Documents issued or notarized in Florida are apostilled by the Apostille Section, Division of Corporations (Florida Department of State). The office authenticates the signatures of Florida public officials — registrars, court clerks, state agencies — and Florida-commissioned notaries public, then attaches an apostille for Hague Convention countries or an authentication certificate for all others.
Issues Apostilles for Hague countries and Notarial Certificates (certificates of notarial authority) for non-Hague countries at the same $10 fee.
Where to file
| Division of Corporations, Attn: Apostille Section, P.O. Box 6800, Tallahassee, FL 32314-6800 (courier: Clifton Building, 2661 Executive Center Circle, Tallahassee, FL 32301) | |
| In person | 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, FL 32303 Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm except state holidays; no appointment; most requests completed while you wait |
| Request form | Official request form |
| Official page | https://dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/other-services/apostille-notarial-certification/ |
How to get a Florida apostille
- Confirm the document is a Florida public document
The Apostille Section, Division of Corporations authenticates signatures of Florida officials and Florida-commissioned notaries only. Documents from other states go to their own state; federal documents go to the U.S. Department of State.
- Prepare the request
Complete the request form (official form), naming the destination country so the office issues an apostille (Hague country) or an authentication certificate (non-Hague country).
- Submit the document, fee and return envelope
Submit by mail to Division of Corporations, Attn: Apostille Section, P.O. Box 6800, Tallahassee, FL 32314-6800 (courier: Clifton Building, 2661 Executive Center Circle, Tallahassee, FL 32301); in person at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, FL 32303 (Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm except state holidays; no appointment; most requests completed while you wait). The fee is $10 per document.
- Receive the apostille
Processing: Mail requests are processed in order of receipt; the office's posted processing date has recently run about 2-3 weeks behind the receipt date. In person: most requests completed while you wait.. Expedited: None; office does not offer expedited service, walk-in is the only fast path. Keep the apostille attached and translate afterward if the destination requires it.
Fees and processing time
Fee: $10 per document. $20 per document certified by a Florida Clerk of the Court (apostille $10 + certificate of incumbency $10). Check or money order payable to Florida Department of State in US funds; no cash, no credit cards. Apostille fee and any certified-copy fee must be paid with separate checks.
Processing time: Mail requests are processed in order of receipt; the office's posted processing date has recently run about 2-3 weeks behind the receipt date. In person: most requests completed while you wait.
Expedited: None; office does not offer expedited service, walk-in is the only fast path
Documents Florida will apostille
- Documents notarized by a Florida notary public
- Florida birth and death certificates signed by the State Registrar
- Marriage and dissolution of marriage certificates
- Circuit court and county clerk documents
- School transcripts (notarized registrar signature)
- Vehicle titles certified by FLHSMV
- Florida criminal background checks (FDLE)
- Secretary of State certified copies and certificates of status
Not accepted or commonly rejected
- Photocopies
- Federal documents
- Documents notarized or issued in another state
- Notarized copies of vital records, court records or other public records
Notarized documents
Full notarial statement in English with original signature, stamp and seal of a Florida notary; notary name, commission number and expiration are checked against the state database; translator cannot be the notary; under Ch. 117 F.S. a notary cannot attest copies of vital records, court filings, public records, licenses, naturalization certificates or filed tax forms.
Florida does not require county clerk certification of notarized documents before the state apostille.
General rules: notarized documents and apostilles.
Birth, marriage and death certificates
Birth/death certificates from the Bureau of Vital Statistics or a County Health Department must be signed by the State Registrar; marriage and dissolution certificates from the Bureau signed by the State Registrar or Clerk of the County Courts; pre-2004 birth records contain limited data and may be questioned by consulates.
See the document guides for birth, marriage and death certificates.
Florida-specific points
- Clerk of Court documents cost double ($20) because the state adds a Certificate of Incumbency.
- No credit cards and no cash by mail or at the counter: check or money order only.
- Certificates are printed on security paper that shows 'VOID' when photocopied, with a unique ID on the back.
- Public-school transcripts must be notarized at the time of issuance by the registrar; a student cannot print and notarize one.
- Mail processing dates are published on the Sunbiz Document Processing Dates page.
Federal documents and non-Hague destinations
Florida does not apostille federal documents. An FBI background check, Certificate of Naturalization, DD-214, IRS letter or Social Security letter issued to a Florida resident is authenticated by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. — see the federal section. For destinations outside the Hague Convention, the Florida authentication certificate must then be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State and legalized at the destination's embassy (how the chain works).
Local help in Florida
Florida has an unusually active apostille market because of its international population. Document holders who need notarization and apostille in one visit commonly use a county office near them — for example a Palm Beach County apostille office that works by appointment, a Broward County apostille office that works by appointment or a Hillsborough County apostille office that works by appointment — while people elsewhere in Florida or abroad typically use a statewide Florida apostille service that files in Tallahassee, which files in Tallahassee on their behalf. Current turnaround figures are tracked by current Florida apostille processing times.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an apostille cost in Florida?
The Apostille Section, Division of Corporations charges $10 per document. $20 per document certified by a Florida Clerk of the Court (apostille $10 + certificate of incumbency $10). Check or money order payable to Florida Department of State in US funds; no cash, no credit cards. Apostille fee and any certified-copy fee must be paid with separate checks.
How long does a Florida apostille take?
Mail requests are processed in order of receipt; the office’s posted processing date has recently run about 2-3 weeks behind the receipt date. In person: most requests completed while you wait. Expedited option: None; office does not offer expedited service, walk-in is the only fast path.
Can I get an apostille in person in Florida?
Yes. Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm except state holidays; no appointment; most requests completed while you wait
Does Florida require county clerk certification before an apostille?
No. Notarized documents go directly to the Apostille Section, Division of Corporations provided the notary is commissioned in Florida and the notarial certificate is complete.
Where do I apostille a federal document issued to a Florida resident?
Federal documents — FBI background checks, naturalization certificates, DD-214s, IRS letters — are never apostilled by Florida. They go to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications. See the federal section.
