Expedited Arizona FBI Apostille Services
Arizona residents applying for a visa or residency abroad are usually told to bring an apostilled FBI background check. Neither state office in Phoenix or Tucson can produce one. Apostille Authentications takes your FBI result by email, has it hand-delivered to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, and ships the apostilled document to your Arizona 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 Phoenix cannot apostille your FBI background check
Arizona apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State’s Business Services Division, at 1700 W. Washington Street in Phoenix, with a second counter on West Congress Street in Tucson. The division certifies the signature of an Arizona notary public, court clerk or state document custodian for use in a foreign country. Originals only, and each state certifies its own records.
The signature on an FBI Identity History Summary belongs to a federal official, not to any of those Arizona signers. The office with authority over it is the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, DC.
Two points specific to Arizona:
- Arizona DPS will not issue a background check for a visa. In many states people try the state police report first. In Arizona that door is closed. The Department of Public Safety, which runs the Central State Repository for Arizona criminal records, states that Arizona law does not permit it to run a criminal history check or provide a clearance letter for immigration, obtaining a visa or foreign adoption, and it points those requests to the FBI. The record review DPS does offer is only for checking the accuracy and completeness of your own record.
- A notarized copy sent to Phoenix or Tucson is the wrong document. The Secretary of State can certify the Arizona notary who stamped the copy. That produces a state certificate on a federal record, and foreign immigration offices generally expect the federal apostille.
For Arizona birth certificates, court records or notarized documents, see state apostille services.
How it works from Arizona
- Fingerprinting close to home. Choose an ink FD-1164 card from a police department, sheriff’s office or fingerprinting vendor, or sign up on the FBI’s eDO site and have electronic prints taken at a participating U.S. Post Office. Then request your FBI Identity History Summary. The FBI charges $18.
- FBI result. The FBI sends a PDF with its watermark and a division official’s signature.
- Email it to us. We check the name and date of birth against your passport before filing. If you use two surnames or a hyphenated name, send the passport photo page with your first email.
- Department of State. We fill in Form DS-4194 and our Herndon, Virginia office hand-carries the request to the Office of Authentications. No DOJ certification is required first. The FBI result goes straight to the Department of State.
- Delivery. FedEx to any Arizona address, or FedEx or DHL to your address abroad.
Apostille Authentications has no office in Arizona and does not offer fingerprinting in the state. Our service begins when you send the FBI PDF.
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Certified translation and discounted shipping.
Arizona 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 |
We count the 10 business days from the day your FBI PDF reaches us. The expedited price reflects hand delivery in Washington instead of the mail queue.
Where we serve Arizona clients
Statewide, with everything handled by email and FedEx. That includes Phoenix and the Valley cities of Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale and Tempe, as well as Tucson in the south. It also includes Flagstaff, Prescott and Yuma. A client in Flagstaff or Yuma follows the same five steps and gets the same turnaround as one in central Phoenix.
Why Arizonans need an apostilled FBI check
Common destinations for our Arizona clients include Mexico for temporary and permanent residency, and Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia for retirement and residency visas. Spain and Italy ask for the document with long-stay visas and citizenship by descent files. South Korea, China and India require it for teaching, employment and family visas.
Spanish-speaking authorities will normally want a Spanish translation of the report and apostille. Certified translation can be included in the same order. Most countries want an FBI check issued within the past 3 to 6 months, so do not get fingerprinted too far ahead of your appointment.
The full federal process is explained on our FBI apostille services page.
FAQ
Can the Arizona Secretary of State apostille an FBI background check?
No. The Business Services Division in Phoenix and Tucson certifies Arizona notaries, court clerks and state document custodians. An FBI background check is a federal document and is apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC.
How fast is an expedited FBI apostille in Arizona?
10 business days after we receive your FBI result. The standard service takes 7–8 weeks.
Can I get an Arizona DPS background check for my visa instead?
No. Arizona DPS states that Arizona law does not permit its Central State Repository to run a criminal history check or issue a clearance letter for immigration, a visa or foreign adoption. It refers those requests to the FBI.
I live in Tucson or Flagstaff. Do I need to go to Phoenix?
No. An FBI apostille does not pass through any Arizona office, and we do not have one. You email the FBI PDF and the apostille arrives by FedEx.
Do I need a Spanish translation for Mexico?
Usually yes. Ask the consulate or immigration office handling your file, and we can prepare the translation with your apostille order.
Start your Arizona FBI apostille
Call (971) 514-3743, message us on WhatsApp, or request a quote and include your destination country and deadline.
