By Hanson Webb · Licensed MA Notary · Updated April 28, 2026 · 6 min readApostille for FBI Background Check in Massachusetts: The Complete Federal Process
An apostille on an FBI background check is a federal authentication. The Massachusetts Secretary of State will not process it. You need the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office. Standard processing runs 8 to 12 weeks. Expedited courier services in Greater Boston complete the same federal apostille in 24 to 72 hours.
Massachusetts residents who plan to work, study, marry or move abroad almost always need their FBI Identity History Summary apostilled. Hospitals, immigration authorities, foreign employers and academic institutions across more than 125 Hague Convention countries require it.
The trap most people fall into: assuming the Massachusetts Secretary of State will issue the apostille because they live in Boston, Cambridge, Lowell, Andover or Worcester. They will not. The FBI is a federal agency. Federal documents need federal authentication. Your Boston address has no bearing on which authority issues the apostille.
Federal vs State Apostille: The Critical Difference
Massachusetts issues two completely different apostilles depending on the document type. Get this wrong and your package gets rejected and returned, costing you weeks.
U.S. Department of State (Washington DC)
Authenticates documents issued by federal agencies.
- FBI background check / Identity History Summary
- USDA documents
- FDA certificates
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office docs
- Federal court records
- Department of Health (CDC) certificates
Massachusetts Secretary of State (Boston)
Authenticates Massachusetts state and county documents.
- Massachusetts birth, death, marriage certificates
- Massachusetts divorce decrees
- Massachusetts diplomas and transcripts
- Massachusetts notarized documents
- Massachusetts corporate filings
- Boston, Cambridge, Worcester county records
Sending your FBI background check to the Massachusetts Secretary of State at One Ashburton Place in Boston for apostille will result in rejection and return. Send it to the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office at 600 19th Street NW, Washington DC 20006 instead.
The Federal Apostille Process Step by Step
Step 1. Order your FBI Identity History Summary
You have two paths. The faster path is through an FBI-approved Channeler, which delivers results in 1 to 5 business days. The free path is direct submission to FBI CJIS in West Virginia, which takes 4 to 8 weeks.
Submit fingerprints on FD-258 cards. Most Massachusetts police departments offer fingerprinting services for a small fee. Boston, Cambridge, Lowell, Andover and Worcester police all provide this service, though hours vary.
Step 2. Verify the report meets apostille requirements
The U.S. Department of State requires an original FBI report on FBI letterhead with the original signature of an FBI Identity History Summary Operations agent. Photocopies, scanned versions and printouts will not be apostilled.
Step 3. Submit for federal apostille
You have three options. Standard mail submission to the U.S. Department of State takes 8 to 12 weeks. Walk-in service was suspended after 2020 and has not returned. Expedited courier service through a registered apostille agent runs 24 to 72 hours.
For Greater Boston residents, the courier route saves significant time. Our service collects your FBI report from your home, office or attorney office, ships overnight to Washington DC, monitors processing and returns the apostilled original to you.
How Long the FBI Apostille Really Takes
Standard mail-in processing through the U.S. Department of State takes 8 to 12 weeks measured from the date your package is received in Washington. Heavy mail volume after the September visa cycle and during summer can push standard processing past 14 weeks.
Expedited courier services bypass the queue. Same-day couriers in Boston, Cambridge and Worcester complete the federal apostille in 24 to 72 hours by hand-delivering documents to the State Department window and returning them via overnight courier.
Cost Breakdown for Massachusetts Residents
Plan for these costs end to end:
- FBI background check via Channeler. 25 to 50 USD depending on provider.
- Fingerprinting service. 20 to 50 USD at a Massachusetts police department or LiveScan provider.
- U.S. Department of State apostille fee. 20 USD per document, paid by check or money order.
- Mobile notary pickup and shipping. 75 to 150 USD in Boston, Cambridge, Lowell, Andover and Worcester.
- Expedited courier service. 250 to 450 USD for 24-72 hour federal apostille turnaround.
- Translation if required. 30 to 80 USD per page for certified translation when the receiving country requires it.
Total for standard mail: roughly 50 to 120 USD plus 8 to 12 weeks. Total for expedited courier: roughly 300 to 550 USD plus 1 to 3 days.
Which Countries Accept the FBI Apostille
The 1961 Hague Apostille Convention currently has 125+ member states. An FBI apostille is accepted in all of them. The countries below see the heaviest demand from Massachusetts residents:
China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iran and a handful of others are not party to the Hague Convention. For those destinations, you need full embassy legalization. An apostille alone will be rejected.
When You Need Translation
Most Hague Convention countries accept the FBI report and apostille in English. Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, France, Germany and Portugal commonly require certified translation. Check the destination country consular requirements before you ship to avoid a second round trip.
The translation must be performed by a certified translator and accompanied by an Affidavit of Translation Accuracy notarized in Massachusetts.
Same-Day FBI Apostille for Boston Residents
If your timeline is short, the courier-expedite path is the only realistic option. We collect your FBI report from your home, office, attorney office or hospital anywhere in Greater Boston, the Merrimack Valley and Central Massachusetts.
Our coverage runs across Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Brookline, Lowell, Andover, Lawrence, Worcester, Framingham and Tewksbury, including hospital and bedside pickups when the document subject is unable to travel.
Need an FBI Apostille Fast?
Same-day pickup across Greater Boston, Lowell, Cambridge, Andover and Worcester. Federal apostille turnaround in 24 to 72 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I get an apostille on an FBI background check in Massachusetts?
The apostille on an FBI background check is issued by the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office in Washington DC, not the Massachusetts Secretary of State.
How long does an FBI apostille take?
Standard mail processing runs 8 to 12 weeks. Same-day couriers complete the federal apostille in 24 to 72 hours.
Do I need to notarize my FBI background check before apostille?
No. The FBI report arrives signed by an FBI officer with the official FBI seal.
Will Massachusetts apostille my FBI report?
No. Massachusetts only handles state and county documents.
Which countries accept an FBI apostille?
All 125+ Hague Convention members. Non-Hague countries like China, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar require full embassy legalization instead.
What is an FBI Identity History Summary?
The official federal record of an individual criminal history compiled from fingerprint submissions to the FBI.
Related Massachusetts Apostille Resources
- Massachusetts Apostille Service Overview
- How to Get Your Documents Apostilled in Massachusetts
- Understanding Apostilles and Authentication Certificates
- U.S. State Department Authentication Process
- Hague Convention Countries and Apostille Rules
