San Jose · FBI Background Check
Someone — an employer, a foreign consulate, a licensing board — told you to get an FBI background check, and now you need to know exactly how. The path is short once you see it: fingerprints, submission, report. Here is the whole thing, step by step, the way we walk San Jose clients through it.
The short answer
Getting an FBI background check takes three moves: capture your fingerprints, submit them to the FBI through an approved channeler, and receive your Identity History Summary. As an FBI-approved channeler partner, we do the capture and electronic submission in one visit, so the report comes back in days, not weeks. If it is going abroad, an apostille is added at the end.
The three steps, plainly
Capture your fingerprints
We take your prints electronically, or roll a card if the submission calls for one, at our local office.
Submit to the FBI
Through an approved channeler, the prints go in electronically, which is what makes a fast turnaround possible.
Receive your report
Your Identity History Summary comes back, ready to use or to authenticate for abroad.
What to bring, and why it matters
A smooth visit comes down to two things in hand:
A valid photo ID
An unexpired passport or driver’s license lets us verify your identity before the prints are taken.
Any instructions
If the report is for another country, the receiving authority’s notes tell us how to prepare the apostille.
Bringing the instruction sheet up front is what lets us line up the report and apostille on one timeline.
The step people forget until it is late
The most common misstep is treating the report as the finish line when it is going overseas. The FBI record on its own is not enough for most foreign authorities; they want it authenticated with an apostille, and that adds roughly two weeks. Applicants who plan only for the report, and not the authentication, discover the gap right at their deadline. Deciding up front whether the destination needs an apostille — and building those extra days in — is what turns a rushed scramble into a calm, predictable timeline from capture to finished document.
Employment, licensing, or travel
The reason behind your request shapes only the final step, not the core process. Someone applying for a job or a professional license usually needs the plain report handed to an employer or board, with no authentication at all. Someone emigrating, adopting internationally, or taking a post overseas almost always needs the same report plus an apostille for the destination. The fingerprinting and submission are identical either way; what changes is whether an authentication step follows. Knowing your purpose before you arrive lets us set the finish line correctly from the start.
Getting an FBI background check: quick answers
How do I get one in San Jose?
Fingerprints, submission through an approved channeler, then your Identity History Summary — all in one visit.
How long does it take?
Often a few days by electronic channeler; add about 9 business days when the document is in our office by Wednesday (12 business days if it arrives after Wednesday) if you need an apostille.
What do I bring?
A valid, unexpired photo ID, plus any instructions if the report is going to another country.
Do I need an apostille?
Only for use abroad — authenticated by the U.S. Department of State so the destination accepts it.
Can it all be done in one place?
Yes. Capture, submission, apostille, and translation are handled from our San Jose office.
Start your FBI report in one visit.
Fingerprints, fast electronic submission as an FBI-approved channeler partner, and an apostille if you need one abroad — handled end to end in San Jose. Walk in or book ahead.