Dominican criminal record certificate from the US
A Dominican living in the United States has two official routes to a no-criminal-record certificate. The consular route: MIREX (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) offers the Certificado de No Antecedentes Penales at Dominican consular offices “autorizadas para tales fines” (authorized for that purpose), under an agreement with the Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) signed July 16, 2010. It costs US$25.00 (MIREX consular fee table, checked October 3, 2026), requires a Dominican cédula and age 18 or over, and MIREX says it is issued in 10 minutes to 3 days. The online route: the PGR issues the Certificación de Buena Conducta on its portal for RD$800.00 (PGR portal, checked October 3, 2026), but that day the page displayed a notice that it could not process requests.
Key facts
| Item | Consular route (MIREX) | Online route (PGR) |
|---|---|---|
| Document name | Certificado de No Antecedentes Penales | Certificación de Buena Conducta |
| Issued by | Authorized consular offices, using the PGR’s Criminal Investigation System (SIC) | Procuraduría General de la República |
| Cost (checked October 3, 2026) | US$25.00, per the MIREX consular fee table | RD$800.00, per the PGR portal and gob.do |
| Published time | 10 minutes to 3 days; more than five working days if a pending case appears | “Inmediato” (immediate), online 24 hours |
| Minimum age | At least 18 | Not issued to minors |
| Identity document | Dominican Cédula de Identidad y Electoral | gob.do asks for a copy of the cédula or passport; foreigners without a cédula must apply in person |
| Status on October 3, 2026 | No notice on the MIREX page | Page displayed “en estos momentos no podemos procesar su Certificación de Buena Conducta” |
| Validity | None of the official pages checked states one | None of the official pages checked states one |
What it certifies
According to the MIREX certificates page, the Certificado de No Antecedentes Penales is the record issued by authorized consular offices stating that the PGR’s Sistema de Investigación Criminal (SIC) has no registered criminal cases against the person.
The same page says the document “es obligatorio para todos los dominicanos que solicitan la doble nacionalidad en algunos países” (is mandatory for Dominicans applying for dual nationality in some countries). The page does not name those countries.
The consular route, step by step
- Confirm your consulate issues it. MIREX refers to consular offices “autorizadas para tales fines”, so not every consulate has to offer it. Find Dominican consulates on Dominican Republic consulates in the US or the consulates by state directory.
- Bring the requirements (table below). For a Dominican, the key document is the cédula. If yours needs renewing, see the Dominican cédula from the US.
- Pay the fee. US$25.00 per the MIREX consular fee table (checked October 3, 2026). MIREX says the fee is paid in US dollars (USD).
- Wait for issuance. MIREX says it “se expide entre 10 minutos a 3 días” (is issued in 10 minutes to 3 days) depending on urgency, prior requests and staff, provided no unresolved case appears in the SIC.
- If a case appears. MIREX explains that an investigation is then required, “bajo la responsabilidad del ciudadano” (the applicant’s responsibility), which “puede durar más de cinco (5) días laborables” (can take more than five working days).
MIREX adds that consulates may request other requirements on the PGR’s instructions. The official pages we checked show no appointment system for Dominican consulates in the US; ask your consulate how it handles this service.
Requirements published by MIREX
| Applicant | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Dominican citizen | At least 18 years old; Dominican Cédula de Identidad y Electoral |
| Foreigner who lived in the Dominican Republic | At least 18 years old; Dominican identity card (cédula); Dominican residency; passport |
The PGR online route: how it works and the October 3, 2026 notice
The PGR online services portal describes the Certificación de Buena Conducta as follows:
- Cost: RD$800.00 (“Solicitud de Obtención en Línea de Certificación de Buena Conducta | RD$800.00”).
- Hours: “En línea, 24 horas”. Processing time: “Inmediato”.
- Payment: by credit card on the portal, or at an authorized payment agent, in which case you enter the service acquisition code (CAS) printed on the receipt. The gob.do page says the fee can be paid at Banco de Reservas or on the official website.
- Requirements per gob.do: a copy of an identity document (cédula or passport) and proof of payment of the “Certificación de Buena Conducta” fee.
- Restrictions per the portal: it is not issued to minors, and foreigners who do NOT hold a Dominican Cédula de Identidad y Electoral must apply in person.
The notice. On October 3, 2026, the portal’s issuance page displayed: “Estimado usuario, en estos momentos no podemos procesar su Certificación de Buena Conducta. Favor dirigirse al Centro de Atención al Ciudadano más cercano para completar su trámite.” (We cannot process your certificate at this time; please go to the nearest Citizen Service Center.) We do not know whether every user sees the notice or only visitors who are not logged in. For someone living in the US, the consular route does not depend on that portal. If you try the online route, confirm it works before paying.
What you cannot do from the US
- Request it for a minor: MIREX requires age 18 or over and the PGR does not issue it to minors.
- Use the online service as a foreigner without a Dominican cédula: the PGR portal says that application must be made in person.
If an institution asks for an apostille or legalization
- Apostille: in MIREX’s prior-legalization table, “Sin antecedentes penales” is listed among judicial documents whose prior certification belongs to the “Departamento de Legalización de Firmas de la Procuraduría General de la República”. MIREX then adds the apostille. See apostille of Dominican documents.
- Legalization by the consulate: MIREX says some consular offices offer, on a non-mandatory basis, to legalize the certificate before the relevant foreign institutions. Ask whether yours does.
Don’t confuse it with other documents
- US records: if you need your record in the United States, that comes from the FBI. See FBI background check.
- Birth certificate or cédula: these are Junta Central Electoral (JCE) documents, not PGR documents. See Dominican birth certificate from the US.
Your US immigration status
The requirements MIREX publishes for the consular route are age and Dominican documents (the cédula, plus Dominican residency and a passport for foreigners). They do not ask for US immigration documents. If you need the certificate for a US immigration case, talk to a lawyer: see find pro bono legal help.
Related information
- Dominican Republic consular procedures in the US
- Apostille of Dominican documents
- Dominican birth certificate from the US
- The Dominican cédula from the US
- Dominican power of attorney at a consulate
- FBI background check
- Dominican Republic consulates in the US
Official sources
- MIREX — Certificaciones (Certificado de No Antecedentes Penales): https://servicios360.mirex.gob.do/certificaciones/
- MIREX — Tasas Consulares: https://servicios360.mirex.gob.do/tasas-consulares/
- Procuraduría General de la República — online Certificación de Buena Conducta: https://portal.servicios.pgr.gob.do/certificadonoantecedentespenales/visualizarcnap
- Dominican Government (gob.do) — Certificación de buena conducta: https://www.gob.do/servicios/certificacion-de-buena-conducta
- MIREX — Apostillas / Legalizaciones: https://servicios360.mirex.gob.do/apostillas-legalizaciones
Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Fees and requirements were checked on October 3, 2026 and may change. Verify directly with your Dominican consulate or the Procuraduría General de la República. Not legal advice.