A Florida apostille is issued by the Division of Corporations within the Department of State, which authenticates the signatures and seals on Florida-issued public documents so they’ll be accepted in another country. The fee is $10 per document, or $20 if the document was certified by a Clerk of the Court. You can submit by mail, by courier, or in person at the Tallahassee office, and only documents that originated in Florida and were signed by a Florida official or notary public qualify.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications)
What an Apostille Is For
An apostille is a standardized certificate confirming that the signatures and seals on your document are genuine, so the document will be recognized in a foreign country that belongs to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.2HCCH. Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents If your destination country is not a member of the convention, Florida will issue a notarial certificate instead, which is only the first step in a longer legalization process that continues through the U.S. Department of State and the destination country’s embassy or consulate.3Florida Department of State. Division of Corporations – Frequently Asked Questions Either way, you must list the destination country on your request so the Division knows which certificate to issue.
Which Florida Documents Qualify
Florida only authenticates documents that originated in the state and bear the signature of a Florida official or a Florida notary. Federal documents and documents from other states don’t qualify.4Florida Division of Corporations. Notary Commissions and Apostille/Certification
Eligible Florida documents include:
- Certified copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics, bearing the State Registrar’s signature.
- Court records certified by a Clerk of the Circuit Court, such as divorce decrees and marriage licenses, with the Clerk’s original seal.
- Documents from Florida state agencies, including corporate filings and Certificates of Status from the Division of Corporations.
- Private documents notarized by a commissioned Florida notary, such as powers of attorney, affidavits, diplomas, and transcripts.
Every document has to be an original or an original certified copy from the issuing agency. Photocopies are never accepted.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications)
Federal Documents Go Somewhere Else
Florida has no authority to apostille federal documents. FBI background checks, immigration records, and anything issued by a federal agency must go through the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.4Florida Division of Corporations. Notary Commissions and Apostille/Certification This catches many applicants off guard, especially with FBI background checks, which are among the most commonly apostilled documents for working or studying abroad.
Preparing Your Document
The Division of Corporations verifies the signatures and seals on your document, not the content. Preparation is where most requests succeed or fail, and the requirements depend on the document type.
Vital Records
Birth, death, and marriage certificates must be certified copies from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville. Certificates from local county health departments will be rejected even though they look similar.4Florida Division of Corporations. Notary Commissions and Apostille/Certification The certified copy must carry the State Registrar’s signature.
You can order certified copies directly from the Bureau or through VitalChek, the state’s contracted vendor. The Florida Department of Health also offers a combined VitalChek service that handles the certified copy order and the apostille request together, coordinating payment and shipping between the Bureau and the Division of Corporations for an added $7 VitalChek processing fee on top of the agency fees and shipping.5Florida Department of Health. Apostille Certificates
Notarized Documents
Private documents must carry a complete notarial statement with the Florida notary’s original signature, stamp, and seal. The Division checks the notary’s signature against its commission records, and an incomplete notarial statement or an expired commission will cause your request to be returned.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications)
Court Documents
Divorce decrees, custody orders, marriage licenses, and other circuit court records must be original certified copies with the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s original seal. If you only have an uncertified copy, contact the clerk’s office in the county where the case was filed to obtain a certified version before you apply.4Florida Division of Corporations. Notary Commissions and Apostille/Certification
Fees
Florida uses two fee levels:
- $10 per document for notarized documents, vital records from the Bureau of Vital Statistics, and state agency records.
- $20 per document for records certified by any Clerk of the Court in Florida ($10 for the apostille plus $10 for a Certificate of Incumbency).
Pay by check or money order made out to the Florida Department of State.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications) If you use the combined VitalChek service for vital records, you can pay by credit card through the vendor instead.
How to Submit Your Request
Your package needs four things: the completed request form (a PDF on the Division of Corporations website), the original document or certified copy, your payment, and a prepaid return envelope or air bill.6Florida Department of State. Apostille or Notarial Certification Request Form The form asks for your name, mailing address, daytime phone number, email, destination country, and the number of documents enclosed. A cover letter with the same information works if you don’t use the official form.
By Mail (USPS)
Division of Corporations
ATTN: Apostille Section
P.O. Box 6800
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6800
By Courier or In Person
For FedEx, UPS, or walk-in, use the physical address:
Department of State
Division of Corporations
2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810
Tallahassee, FL 32303
Walk-in service is available during regular business hours, and most walk-in requests are completed while you wait.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications)
How Long It Takes
The Division processes requests in the order received and does not offer expedited service.3Florida Department of State. Division of Corporations – Frequently Asked Questions Official guidance says to allow at least five business days for mail-in requests, but actual turnaround depends on the volume at the time, and busy periods stretch well beyond that.4Florida Division of Corporations. Notary Commissions and Apostille/Certification Walk-in requests are typically handled the same day. For return shipping, include either a self-addressed stamped envelope for USPS or a prepaid, pre-addressed air bill for a courier. The Division won’t return documents without one.
Why Applications Get Rejected
The Division returns packages unprocessed when something is wrong with the submission. The common issues are predictable:
- Photocopies submitted in place of originals or original certified copies.
- Vital records from a local county health department instead of the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville.
- Incomplete notarization — missing stamp, seal, or notarial statement.
- Documents issued or notarized outside Florida, which the Division cannot authenticate.
- Missing payment or missing prepaid return envelope.
When a submission is rejected, everything comes back, but you lose the mailing time in both directions. Checking these basics before sealing the envelope saves weeks.
Does an Apostille Expire?
The apostille certificate itself has no expiration date. The institution or government receiving the document abroad may still require that the underlying document be recent. Some countries require vital records issued within the past six months, and criminal background checks commonly need to be no older than three to six months. Confirm the freshness requirement with the receiving institution or the destination country’s consulate before you start, so you don’t apostille a document the receiving country will reject as too old.