How to Get an Apostille in Florida

What is an apostille, and when do you need one?

An apostille is a certificate that a state attaches to a public document so that it is accepted in another country without further legalization. It works between the countries that signed the Hague Apostille Convention, which includes Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Spain and most of Europe.

You need one whenever a foreign office has to trust a Florida document: a birth certificate for a child’s citizenship abroad, a marriage certificate for a spouse’s residency, a power of attorney so a relative can sell property, or a diploma for a job in another country. If the destination is not part of the Convention, the process is called authentication instead, and the document usually also needs legalization at that country’s consulate.

Which documents can Florida apostille?

The Florida Department of State only apostilles Florida documents. In practice, that means three kinds:

• Vital records issued by the Florida Department of Health (Bureau of Vital Statistics) or a county health department, as a recent certified copy.
• Documents certified by a Florida county clerk, such as court records, divorce judgments or recorded deeds.
• Private documents notarized by a Florida notary, such as powers of attorney, affidavits, consent letters or a sworn statement about a copy of your passport.

Documents from other states go to that state. Federal documents, like FBI background checks, go to the US Department of State in Washington. This is the most common mistake we see, and it costs weeks when a request is returned.

How much does an apostille cost in Florida?

According to the Florida Department of State, the fee is $10 per document, or $20 per document when it was certified by a Florida county clerk. The Department accepts payment by check or money order, not cash or card.

Item	Cost	Who you pay
Apostille, standard Florida document	$10 per document	Florida Department of State
Apostille, document certified by a county clerk	$20 per document	Florida Department of State
Notarizing a private document first	Up to $10 per signature	The notary (§ 117.05)
New certified copy of a vital record	Set by the Department of Health or county	The issuing agency

If you use a service to prepare and ship the request, their fee is separate from the state fee, and a good service tells you exactly which part goes to the state.

Step by step: getting the apostille

1. Confirm the destination country. It decides whether you need an apostille or an authentication, and whether a translation is needed afterward.
2. Get the right version of the document. For a birth certificate, that means a recent certified copy from the Florida Department of Health, not the hospital souvenir certificate and not a photocopy.
3. Notarize private documents. A power of attorney, affidavit or letter must be signed in front of a Florida notary, whose commission is what the state verifies.
4. Complete the request form. The Department of State publishes an apostille and notarial certificate request form on its website.
5. Send it with the fee. Mail the original document, the form, a check or money order and a prepaid return envelope, or use the Department’s walk-in service in Tallahassee.
6. Translate, if required. Many countries then ask for an official translation of the document and the apostille. Some accept a translation made in Florida; others require one made in their country.

How long does it take?

Processing time depends on the Department’s workload and on mail in both directions. Plan for at least a couple of weeks door to door when mailing, and longer in busy seasons. If you have a travel date or a consulate appointment, start as early as you can and use tracked shipping both ways.

Common reasons a request is rejected

• The document is from another state or is a federal document.
• The vital record is an old copy, or was signed by an official the Department does not have on file. A new certified copy usually solves it.
• The notarization is incomplete: missing seal, missing commission expiration, or a certificate that does not match the act.
• A photocopy was sent instead of an original or certified copy.

Need help with a Florida apostille?

We check the document before anything is mailed, notarize what needs it, prepare the request and, if the destination asks for it, translate the result into Spanish or English. See our apostille service and certified translations, or message us with the document and the country.