apostille questions
Can I send my FBI electronic PDF?
Yes. If the FBI issued your Identity History Summary as an electronic PDF, email the original PDF file to admin@firstchoicenotary.com. It reaches us immediately, but emailing is instant delivery only, not instant authentication. Please do not print, edit or re-save it.
Is a phone photo or scan enough?
A photo or scan lets us preview your document and answer questions. It is not a guaranteed substitute for an eligible FBI-issued document. We will tell you what final document we need.
Why 2–4 weeks, and can it take longer?
2–4 weeks is our service estimate, not an official guarantee. The U.S. Department of State sets its own processing times, which vary and may be longer. Its published mail-in times can exceed our estimate. Shipping time is additional.
What is the full price for one document?
$124 service fee + $20 federal fee + $35 outbound mailing + $35 return mailing = $214 total. The $70 is mailing only.
What does each additional FBI document cost?
Each additional FBI document is $107 ($87 service + $20 federal fee) when processed together. The $70 round-trip mailing fee is charged only once per combined submission.
Is same-day or rush available?
No. Federal apostilles are never same-day, and we do not use expedited government channels. California same-day rush pricing does not apply to FBI documents.
Can a state Secretary of State apostille my FBI check?
No. An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document. Only the U.S. Department of State can issue its apostille. Neither a state office nor our business issues it.
How is my document returned?
After the Department of State completes it, we mail the apostilled document back to you. Return mailing ($35) is included in the total above.
Will the receiving country accept it?
The receiving authority decides what it accepts. Please confirm its requirements before ordering.
Start your FBI apostille
$214 total for one document. Upload a preview, email your PDF, or call us.