Guatemala police record (PNC) from the US: requirements and fee
The police record certificate (certificación de antecedentes policiales) is issued by Guatemala’s Policía Nacional Civil (PNC), part of the Ministry of the Interior (Ministerio de Gobernación). For a Guatemalan living in the United States, the official page describes a process that a relative or a lawyer files in Guatemala: a request addressed to the PNC Director General, with notarized copies of the passport and recent RENAP certificates, delivered at 10a. Calle 13-92 zona 1, Dirección General de la PNC. The published fee is Q30.00 (Ministry of the Interior page published August 7, 2023, checked October 3, 2026). The official sources checked do not show police records as free: free issuance appears only as bills in Congress.
Key facts
| Item | Detail (checked October 3, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Policía Nacional Civil (Ministry of the Interior) |
| Source | Ministry of the Interior page “Antecedentes Policiales en Línea, Sede Central y Comisarías”, published August 7, 2023 |
| Who files from abroad | A relative of the applicant, or a lawyer-notary |
| Where it is filed | 10a. Calle 13-92 zona 1, Dirección General de la PNC |
| Published fee | Q30.00 (police records at headquarters and stations; no separate fee listed for requests from abroad) |
| Free in 2026? | Not shown in the sources checked: the Congress news items we read (January 15 and April 28, 2026) describe bills 6696 and 6409 as presented or sent to committee; no enactment found as of October 3, 2026 |
| Timing and validity | Not published on the page checked |
The page checked is from 2023. Requirements may have changed; confirm them with the PNC before your relative files the dossier.
Requirements for Guatemalans abroad
The page has a section titled “Requisitos para la Solicitud de Certificación de Antecedentes Policiales para Guatemaltecos en el extranjero.” The list, as published:
| # | Document | Whose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Request addressed to the PNC Director General, with the applicant’s full name, the relative’s name, the reason for the request and a phone number. If a lawyer-notary assists, it must carry a timbre forense (bar stamp) | Applicant / relative |
| 2 | Notarized photocopy of the passport, cover and every page. With no passport, a notarized photocopy of the cédula de vecindad, cover and every page | Applicant |
| 3 | Recent cédula de vecindad registry entry (asiento), issued by RENAP | Applicant |
| 4 | Recent original birth certificate, issued by RENAP | Applicant |
| 5 | Notarized photocopy of the DPI of the person (relative) handling the procedure | Relative |
| 6 | Photocopy of the active bar membership card of the lawyer handling the procedure | Lawyer |
| 7 | Recent birth certificate of the person (relative) handling the procedure | Relative |
The page lists the relative’s and the lawyer’s requirements together, without saying whether both are needed in every case. It also does not say whether the photocopies must be authenticated by a Guatemalan notary, or what to do if the applicant never had a cédula de vecindad. Confirm those points with the PNC.
The RENAP birth certificate can be requested from the US: see Guatemalan birth certificate and other certificates from the US. The sources checked do not say whether the cédula registry entry can be requested online. For the passport, see renewing a Guatemalan passport in the US.
Step by step
- Prepare the request addressed to the PNC Director General, with the details the page asks for (applicant’s name, relative’s name, reason, phone).
- Get the notarized photocopies of the full passport (or the cédula).
- Obtain from RENAP the recent cédula registry entry and birth certificate.
- Get the documents to Guatemala, to the relative or lawyer who will file.
- Your relative or lawyer files the originals and copies at 10a. Calle 13-92 zona 1, Dirección General de la PNC, “so there is proof the dossier was delivered.”
The page does not publish a response time or explain how the certificate is delivered to an applicant abroad.
The online process
The same page describes an online process at policiales.pnc.gob.gt, with user registration, and verification of the document by QR code or at policiales.pnc.gob.gt/prepoliciales2/validacion. The page does not say whether the online process is available to Guatemalans abroad, and the PNC site could not be consulted on October 3, 2026.
Free in 2026? Not according to official sources
Claims circulate online that a law already made police records free. The Congress news items we read (dated January 15 and April 28, 2026) describe these stages:
- Bill 6696 — presented to the Legislative Directorate on January 15, 2026; proposes free updating and issuance of criminal and police records.
- Bill 6409 — amendments to the Policía Nacional Civil law to make police records free; on April 28, 2026 it was sent to the National Defense Committee “for study and opinion.”
Those dated news items describe the bills only as presented or sent to committee; they do not establish their status today. No official source checked on October 3, 2026 shows that either became law. The fee on the official page checked is still the 2023 one: Q30.00.
Don’t confuse it with other records
- Criminal record certificate (Guatemala): a different document, issued by the Judicial Branch (Organismo Judicial). This guide does not cover it.
- US records: if what you need is your record in the United States, see FBI background check.
- Apostille: if a US institution asks for the Guatemalan certificate with an apostille, see apostille of Guatemalan documents.
Your US immigration status
The requirements published for Guatemalans abroad are Guatemalan identity documents (passport or cédula), RENAP certificates and documents from the relative or lawyer. They do not ask for US immigration documents. If you need the record for a US immigration case, talk to a lawyer: see find pro bono legal help.
Related information
- Guatemala consular procedures in the US
- Guatemalan birth certificate and other certificates from the US
- Guatemala power of attorney at a US consulate
- Apostille of Guatemalan documents
- Renewing a Guatemalan passport in the US
- FBI background check
- Guatemalan consulates in the US
Official sources
- Ministry of the Interior — Antecedentes Policiales en Línea, Sede Central y Comisarías (August 7, 2023): https://mingob.gob.gt/antecedentes-policiales-en-linea-sede-central-y-comisarias/
- Congress of the Republic — Bill 6696, January 15, 2026: https://www.congreso.gob.gt/noticias_congreso/15134/2026/1
- Congress of the Republic — Bill 6409, April 28, 2026: https://www.congreso.gob.gt/noticias_congreso/15889/2026/4
Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. The official requirements page is from 2023 and requirements and fees may have changed. Verify directly with Guatemala’s Policía Nacional Civil. Not legal advice.