Texas FBI Background Check Apostille Guide

An FBI Identity History Summary — also called an FBI background check or identity history — is a federal record. An apostille on it authenticates the federal seal and signature so the document is accepted in countries that belong to the Hague Convention. Because the record is federal, it is authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, not by a state apostille office. This is true no matter which state you live in: a Texas apostille office has no authority over a federal FBI report. Your apostille request goes to the federal government, and the steps are the same whether you're in Texas or anywhere else in the country.

There are two different reports, and they go to two different authorities — so confirm which one your destination wants before you order, because they are not interchangeable.

• Federal route: FBI report → U.S. Department of State apostille. Most consulates asking for an FBI Identity History Summary require the FEDERAL apostille (DS-4194), NOT a state apostille. This is the common requirement.
• State route: State criminal-history report → state apostille. Used only when the foreign authority explicitly requests a state-level criminal history.

The two routes use different records and different offices, so a federal apostille will not satisfy a request for a state report, and vice versa. Ask the destination authority or consulate exactly which report and which apostille they require before you pay for anything.

First, obtain the report you need. For the federal route, your FBI Identity History Summary comes from the FBI directly or through an FBI-approved Channeler, which involves 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.

Because many consulates only accept a recent, unaltered report, order yours close to when you'll submit it for the apostille.

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, you take a different path. For a STATE-level criminal history, request it from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Crime Records Service; the Texas Secretary of State then apostilles that state report. In this case the Texas Secretary of State, not the U.S. Department of State, authenticates the document. Use this route only when the foreign authority has explicitly requested a state-level report; for the standard FBI Identity History Summary, follow the federal route above instead.

As of 2026-06-06, the U.S. Department of State states processing takes, by mail: within about 5 weeks of the date the request is received. Remember that obtaining the FBI report itself takes its own time before this step even begins, so build that into your timeline. Because these estimates drift, check the official page for the current turnaround before you mail your request.

Many destination countries require a certified translation of the FBI report and its apostille into the local language. The receiving country — not the United States — sets this requirement, and the rules differ by country and by the office that will accept your document. Confirm what's needed with the destination authority before you submit, so you don't have to start over.