Expedited Indiana FBI Apostille Services
A foreign consulate has asked for an apostilled FBI background check and you live in Indiana. The state cannot issue that apostille, and the federal queue by mail is slow. Apostille Authentications takes your FBI result by email, has it hand-delivered in Washington, DC, and sends the apostilled document back to Indiana 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 Indianapolis cannot apostille your FBI background check
Indiana apostilles come from the Secretary of State’s Business Services Division, Authentications, at 302 W. Washington Street in Indianapolis. That office authenticates Indiana public documents, such as birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, school transcripts, diplomas and adoption papers.
The Secretary of State’s own guidance says FBI background checks and other federal agency documents have to go to the U.S. Department of State. An FBI Identity History Summary sent to Indianapolis will not be authenticated there. The competent office is the Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, DC.
Two mistakes we see from Indiana clients:
- An Indiana State Police limited criminal history is not an FBI check. ISP describes it as a name-based search that contains only felony and misdemeanor arrests within Indiana. It includes nothing from other states, and ISP notes that completeness depends on what counties have reported. Consulates asking for an FBI, federal or national check will refuse it.
- A notarized copy of the FBI report is the wrong route. An Indiana notary can stamp a copy and the state can authenticate that notary’s signature, but the result is a state certificate on a federal record. Foreign immigration offices usually send it back.
For Indiana birth certificates, marriage licenses or diplomas, see state apostille services.
How it works from Indiana
- Fingerprinting in your own town. Two options: an ink FD-1164 card from a police department or fingerprinting vendor, or electronic prints at a participating U.S. Post Office once you have registered on the FBI’s eDO site. With either one you order the FBI Identity History Summary, for which the FBI charges $18.
- The FBI replies. You get a PDF that shows the FBI watermark and is signed by a division official.
- You email the PDF to us. Before filing, we review the name and date of birth against your passport. Attach the passport photo page so we can catch a mismatch early.
- Department of State. Form DS-4194 is completed and our Herndon, Virginia office hand-carries the file to the Office of Authentications. FBI results do not need DOJ certification first. They go straight to the Department of State.
- Back to you. FedEx to any Indiana address, or FedEx or DHL to your address abroad.
Apostille Authentications has no office in Indiana and does not take fingerprints in the state. Our part begins when your FBI PDF arrives.
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Indiana 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 |
Ten business days are counted from receipt of the FBI PDF. The difference between the two services is hand delivery in Washington.
Where we serve Indiana clients
All of Indiana, by email and FedEx. That covers Indianapolis and its suburbs of Carmel and Fishers, Fort Wayne, Evansville and South Bend, the college towns of Bloomington, West Lafayette and Muncie, and Northwest Indiana communities such as Gary and Hammond. Since nothing is done in person, a client in Terre Haute gets the same turnaround as one a few blocks from the Statehouse.
Why Hoosiers need an apostilled FBI check
Common destinations for our Indiana clients include South Korea and Japan, where teaching and work visas call for an apostilled FBI check, and Spain and Mexico for study, residency and retirement. India and China ask for it with employment and family visas, Italy with citizenship by descent and residency files, and Germany and the Netherlands in some work and residence permit cases. Graduates of the universities in Bloomington, West Lafayette and South Bend make up a steady part of the teaching-abroad requests.
Countries that do not work in English will usually want a translation attached. Certified translation is available with the same order. FBI checks age quickly for immigration purposes, with many authorities accepting only those issued in the past 3 to 6 months, so time your fingerprinting accordingly.
See our FBI apostille services page for the full federal process.
FAQ
Can the Indiana Secretary of State apostille an FBI background check?
No. The Authentications office in Indianapolis handles Indiana public documents. It directs FBI background checks and other federal documents to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC.
How fast is an expedited FBI apostille in Indiana?
10 business days from the date we have your FBI result. Standard service is 7–8 weeks.
Can I use an Indiana State Police limited criminal history instead?
Not when an FBI check is requested. The limited criminal history is a name-based report of Indiana arrests only. It is accepted abroad only if the authority specifically asked for a state-level check.
I am in Fort Wayne or Evansville. Do I need to go to Indianapolis?
No. There is nothing to do in Indianapolis for an FBI apostille, and we have no Indiana office. You email the FBI PDF and receive the apostille by FedEx.
What if my name on the FBI report differs from my passport?
Tell us before we file. We compare both documents first, because a name or date of birth mismatch can lead a foreign authority to reject the check.
Start your Indiana FBI apostille
Call (971) 514-3743, message us on WhatsApp, or request a quote and include your destination country and deadline.
