Expedited FBI Apostille Services in Maryland
Living next to Washington, DC does not make a federal apostille quicker to obtain on your own. Maryland residents still face the Department of State’s mail queue, and Annapolis cannot help with an FBI document. Apostille Authentications takes your FBI result by email, has it hand-carried to the Department of State, and sends the apostilled check to your Maryland address by FedEx in 10 business days.
Call (971) 514-3743 or request a quote.
- Ensure your documents are processed without delay
- Speak with our experts for personalized assistance
- Discover how we can expedite your apostille process
Why Annapolis cannot apostille your FBI background check
Maryland apostilles come from the Secretary of State’s Certifications and Authentication Desk at 16 Francis Street in Annapolis. It certifies Maryland documents, including birth and death certificates, marriage and divorce records, police records and corporate good-standing certificates.
The Secretary of State’s website says federal documents, FBI background checks among them, are to be submitted to the U.S. State Department and not to the Maryland office. The competent office is the Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, DC.
Two Maryland-specific points:
- A Maryland CJIS background check is not the FBI check. The Criminal Justice Information System Central Repository, part of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and based on Reisterstown Road in Baltimore, issues fingerprint-based individual background checks, including the gold seal letters it lists for visa purposes. That is a Maryland-issued document. When a consulate writes FBI, federal or national, it is asking for the FBI Identity History Summary.
- The notary route is longer in Maryland and still leads to the wrong result. Maryland requires a notarized document to go to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the notary was commissioned before the Secretary of State will certify it. Doing all that with a copy of your FBI report produces a state certificate on a federal record, which foreign authorities commonly turn down.
For Maryland vital records or circuit court documents, see state apostille services.
How it works from Maryland
- Fingerprinting where you live. Choose an ink FD-1164 card from a police department, sheriff’s office or fingerprinting vendor, or register with the FBI’s eDO site and give electronic prints at a participating U.S. Post Office. Both lead to the FBI Identity History Summary, which costs $18 in FBI fees.
- The FBI sends your result. It is a PDF with the FBI watermark, signed by a division official.
- You email us the PDF. Add your passport photo page. We check that the name and date of birth agree before the request is filed.
- Department of State. We complete Form DS-4194 and our Herndon office hand-carries it to the Office of Authentications. An FBI result does not pass through the DOJ first. It goes straight to the Department of State.
- Return. FedEx to your Maryland address, or FedEx or DHL abroad.
We have no Maryland office and do not take fingerprints in Maryland. Our Herndon office is in neighbouring Northern Virginia, but the service for Maryland clients runs by email and FedEx, and it begins when your FBI PDF arrives.
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Certified translation and discounted shipping.
Maryland pricing and turnaround
| Service | Price | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Expedited FBI apostille (you already have the FBI result) | $390 | 10 business days |
| Standard FBI apostille | $195 | 7–8 weeks |
The clock starts when we receive the FBI PDF. What you pay for with the expedited service is hand delivery to the Department of State.
Where we serve Maryland clients
Statewide, with no trip required. That includes Baltimore, Towson and Columbia, the Washington suburbs of Silver Spring, Bethesda, Rockville and Gaithersburg, Annapolis and Bowie, Frederick and Hagerstown to the west, and Salisbury on the Eastern Shore.
Why Marylanders need an apostilled FBI check
Common destinations for our Maryland clients include Spain, Italy and Portugal for residency, study and citizenship files, and South Korea, Japan and China for teaching and work visas. India and the Philippines ask for an apostilled FBI check with employment and family applications. Germany and the Netherlands request it for some work and residence permits, and Colombia and Panama for residency.
Authorities that do not work in English will usually want a translation with the apostille. Certified translation is available on the same order. Since many countries accept only an FBI check dated within the past 3 to 6 months, schedule fingerprinting close to your application.
More detail on the federal steps is on our FBI apostille services page.
FAQ
Can the Maryland Secretary of State apostille an FBI background check?
No. The Certifications and Authentication Desk in Annapolis handles Maryland documents. The Secretary of State’s site directs federal documents, including FBI background checks, to the U.S. State Department.
How fast is an expedited FBI apostille in Maryland?
10 business days from our receipt of your FBI result. Standard service is 7–8 weeks.
Can I use a Maryland CJIS background check or gold seal letter instead?
Only if the foreign authority asked for a state-level check. The CJIS Central Repository in Baltimore issues a Maryland document. A request for an FBI, federal or national check means the FBI Identity History Summary.
I live in Bethesda or Silver Spring. Can I drop my documents at your office?
We have no Maryland office, and you do not need to visit one. Clients in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties email the FBI PDF like everyone else, and the apostille is returned by FedEx.
Does my FBI report need a notary or a Circuit Court clerk’s certification first?
No. Those steps apply to notarized documents going to Annapolis. The FBI PDF goes to the U.S. Department of State as issued.
Start your Maryland FBI apostille
Call (971) 514-3743, send a WhatsApp message, or request a quote and let us know the destination country and your deadline.
