No. An FBI background check is a federal document, issued by the FBI. Only the U.S. Department of State – Office of Authentications in Washington, DC can issue an apostille for that document. The California Secretary of State will not apostille it because it is not a California record.

Each Secretary of State is limited to authenticating documents issued in that state or notarized by notaries commissioned in that state. Federal documents are outside state jurisdiction, so they must be authenticated by the federal government instead.

The apostille is issued by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. Orange County Apostille coordinates the submission and return of your document so you don’t have to mail it directly or track government turnaround times yourself.

In limited situations, a notary can notarize your statement about the FBI report (or a true-copy affidavit), which might then receive a California apostille. But most foreign authorities specifically request a federal apostille on the original FBI report. We will review your instructions and recommend the approach that matches your destination country’s rules.

A California DOJ check is a state-level record tied to California’s databases, while an FBI background check is a nationwide federal record covering multiple states. DOJ records can often be apostilled by the California Secretary of State; FBI records must be apostilled at the federal level.

It depends on the destination country. Hague Convention countries typically accept a federal apostille. Non-Hague countries require additional embassy or consulate legalization. We’ll confirm the current requirements for your specific country before we begin.

Common examples include FBI background checks, U.S. court documents, naturalization certificates (certified copies), Social Security letters, IRS Form 6166, various DHS / USCIS letters, and USDA / FDA export certificates. If the issuing authority is federal, it will generally be handled through a federal apostille.

The apostille itself does not expire, but foreign authorities often require a recent FBI report—commonly issued within the past 90 days or 6 months. Always follow the recency rules stated by your consulate, employer, or school.

The FBI commonly issues reports as secure PDFs. The U.S. Department of State has specific rules on how electronic reports are submitted. Our team reviews your file type and gives you clear instructions so your document is accepted the first time.

Many foreign governments require the FBI report to be translated into their official language. We coordinate certified translations and ensure they are prepared in a format that works with your apostille or embassy legalization so you don’t have to manage multiple vendors.

Yes. We offer a turnkey federal apostille service that covers document review, preparation, federal authentication, and—if needed—embassy or consulate legalization. You can coordinate everything from Orange County without traveling to Washington, DC yourself.

Yes. We provide 24/7 apostille, notary, embassy legalization, and translation services, including evenings, weekends, and many holidays. Our network of mobile notaries, apostille specialists, and translators helps keep urgent international paperwork moving even when government offices are closed.

Yes. We regularly help clients who live elsewhere in California, out-of-state, or even overseas. Using mail-in services and secure courier options, we can handle your federal and state apostille work even if you cannot visit our Orange County office in person.

Non-Hague countries require embassy or consulate legalization instead of (or in addition to) an apostille. We handle multi-step legalizations for countries like the UAE, Qatar, Vietnam, and others through our embassy legalization services.

No. A notary can notarize your signature, but cannot issue an apostille. An apostille can only be issued by a designated competent authority—such as the California Secretary of State (for California documents) or the U.S. Department of State (for federal documents).

You can walk in—but they will not apostille it. The staff will explain that federal documents must be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, and you’ll be directed to contact that office or a private service like Orange County Apostille to assist you.

Yes—but not through California or the U.S. Department of State. If the record was issued abroad, it must usually be apostilled (or legalized) in the country that issued it. We can often help coordinate document flows when foreign records need to be used in the United States or in a third country.

Rejections are usually caused by missing signatures, incorrect formats, or outdated requirements. We review your documents before submission, and if a government office changes its rules or requests corrections, we help adjust your paperwork and re-submit according to the updated instructions.

Yes. Many clients need both California apostilles (for vital records, powers of attorney, or court orders) and federal apostilles (for FBI checks or other federal records). We routinely package both together so your visa, residency, or citizenship file is complete.

It depends on the country. Some consulates prefer the apostille to be placed on the original English document and then translated; others accept a translation that accompanies the apostilled original. Because we provide both apostille and certified translation, we can structure your paperwork in the order that best matches your consulate’s preferences.