FBI Background Check in Washington DC — Same Business Day

The official FBI Identity History Summary, captured on live scan at our DC or Arlington office and submitted electronically through an FBI-approved channeler. Most results come back within a few hours — not the weeks a mailed application takes. If the report is going abroad, we obtain the federal apostille on it too, under one roof.

Book appointment
Book your appointment
Live scan fingerprinting
Live scan — 15 minutes, no ink
Electronic submission
Submitted electronically to the FBI
Receive report
Signed PDF the same business day

Two Ways to Get Your FBI Report

Same federal document. Very different wait.

Applying to the FBI yourself

Find a place that takes fingerprints, pay for the capture, then submit to the FBI yourself — or mail an FD-258 card to West Virginia and wait. If a print is smudged or a field is wrong, you find out weeks later and start again.
  • Days online — or weeks by mail
  • Rejected prints discovered after the wait
  • Fingerprinting and submission handled by two different places
  • No one to call when it stalls
  • Apostille is a separate job, from scratch

DC Mobile Notary

Same day
Live scan capture and electronic submission through an FBI-approved channeler, in one 15-minute visit. Most reports come back within hours as a signed PDF — and if it is going abroad, the federal apostille starts the same day.
  • Usually same business day, often within hours
  • Digital live scan — no ink, far fewer rejections
  • Fingerprinting and submission in one visit
  • Signed PDF by secure email, hard copy on request
  • Federal apostille handled under the same roof
Book a Fingerprinting Slot
The DC Mobile Notary team
Fingerprinting is done by our own licensed staff at our own offices — not a kiosk and not a subcontractor. The same team then handles the federal apostille, hand-delivered to the U.S. Department of State minutes from our DC office.
  • Live scan at our DC and Arlington offices
  • Submitted through an FBI-approved channeler
  • Named, licensed staff — credentials on request
  • Federal apostille handled in the same chain
  • Serving DC, Maryland and Virginia since 2016

Three Ways People Book It

FBI Report Only

Same day

*Most reports return within a few hours of capture

Book a Slot
  • Live scan capture at either office
  • Electronic submission via approved channeler
  • Official signed PDF by secure email
  • Hard copy printed on request
FBI Report + Federal Apostille (Most Common)

7–10 days

*Report the same day, then 7–10 business days for the apostille

Start the Full Chain
  • Everything in FBI Report Only
  • DS-4194 prepared by us, not by you
  • Hand-delivered to the Department of State, Mon–Thu
  • Certified translation added where the country requires it
  • Couriered to any address in the US or abroad
Mobile Fingerprinting

At your site

*For teams, hospitals and anyone who cannot travel

Ask About On-Site
  • We come to your office, home or facility
  • Batch capture for staff onboarding
  • FD-258 cards, ATF and FDLE prints also handled
  • DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia

What Is an FBI Identity History Summary?

It is the official federal record of any arrests, federal employment, naturalization or military service linked to your fingerprints, held by the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division. If the FBI holds nothing on you, you receive an official “no record” response — which is exactly what a visa or residency file needs. Consulates and employers also call it an FBI background check, FBI clearance letter, police clearance certificate or federal criminal record check. All the same document. A state-level background check is not a substitute, and most foreign consulates reject one outright.

Who Asks You for One

Long-stay visas, residency and citizenship files in almost every country. Teaching contracts and work permits across Asia, Europe and the Gulf. International adoption dossiers and a long list of immigration filings. And your own due diligence — checking what the federal file says before a licensing application, or confirming an expungement actually went through.

Not sure which document your consulate means? Send us the requirement and a real person reads it within 24 hours, free, before you pay for anything.

Live scan fingerprinting for an FBI background check

Using the report abroad?

An FBI report presented in another country almost always needs a federal apostille first.

Don't Just Take Our Word For It

See what your neighbors are saying about our services

4.9
Average rate based on Google Reviews
5.0
Average rate based on Yelp In Reviews
  • This service is amazing! I wish I had known about it sooner. I had a document to be used abroad that needed to be notarized AND needed an apostille. It’s not so hard to find a notary but for anything more complicated, Aziz can get it done with a minimum of effort on the client’s part. He picked up the document, handled the legalizations process and returned the document to me. And in less than 24 hours! The consulate, which was my only other option had a ridiculous wait time to even get an appointment,  not to mention they were going to charge me three times what Aziz did. His rates are reasonable and he is super-professional and efficient! He saved me so much time and navigated the whole process seamlessly for me.  I highly recommend him and will no doubt be calling on him again in the future.
    M. Laudano
  • DC Mobile Notary was fantastic. Super easy to schedule and super flexible. Best prices I found as well. Danyar was quick, efficient, and super friendly. I’d absolutely use them again!
    Traci Thiessen
  • I was impressed with this company from start to finish, and I will definitely go to them again when I need a notary.First, it was super easy to set up the three appointments that I needed; the receptionist was able to confirm the appointments while I was on the phone with her.  Second, the notary showed up right on time for all appointments, even in one city location during rush hour and where finding street parking was challenging.  Even when I needed to change the location of one appointment at the last minute (from a Starbucks that wasn't open yet to a nearby restaurant), it was easy to reach the notary himself and work out the change with him.  Third, the two notaries I dealt with were both professional in appearance and manner.  Finally, company can cover DC, MD, and VA where I do business, and their price is reasonable.I'm very grateful that the paperwork went smoothly and was done properly.  I'm a new fan of DC Mobile Notary.
    Linda Naiditch
  • Aziz of DC MOBILE Notary was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, friendly, and reliable with regard to services we needed to authenticate educational documents for use abroad.  I will no hesitate to utilize his services again. In today's world of everything automated and voice bots, Aziz was a breath of fresh air, answers calls and emails without delays and works on finding solutions for his clients. Thanks Aziz.
    Clara Campana

Four Things Worth Knowing First

Two of these are federal law, not our policy

You can only request your own record

Under U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73 an Identity History Summary may only be requested by the person it belongs to. We cannot run this on an employee, a tenant or a relative.

U.S. citizens and green card holders only

If you are neither, the request has to go directly to the FBI. Call us anyway — we will walk you through that route at no charge.

Bring valid photo ID

Driver's license, state ID, passport or permanent resident card. Expired documents cannot be accepted, and there is no way around it.

A small number take longer

If the FBI flags a submission for manual review — most often where there is prior arrest history — it runs past same day. We tell you the moment we know and keep you posted.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this faster than applying to the FBI directly?

Applying through the FBI's own portal usually takes several business days, and mailing paper fingerprint cards takes considerably longer. Submitting through an FBI-approved channeler returns the result electronically, normally within hours of capture.

Is this the document my consulate asked for?

If they asked for an FBI background check, FBI clearance or federal police certificate — yes. If they specifically asked for a state police clearance, that is a different document. Call us and we will confirm which one you need before you pay for anything.

How long is the report valid?

The FBI sets no expiry date, but most consulates and agencies accept a report issued within the last three to six months. Check the requirement before you apply — a stale report is the most common reason a file gets bounced.

Can you screen a job applicant or a tenant for me?

Not through this service. Under U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73 an Identity History Summary may only be requested by the person it belongs to. Employment and tenant screening runs under a separate legal framework — call us and we will point you in the right direction.

Do I need an appointment?

Yes. Fingerprinting is by appointment at both offices so that a technician and a live scan device are reserved for you. Booking ahead is also what lets your submission go out immediately after capture, which is what makes same-business-day delivery possible.

Do I need an apostille on it as well?

If the report is being presented to a foreign government, almost always yes — a federal apostille from the U.S. Department of State. We handle both steps in one chain: fingerprinted in the morning, apostille moving the same day, completed in 7–10 business days and couriered wherever you need it.

Two Offices, By Appointment

Washington, DC — 2001 L Street NW, Suite 545, Washington, DC 20036, minutes from the U.S. Department of State. Arlington, VA — 5315 Langston Boulevard, Suite B, Arlington, VA 22207, with free parking on site.

Fingerprinting is by appointment at both locations so a technician and a live scan device are held for you — and so your submission goes out immediately after capture. That is what makes same-business-day delivery possible.

Book Your Slot

Fingerprinted this morning, report this afternoon. Tell us which office suits you and we will find you a time today — or send the consulate's requirement through the free pre-check first and a real person reads it within 24 hours.

Or call 202-247-0837 · support@dcmobilenotary.com