Guide

Direct to the FBI or an Approved Channeler?

Q: Should I apply to the FBI myself or use an approved Channeler?

If you are not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, 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 no figure showing how much faster that is, so treat any speed claim as the vendor's own.

The DIY-versus-expedited decision, decided on the two things that actually differ: who is allowed to use each route, and what is genuinely known about speed.

Last updated 2026-08-01 · 7 min read

The short answer

Should I apply to the FBI myself or use an approved Channeler?

Eligibility usually decides it. Channelers may only process requests for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. [1] If that is not you, apply directly. If it is you, a Channeler is a paid convenience — faster in the ordinary case, but by an amount no government source quantifies.

Basis: Eligibility is stated by the FBI on its published list of approved Channelers [1]. The absence of a comparative speed figure is our own finding, from reviewing the FBI's published material; the only FBI processing estimate we can verify covers the mailed-card path and is not a comparison. [2]
Caveat: "Expedited" is a marketing word here, not a government service tier. The FBI does not sell a faster queue for Identity History Summary requests.

What a Channeler actually is

FBI-approved Channeler: A private company authorised by the FBI to receive fingerprint submissions and Identity History Summary requests, forward them to the FBI, and return the result to the individual. [1] The FBI maintains and publishes the list of who is approved.; Also called Channeler · Approved Channeler

A Channeler does not perform the check. The FBI performs the check; the Channeler is a courier with an approved connection and a customer-service desk. That is worth paying for or it is not, depending on how much the paperwork is costing you in time and risk.

The comparison, on the things that actually differ

	Direct to the FBI	Approved Channeler
Eligibility	No citizenship or residency restriction	U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents only [1]
Paid to the FBI	$18 [3]	$18, collected by the Channeler
Paid to a company	Nothing	The Channeler's fee, set by the Channeler
Who fixes your mistakes	You do, by resubmitting	Usually the Channeler's support desk, which is much of what you are buying
Speed, as published by the government	Up to 10 days from receipt of a mailed card, for requests started online [2]	No FBI figure exists
Speed, as claimed by vendors	n/a	Frequently advertised in hours or days — a claim from the seller, not a measurement
Result format	Electronic copy, mailed copy on request	Typically electronic, per that company's service

The two speed rows are separated on purpose. They are different kinds of statement and should not be read as one column.

When each one is the right call

Apply directly when

You are not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident — this is not a preference, it is the rule. [1]
You are comfortable getting an FD-258 card filled correctly and posting it. [4]
Cost matters more than hand-holding, and your deadline has room in it.

Use a Channeler when

You are eligible, and you can reach a location that captures fingerprints electronically — this is where the time actually gets saved, because it removes the mail leg.
A rejected fingerprint card would cost you more than the fee, which is usually true when a filing deadline is close.
You want a single company answerable to you for the whole submission.

Common questions

Is a Channeler result the same document as one from the FBI?

It is the FBI's result, delivered by the Channeler. But some foreign authorities will not accept a Channeler-delivered copy and require one issued directly by the FBI. Check your destination's wording before you choose — this catches people out after they have already paid.

Can a Channeler get it apostilled for me?

Some offer that as an add-on service. The apostille itself is issued by the U.S. Department of State, not by the company. [5] See Getting an FBI Background Check From Outside the United States.

Does using a Channeler make the FBI process my request faster?

There is no published basis for saying so. What a Channeler can genuinely remove is the time before and after the FBI: electronic fingerprint capture instead of a posted card, and electronic delivery instead of return post.

Is "expedited FBI background check" a real thing?

Not as a government service. It is how companies describe their own faster handling around the FBI's process. The FBI does not sell a priority queue for these requests.

Next decision

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.
How long does an FBI background check take?
The FBI publishes one processing estimate, and it covers a single path: apply online, mail your fingerprint card, and the FBI estimates up to 10 days from when the card arrives. Nothing else in your timeline is inside that number — fingerprinting, post in both directions, and apostille if you need one are usually the bigger half.
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.

In depth

The reference layer, where these facts are set out at length and cited in full. You do not need any of it to act on this guide.

FBI-Approved Channelers, Explained
A Channeler is a private company the FBI has approved to submit noncriminal-justice fingerprint requests and return results. This article sets out what a Channeler does, who may use one, and the documented cases where a Channeler-delivered summary is not accepted.
How to Request Your Identity History Summary
Three channels exist: direct electronic submission to the FBI, direct submission by mail, and submission through an FBI-approved Channeler. They differ in eligibility, cost, delivery, and — critically — in whether particular foreign authorities will accept the result.

References

Every source below is a primary publication of the body that controls the fact it supports. See the citation policy.

[1]List of FBI-Approved Channelers — Federal Bureau of Investigation. Reviewed 2026-08-01.fbi.gov rejects automated retrieval; reviewed manually in a browser.https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/more-fbi-services-and-information/identity-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers
[2]electronic Departmental Order (eDO) — Identity History Summary request portal — Federal Bureau of Investigation, CJIS Division. Reviewed 2026-08-01.The only FBI-published processing estimate this site has been able to verify, and it covers one submission path only.https://www.edo.cjis.gov/
[3]28 CFR 16.33 — Fee for production of identification record — Office of the Federal Register (eCFR). Reviewed 2026-08-01.The $18 fee is set here, in regulation. Cited in preference to the FBI's web pages because the regulation is the instrument that fixes the amount.https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-28/chapter-I/part-16/subpart-C/section-16.33
[4]Standard Fingerprint Form (FD-258) — Federal Bureau of Investigation. Reviewed 2026-08-01.https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/standard-fingerprint-form-fd-258-1.pdf
[5]Apostille Requirements — U.S. Department of State. Reviewed 2026-08-01.https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/records-and-authentications/authenticate-your-document/apostille-requirements.html

Change log

2026-08-01First publication.

Last updated 2026-08-01