pangaea
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
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 Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:21 pm Post subject: Instructions for getting crc notarized and apostilled (USA) |
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I thought this might be helpful to people who are getting documents together for teaching in Korea under the new regulations for the first time. I had my crc done in Tennessee so the process may vary from state to state, but I think what I had to do was pretty standard.
1. Make sure you get the state-wide criminal background check. The Korean government is no longer accepting local checks. I lost a really good job opportunity because I didn't know this. I wouldn't be surprised if it changes to a federal check in the future so it's a good idea to try to keep up with the changes (if that's possible.) 
2. Have the criminal record check notarized. I had mine done through the Tennessee Burea of Investigation and they notarized it for me without an extra fee.
3. Get the notary authentication from the County Clerk's Office in the same county that you had it notarized. An office in another county will not be able to issue an authentication for the notary signature in your county.
4. Send or take the notarized criminal record check with the notary authentication to the Office of the Secretary of State for the apostille. If you are mailing everything, you will need to include a written request for the apostille stating which country the criminal record check is being used for.
I'm sure the time it takes to get all this done can vary by state. I had my criminal record check back in about 2 weeks.
Some offices may have strict guidelines on the form of payment they can take. The TBI required either a credit card or money order. The county clerk and Secretary of State offices accepted personal checks. It's a good idea to check with these offices in advance.
In Tennessee, the TBI office and the Office of the Secretary of State are in the capital city, Nashville, in Davidson County. I live 4 hours away, so I couldn't hand deliver my documents to each office. I called the TBI office, the Davidson County Clerk's office and the Office of the Secretary of State to get instructions on how to get everything done. My crc was notarized at the TBI office so I had to get the notary authentication done in Nashville anyway. I mailed clear written instructions along with separate fee payments for each office. The TBI notarized my crc, then forwarded it to the county clerk's office. The county clerk forwarded everything to the Secretary of State, and that office sent it to me. None of the offices charged me for postage or required a pre-paid envelope.
I posted this in another thread. It repeats some things but it might be useful to people who are not sure what all the documents are. I had to figure all this out myself so I hope this makes it easier for someone else.
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A notarization is a raised stamp on a document that certifies it as an original. The notary signs it also. You can usually find someone who is certifed as a notary public at a government office in your county. I had my first (unacceptable because it was local) criminal record check notarized by a clerk at the local Sheriff's office where I got the check.
An apostille is a separate document that certifies your notarized document for international use. It is 1 page and states that the document is authentic. In order to get the apostille, you must have the notary signature on your document authenticated. Basically, you get someone to notarize your criminal record check. Then you send your crc or you go in person to the County Clerk's office (in the same county it was notarized), and they will give you another piece of paper stating that the notary who stamped and signed the document is a recognized notary. Then you send or take those two documents together to the Office of the Secretary of State to request the apostille. If you send the document, you will also need to include a written request stating which country is using the document. They will not issue the apostille without the notary authentication. I forgot to do it the first time and my crc was sent right back to me with instructions to get the authentication. Yeah, it can be a pain but it shouldn't take that long.
When I got my first local check, I had it notarized at the Sheriff's office, got the authenication from the County Clerk's office across the street (the benefits of living in a small town) then sent it to the Office of the Secretary of State for the apostille and had it back within about three days. Quick and painless which is why I should have know something was wrong.
When I found out I had to get the state check, I sent my written request to the state Bureau of Investigation with the fee and requested that it be notarized also. Since the county it was being notarized in was a good 4 hours away, I also sent clear instructions for it be forwarded to the County Clerk's office for the notary authentication, then for it to be forwarded on to the Office of the Secretary of State for the apostille, then finally forwarded on to me. All the offices were located in the capital city so the mailing back and forth didn't take too long. I contacted all the offices in advance to let them know what I was doing, to find out if they could forward all my documents, and to find out what the fees were. I included the fee for the background check, the fee for the notarization, and the fee for the apostille. Some offices may only take money order payments so it's good to call before you send anything. None of the offices charged postage to forward on the next address. I got my background check with the apostille back in the mail almost exactly two weeks later. |
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