To get apostille certification in Tallahassee, FL, take or mail your Florida-issued or Florida-notarized document to the Secretary of State’s apostille office at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, along with the request form, a $10 or $20 fee per document, and (for mail) a prepaid return envelope.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications) Walk-ins are generally processed the same day; mailed requests go in order of receipt with no expedited option.2Florida Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions The apostille verifies the signature, seal, and authority of the Florida official who signed your document so the destination country accepts it without further embassy legalization.
Which Documents the Office Can Apostille
The Florida Secretary of State is the only authority in the state authorized to apostille Florida documents.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications) The document must have been issued or certified by a Florida state or county official, or notarized by a Florida notary public. Documents from other states go through that state’s secretary of state, and federal documents go through the U.S. Department of State.
Two kinds of documents qualify. Public documents are already signed and sealed by a government official: certified copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates from the Florida Department of Health, or court records like divorce decrees from a Clerk of the Circuit Court. These go straight to the apostille office with the original certified copy in hand. Private documents, such as corporate filings, powers of attorney, and affidavits, must first carry a Florida notary public’s signature, stamp, and seal. The apostille authenticates the notary’s act, not the underlying content of the document.
Prepare the Document Before You Submit
For a government-issued record, you need the original certified copy bearing the issuing official’s original signature and seal. Photocopies are not accepted.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications) A birth or death certificate must be the certified copy signed by the State Registrar. A divorce decree must be the certified copy from the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Here is where people get tripped up: a Florida notary cannot make certified copies of certain public records. The restricted list includes birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, citizenship or naturalization certificates, court filings, documents recorded by a Clerk of the Court, filed tax returns, state professional licenses, and public school transcripts.3Florida Department of State. Accepted Types of Documents If you need an apostille on any of these, order the certified copy from the issuing agency and submit that. A photocopy you had notarized at a shipping store will be rejected.
For a private document, the signer must personally appear before a Florida notary public, either in person or through authorized audio-video communication.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission; Unlawful Use; Notary Fee; Seal; Duties The notarization must include a complete notarial statement in English with the notary’s signature, stamp, and seal. Since 2020, the notarial language must also state whether the notarization was performed in the notary’s physical presence or online, and must note the type of identification used. Missing either detail will get the document rejected. Documents notarized through Florida’s Remote Online Notarization system by a properly authorized online notary are eligible.
School transcripts sit in a gray area. Because a Florida notary cannot certify them directly, the school’s registrar or another authorized official signs the transcript or a certification letter referring to it, and the notary then notarizes the registrar’s signature. Most Florida registrars handle this routinely and know the format the Secretary of State expects.
Walk-In Submission in Tallahassee
The office is at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, in The Centre of Tallahassee, FL 32303.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications) Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding state holidays.2Florida Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions
Bring the completed Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form (a PDF download from the Department of State’s website), together with the original or certified document. Most walk-in requests are processed while you wait, which is the main reason to drive to Tallahassee rather than mail. Payment must be by check or money order payable to the Florida Department of State. The office does not accept cash or credit cards.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications)
Mail Submission
Mail requests go to:
Division of Corporations
ATTN: Apostille Section
P.O. Box 6800
Tallahassee, FL 32314-68005Florida Department of State. Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form
FedEx, UPS, and other couriers cannot deliver to the P.O. Box, so send courier packages to the physical address at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, FL 32303.1Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications)
Include in the package:
- The completed Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form, filled out with the destination country and document details.
- The original certified copy or notarized document. Photocopies are not accepted.
- A check or money order in U.S. currency drawn from a U.S. bank, payable to the Florida Department of State.
- A self-addressed stamped envelope or a prepaid, pre-addressed courier air bill for the return of your documents.
Forgetting the return envelope is an easy mistake that delays everything. The office will not return documents without prepaid return shipping.
Fees and Processing Time
The standard fee is $10 per document for notarized documents and most state-issued records. Records certified by a Florida Clerk of the Circuit Court, such as marriage licenses and divorce decrees, cost $20 per document. The higher fee covers both the apostille and a certificate of incumbency verifying the clerk’s authority.6Florida Division of Corporations. Notary Commissions and Apostille Certification – Section: Certification Fees
Walk-in requests are generally completed the same day. Mailed requests are processed in the order received, and the office does not offer expedited service.2Florida Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions Plan for at least a week of processing plus transit time in each direction. If you’re on a tight deadline, go in person.
Why Documents Get Rejected
Every rejection adds days or weeks. The most common problems:
- Incomplete notarial language. The statement must specify whether notarization happened in the notary’s physical presence or online, name the type of identification used, and include a venue (State of Florida, County of ___). Missing any of these invalidates the notarial act.
- Notarial language not in English. A Florida notary can notarize a foreign-language document, but the notarial certificate itself must be in English.
- Photocopies submitted instead of the original certified copy with original signature and seal.
- A notary’s “certified copy” of a birth certificate, marriage certificate, court record, or other public document that should have come from the issuing agency.
- Remote notarization by a notary who isn’t properly registered as a Florida online notary.
Reviewing the notarial statement against current Florida requirements before you submit is the single most effective way to avoid a round-trip rejection.
When Tallahassee Isn’t the Right Office
The Florida Secretary of State can only apostille documents that originate in Florida. An FBI background check, a federal court order, or anything certified by a federal agency has to go through the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. Federal apostilles currently take about five weeks by mail or two to three weeks for walk-in drop-off.7U.S. Department of State. Office of Authentications
Apostilles only work for countries party to the Hague Apostille Convention.8HCCH. Apostille Section If your document is going to a country that hasn’t joined, request a notarial certification instead. The same Tallahassee office issues these, using the same forms and fees.9Florida Department of Health. Apostille Certificates After you receive it, the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States will usually need to authenticate the document further. Call that embassy before you start, since requirements vary and some add steps like certified translations.