San Francisco, CA
FD-258 Fingerprint Card Apostille in San Francisco, CA
How San Francisco residents get their FD-258 Fingerprint Card authenticated for use abroad — which office handles it, the local details, timing and price.
Quick answer
The FD-258 card itself is never apostilled. The one local step in San Francisco is getting fingerprinted; the FBI report your prints produce is then authenticated by the U.S. Department of State.
- County
- The City and County of San Francisco
- Federal court
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- State apostille office
- California Secretary of State, Sacramento
- Our nearest office
- San Francisco
Getting fingerprinted in California
Fingerprinting is the one step that has to happen locally. The FD-258 card itself is never apostilled — it produces the FBI report, and the report is what gets authenticated.
In California, prints can be taken by local law-enforcement agencies and licensed fingerprinting providers in cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose. Electronic (live scan) capture through an FBI-approved channeler is usually fastest.
Once the report is issued, we authenticate it in Washington, D.C. and ship it anywhere. See FBI background check apostille.
San Francisco: the local details
San Francisco is in the City and County of San Francisco, within the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. California state documents are apostilled by the California Secretary of State in Sacramento.
Fingerprinting is the one step that happens locally — through San Francisco-area law-enforcement agencies or licensed providers, or electronically through an FBI-approved channeler. Once the FBI issues your report, mail it to us and we handle the apostille.
About the FD-258 Fingerprint Card
How the FD-258 fingerprint card fits into obtaining and apostilling an FBI background check.
Getting it done from San Francisco
Our San Francisco office handles San Francisco orders by phone and online. It’s a processing office and isn’t open to the public, so documents come to us by mail.
| Destination | Route | Our turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Hague Convention country | U.S. Department of State apostille | 10–12 business days |
| Non-Hague country | Authentication + embassy legalization | 15–17 business days |
Official sources: FBI — Identity History Summary Checks · FBI — Approved Channelers · California Secretary of State — Apostilles & Authentications · U.S. Department of State — Authenticate Your Document · HCCH — Apostille Convention status table (Hague countries) · U.S. Courts — Federal Court Websites.
FD-258 Fingerprint Card in San Francisco — FAQ
Is there an apostille office in San Francisco for a FD-258 Fingerprint Card?
No. The only office that can authenticate this document is the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. We handle that submission for San Francisco clients by mail.
Do I need to visit an office in San Francisco?
No. Our San Francisco office isn’t open to the public — San Francisco clients order online or by phone, send documents by mail and receive them back by tracked courier.
How long does it take from San Francisco?
About 10–12 business days for Hague Convention countries and 15–17 for non-Hague countries including embassy legalization, plus shipping.
How much does it cost?
$299 per document for Hague countries, with government fees and U.S. shipping included; non-Hague destinations are $399 including embassy legalization.
Which federal court covers San Francisco?
San Francisco is in the City and County of San Francisco, within the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Related: All documents in San Francisco · FD-258 Fingerprint Card in California · FD-258 Fingerprint Card — full guide
Ready to start?
Order online in minutes, or call and we will walk you through it. Federal documents from anywhere in the U.S. — one flat price, all government fees included.