Pennsylvania FBI Background Check Apostille Guide

An FBI Identity History Summary — also called an FBI background check or identity history — is a federal record maintained by the FBI. An apostille on it authenticates the federal seal and signature so the report is accepted in countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Because the record is federal, it is authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, not by a state apostille office. This step is the same no matter which state you live in: the Pennsylvania Department of State cannot apostille an FBI report, and there is no state-level variation in how the federal authentication works.

Two different reports can satisfy a foreign request, and they are not interchangeable, so confirm which one your destination wants before you order. The first is the federal route: your FBI Identity History Summary goes to the U.S. Department of State for the apostille. Most consulates asking for an FBI Identity History Summary require this federal apostille (DS-4194), not a state apostille — this is the common requirement. The second is the state route: a state criminal-history report goes to the state apostille authority instead. That route is used only when the foreign authority explicitly requests a state-level criminal history. Because a federal apostille and a state apostille authenticate different documents, ordering the wrong one means starting over — check with the destination country or its consulate first.

Begin by obtaining the report itself. You can get an FBI Identity History Summary directly from the FBI or through an FBI-approved Channeler, both of which work from a fingerprint submission with a PCN. Keep these requirements in mind:

• Recent report — An FBI Identity History Summary (or a state criminal-history report) that many consulates require issued within the last 3–6 months.
• Official source — The FBI report comes from the FBI directly or an FBI-approved Channeler (fingerprint submission with a PCN).
• Unaltered — Keep the report unaltered; do not open a sealed state report where the destination requires it sealed.

Many consulates will only accept a report that is recent and completely unaltered, so order it close to when you plan to submit it abroad.

Mail your FBI Identity History Summary to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications:

1. 1.
   The document

   the original sealed/certified report or copy — not a plain photocopy

2. 2.
   Request form

   Form DS-4194 (Authentication Request) (download: https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds4194.pdf), stating the destination country

3. 3.
   Payment

   for the apostille fee (see Fees below)

4. 4.
   Return envelope

   self-addressed; add a prepaid tracked label for return

Prefer same-day service? You can submit in person at:

If, and only if, your destination specifically asks for a state-level criminal history, there is a separate route that does not involve the U.S. Department of State. For a STATE-level criminal history, request it from the Pennsylvania State Police via the PATCH system; the Pennsylvania Department of State then apostilles that state report. Use this route only when the foreign authority has explicitly requested a state-level report — for a standard FBI Identity History Summary, stay with the federal route above.

As of 2026-06-06, the U.S. Department of State processes mailed requests within about 5 weeks of the date the request is received. Add transit time in both directions on top of that. Remember that obtaining the FBI report itself adds its own time before this step even begins, so plan the two stages back to back. Turnaround drifts, so verify the current time on the official page before you mail.

Many destination countries require a certified translation of both the FBI report and its apostille. The receiving country — not the United States — sets this requirement, and rules vary widely from place to place. Confirm exactly what the requesting authority abroad needs, and whether the translation itself must be certified, before you submit your documents.