You’ve been asked for an FBI background check.

The $18 fee is set in federal regulation at 28 CFR 16.33, read there on 1 August 2026 rather than quoted from a web page. The speed figures are the FBI’s own, published under the heading “Current Processing Time.” Each covers the FBI’s handling and nothing else — not getting fingerprinted, not the post in either direction, not an apostille. The 48-hour figure is only available to people who can reach a participating U.S. Post Office, so if you are outside the United States the 10-day figure is the one that applies to you. The full working is in how long it takes.

1. How do I get an FBI background check?There are three ways, and all of them start with your fingerprints. You can apply online to the FBI, mail a paper request to the FBI, or go through an FBI-approved Channeler. The FBI's own fee is $18. Channelers add their own fee and can only serve U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
2. Should I apply to the FBI myself or use an approved Channeler?If you are not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident located in the United States or its territories, you cannot use a Channeler at all — you apply directly. If you are eligible, a Channeler costs more than the FBI's $18 and sells you speed and handling. The FBI publishes processing figures for its own routes but none for Channelers, so treat any speed claim as the vendor's own.
3. How long does an FBI background check take?The FBI publishes three figures, all covering its own processing and nothing else: within 48 hours if you are fingerprinted electronically at a participating U.S. Post Office, approximately 10 days from the day a mailed fingerprint card arrives, and up to 15 days for a request sent entirely by post. Everything around those numbers — fingerprinting, post in both directions, and an apostille if you need one — is usually the bigger half of the wait.
4. Can I get an FBI background check while living abroad?Yes. Applying directly to the FBI is not restricted to people inside the United States. But Channelers are closed to you unless you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, you must arrange fingerprinting locally on an FD-258 card, and international post — not FBI processing — usually decides how long it takes.
5. How much does an FBI background check cost?The FBI charges $18, and that is the same on every route. If a foreign government needs the result apostilled, the U.S. Department of State charges $20 per document. Everything else — fingerprinting, postage, a Channeler's fee, translation — is charged by private parties who set their own prices, and no government publishes those.
6. I have been asked for a police clearance certificate from the United States. What do I order?An FBI Identity History Summary. That is the United States' federal police clearance certificate. The phrase "police clearance certificate" is not the FBI's own term, which is why searching for it on fbi.gov finds nothing useful — you are looking for the right document under the wrong name.
7. How do I get fingerprints taken for an FBI background check?Two ways: captured electronically at a site that transmits them to the FBI, or rolled in ink onto a standard FD-258 card that you mail in. Outside the United States, ink on a card is usually the only option. Whoever takes them should take them often — a rejected card costs you the entire round trip.
8. Does my FBI background check need an apostille, and who issues it?Only if the authority receiving it asked for one. If it did, and the destination is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, the apostille comes from the U.S. Department of State — never from a state Secretary of State, because the FBI summary is a federal document. The Department's fee is $20 per document. If the destination is not a party, you need consular legalization instead.

What your destination asks for

• India
• Philippines
• Canada
• Australia
• United Kingdom
• Colombia
• Spain
• Germany

All 23 destinations — each says what the receiving authority asks for and whether an apostille is part of it.

• Country Requirement CheckerSelect a destination to see what its authorities publish about FBI Identity History Summaries, authentication, and translation.
• Apostille Requirement CheckerDetermine whether a destination takes an apostille or consular legalization, and which authority is competent for a federal document.
• Your FBI Background Check Timeline, Stage by StageBuild your route — how you are submitting, which post, which stages apply — and get a total in calendar days, with every figure attributed.
• Document Expiration CalculatorWork out when a summary falls outside a receiving authority's recency window, from the issue date and the window they set.
• Terminology ExplorerMove through the vocabulary by relationship — each term links to what it depends on and where it is used.