Expedited Colorado FBI Apostille Services
Your visa checklist says “FBI background check with apostille” and you are in Colorado. The Secretary of State’s office in Denver is not the place for it, and mailing the report to Washington yourself means a long wait. Apostille Authentications works from the FBI result you email us, has it hand-carried to the U.S. Department of State, and returns the apostille to Colorado 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 Denver cannot apostille your FBI background check
Colorado apostilles and authentications are issued by the Colorado Secretary of State at 1700 Broadway in Denver. The office handles documents signed by a Colorado notary public, certified by Colorado Vital Records, or certified by a Colorado county clerk. Typical examples are birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, school transcripts and powers of attorney. It does not authenticate documents from other states.
Federal records sit outside that list. The Secretary of State’s own guidance on naturalization certificates, for example, sends applicants to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications. The same federal office in Washington, DC is where an FBI Identity History Summary is apostilled.
Two mistakes we see from Colorado clients:
- A CBI online check is not an FBI check. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Criminal History Check is described by CBI as a name-based search that returns Colorado-only criminal history. It contains nothing from other states and involves no fingerprints. A consulate that asks for an FBI, federal or national check is asking for something else.
- CBI results cannot be notarized. CBI says so on its records page. People sometimes plan to print the online result, notarize it and take it to 1700 Broadway. That plan stops at the first step, and it would not have produced a federal apostille anyway.
For Colorado birth certificates, marriage licenses or notarized documents, see state apostille services.
How it works from Colorado
- Local fingerprints. Get an ink FD-1164 card at a police department, sheriff’s office or fingerprinting vendor. Or create a request on the FBI’s eDO site and have your prints captured electronically at a participating U.S. Post Office. Both lead to the FBI Identity History Summary, which costs $18 from the FBI.
- The FBI answers by PDF. The file bears the FBI watermark and the signature of a division official.
- You send us the PDF by email. We match the name and date of birth to your passport before we file. Please attach the passport photo page.
- Hand-carry to the Department of State. Form DS-4194 is prepared and our Herndon, Virginia office takes the request to the Office of Authentications in person. There is no DOJ certification step. The FBI result goes straight to the Department of State.
- FedEx home. To your Colorado address, or by FedEx or DHL to wherever you are moving.
Apostille Authentications has no office in Colorado and does not take fingerprints in the state. We step in once the FBI PDF is in your inbox.
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Translations/ Intl. Shipping
Certified translation and discounted shipping.
Colorado 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 |
Turnaround is measured from the day we receive the FBI PDF. Hand delivery in Washington is what separates the 10-day service from the 7–8 week one.
Where we serve Colorado clients
All of Colorado, by email and FedEx. Along the Front Range that means Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. On the Western Slope it means Grand Junction and Durango. Mountain addresses are served the same way, and nobody needs to drive to Denver for any part of the process.
Why Coloradans need an apostilled FBI check
Common destinations for our Colorado clients include Spain and Portugal for long-stay and residency visas, and Italy for citizenship by descent and residency. South Korea and Japan require the document for teaching and work visas. Costa Rica and Mexico ask for it with residency and retirement applications, and Germany, the Netherlands and Australia in some work and residence permit cases.
If the destination works in another language, a translation is normally required. Certified translation is available alongside the apostille. Because many authorities only accept an FBI check from the last 3 to 6 months, schedule fingerprints close to your application date.
For more on the federal process, see FBI apostille services.
FAQ
Can the Colorado Secretary of State apostille an FBI background check?
No. The Denver office authenticates documents signed by a Colorado notary or certified by Colorado Vital Records or a Colorado county clerk. 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 Colorado?
10 business days, starting when we have your FBI result. The standard option takes 7–8 weeks.
Can I use a Colorado Bureau of Investigation background check instead?
Not when an FBI check is requested. CBI’s Internet Criminal History Check is a name-based search of Colorado-only records, and CBI states the results cannot be notarized.
I am in Colorado Springs or Grand Junction. Do I have to come to Denver?
No. An FBI apostille does not go through Denver, and we have no Colorado office. Email the FBI PDF and the apostille is delivered by FedEx.
What if I am leaving Colorado before the apostille is ready?
Give us your overseas address. We can ship by FedEx or DHL directly to you abroad.
Start your Colorado FBI apostille
Call (971) 514-3743, message us on WhatsApp, or request a quote with your destination country and deadline.
