The check foreign governments actually ask for — FDLE-certified, state-apostilled. $190 per document, 5 business days.
Somewhere in nearly every work visa, residency permit, teaching contract, or citizenship application sits the line that stops applicants cold: 'criminal background check, apostilled.' For Florida residents, the state-level solution is the FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) criminal history check — once FDLE certifies it, the Florida Department of State can apostille it.
Here's the detail that trips people up: only the certified version counts. That instant $24 online search you can print at home can't be apostilled. What you need is FDLE's certified criminal history record — and once it's in hand (or once we've walked you through ordering it), we file in person and hand back the apostilled check in 5 business days.
Work-visa programs in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Korea, Singapore, and most of Europe make the apostilled criminal check a requirement.
Korea, Japan, China, Spain, the UAE — every major teach-abroad destination makes an apostilled background check a visa condition.
Residency programs in Portugal, Spain, Panama, Costa Rica, and elsewhere want apostilled police clearances covering where you've lived.
Foreign naturalization files require apostilled criminal history spanning your years in the U.S.
Foreign adoption authorities want apostilled background checks on every adult in the home.
Character requirements at medical, legal, and financial licensing bodies abroad include apostilled clearances.
There are two distinct background checks for two distinct jobs, and requesting the wrong one costs you weeks. The FDLE check reports Florida criminal history, comes from the state, and is apostilled by the Florida Department of State — that's our lane, and it satisfies many countries' rules, particularly where the requirement reads 'police clearance from your state of residence.' The certified version comes straight from FDLE.
An FBI Identity History Summary reflects federal/national records and is outside the Florida apostille system — it needs federal authentication via the U.S. Department of State in Washington, or an apostille arranged through an FBI-approved channeler. If your destination insists on the FBI report specifically, we'll say so plainly and route you correctly; if the wording is flexible, the FDLE path is far quicker for anyone living in Florida.
One flat number, nothing bolted on afterward. What we quote is what you pay, and the Florida Department of State's filing fee is already inside it.
Every price covers the $10-per-document Florida Department of State filing fee, in-person submission at the state counter, and complete document handling. If your paperwork needs notarization first, we offer that as a separate add-on service.
Grab the Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form from the Florida Department of State here. There's no need to fill it out ahead of time — we'll complete it with you at pickup.
Walk in to our West Palm Beach office or schedule mobile pickup anywhere in Palm Beach County — confirmed within one business hour.
Before anything is filed, we vet the document itself — the certification, the notarization, and what your destination country expects — so rejections don't happen.
We hand-carry your paperwork to the Florida Department of State counter ourselves. No mail-in pile, no batch processing, nothing left to chance.
Your apostilled originals come back in 5 business days, ready for office pickup or local return delivery — and you get a call the minute they arrive.
Order it through FDLE's certified criminal history request process — not the instant online lookup. What arrives is a certified letter bearing FDLE's seal and an authorized signature, which is precisely what the Department of State authenticates. Call us and we'll walk you through placing the order.
No — that $24 instant printout has no certifying signature and will be refused. Only FDLE's certified criminal history record works. It's the number-one mistake we stop before it happens.
Read the exact wording from your destination: 'state police clearance' or 'certificate from your state of residence' means the FDLE check does the job. 'FBI background check' or 'federal criminal record' points you to the federal route. Read the requirement to us over the phone — interpreting these lines is daily work here.
Most destinations want the check issued within 3–6 months of your application date. Time your FDLE order to your actual timeline rather than requesting it months early.
A name-based FDLE search can surface possible matches when a name is common; the fingerprint-based certified check settles it conclusively. If your name is a common one, we'll point you to the fingerprint route from the start.
Spain, Latin America, and Brazil-bound applications usually require certified translation of the check and apostille; Gulf states and Asia usually accept English. We coordinate translation when needed.
Yes — residency and adoption programs frequently require checks on every adult. Volume pricing kicks in: $150 each at two documents, $130 each at three or more.
The apostille process is identical — the Department of State authenticates FDLE's signature, not the content. How a record affects your visa is a question for the destination country's rules or an immigration attorney.
Mobile pickup runs countywide, and the West Palm Beach office is central to all of it. Local details for your city:
Order the certified criminal history record.
U.S. Department of State — Office of AuthenticationsThe federal route required for FBI checks.
Florida Department of StateThe office that apostilles certified FDLE reports.
One flat rate, volume bundles, and the few things that add cost.
Processing timeThe 5-day timeline vs the mail-in queue.
Same-day & rush serviceA straight answer on what a tight deadline allows.
Mobile pickupWe come to you, anywhere in Palm Beach County.
One quick call gets your document reviewed in two minutes — we confirm it qualifies before you drive anywhere.
