Florida Apostille

Florida Department of State (Secretary of State) apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Florida, for $10 per document ($20 per document when a Florida county Clerk of the Court certified it). Pick the document and the country to see what it needs first and how to send it. This runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Florida office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

This runs in your browser. Nothing you pick is sent, saved or added to the page address.

Pick the state where the document was issued, recorded or notarized, not the state you live in.

Choose who issued the document, the kind of document and the country to see the steps.

Who issues apostilles in Florida

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Florida come from Florida Department of State (Secretary of State) (Division of Corporations, Apostille Section). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $10 per document ($20 per document when a Florida county Clerk of the Court certified it). (source)
  • Notarial Certification (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $10 per document. (source)
  • Certificate of Incumbency, added when you request an apostille on a document certified by a Florida county Clerk of the Court ($20 per document in total): $10 (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Tallahassee): mail the request form, document and check or money order; include a self-addressed stamped envelope or prepaid airbill (source)
  • In person (Tallahassee): walk-in at the Tallahassee office only, Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm; most requests completed while you wait (source)
  • Request form: Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • There is no expedited service; walk-in service is offered instead. (source)
  • Your document is processed in the order it was received. (source)

What Florida needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Send an original certified copy of the Florida vital record; a photocopy is not accepted. (source)
  • Birth and death certificates must come from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics or a county health department and be signed by the State Registrar. (source)
  • Marriage and dissolution of marriage certificates must come from the Bureau of Vital Statistics, signed by the State Registrar, or from the Clerk of the County Courts. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Send the court document certified by the Clerk of the Court for the Florida county; the apostille fee is then $20 per document. (source)

Notarized document (power of attorney, affidavit, consent letter, translation)

  • The notarized document needs a full notarial statement and the Florida notary's original signature, stamp and seal. (source)
  • If the document is translated, the translator cannot be the notary who notarizes it. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • Public school or university: send a notarized transcript signed by the school registrar or another issuing official, with a full notarial statement. (source)
  • Private school or university: send a printed notarized transcript, attested as a copy and signed by the student or the custodian. (source)

Other state-issued document (business certificate, state background check)

  • Send the original certified copy from the Florida agency or official; a photocopy is not accepted. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Florida Department of State (Secretary of State) issues its Notarial Certification instead of an apostille. Then:

  • After the Florida certificate, forward the document to the U.S. Department of State if the destination requires it. (source)
  • For a country outside the Convention, send the state-certified document to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, with Form DS-4194 and the $20 fee per document. (source)

Last, the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States legalizes it; ask it about its own steps, fees and timing before you send anything.

What the office will not accept or handle

  • Photocopies. (source)
  • Documents issued or notarized in another state; send them to that state's competent authority. (source)
  • Cash and credit cards are not accepted as payment. (source)
  • Federal documents go to the U.S. Department of State. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

  • It does not file anything. Requests go to Florida Department of State (Secretary of State).
  • It does not cover documents from another state or a federal agency; those go to their own office.
  • It does not list embassy legalization rules for countries outside the Convention.
  • It does not promise processing times; fees and forms change, so check the office's page before you send originals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I get an apostille in Florida?

Florida Department of State (Secretary of State) issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Florida. The fee is $10 per document ($20 per document when a Florida county Clerk of the Court certified it). Requests can be mailed to the office in Tallahassee. The office also serves people in person; check its page for hours and any appointment rule before going.

How do I apostille a birth certificate from Florida?

Send an original certified copy of the Florida vital record; a photocopy is not accepted. Birth and death certificates must come from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics or a county health department and be signed by the State Registrar. Marriage and dissolution of marriage certificates must come from the Bureau of Vital Statistics, signed by the State Registrar, or from the Clerk of the County Courts. Then send it to Florida Department of State (Secretary of State) with the $10 fee, naming the destination country.

Does a document notarized in Florida need a county clerk certification first?

The notarized document needs a full notarial statement and the Florida notary's original signature, stamp and seal. If the document is translated, the translator cannot be the notary who notarizes it.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Florida Department of State (Secretary of State) issues its notarial certification instead of an apostille. Send it next to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (Form DS-4194, $20 per document); the destination country's embassy or consulate then legalizes it.

How do I get an apostille for an FBI background check?

An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document, so a state office cannot apostille it. The U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications handles it: send Form DS-4194, the document and the $20 fee per document. The form asks for the country where the document will be used.

Do I need a paid apostille service?

No. Every office on this page accepts requests directly from the public by mail, and some take them online. A service can only file the same request with the same office for you.

Sources

Florida office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

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