• Apostille & Notarial Certification

Authentications (Apostilles & Notarial Certifications)

Requests

• The Florida Secretary of State is the only competent authority authorized to issue notarial and apostille certifications in the state of Florida.
• The Division of Corporations issues these certifications.
• Our office is located at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810 Tallahassee, FL 32303.

How to File

1. Complete the Department of State’s Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form.
2. Enclose the document to be authenticated or certified. An original certified copy or certificate of status of a public document is required. A photocopy is not acceptable. Notarized documents must contain a full notarial statement and the original notary public's signature, stamp and seal. A photocopy is not acceptable.
3. Insert:
   • A self-addressed stamped envelope with the requestor’s name and address listed as both sender and recipient; OR
   • A pre-paid, pre-addressed air bill with requestor’s name and address listed as both sender and recipient.
4. Include payment.
5. Mail application, documentation, and payment to the Division of Corporations' Apostille Section.

Fees

• $10.00 per document; OR

• $20.00 per document, for documents certified by any Clerk of the Court for any county in Florida when requesting an apostille. ($10 for Apostille; $10 for Certificate of Incumbency.)

Payment

• Submit a check or money order payable to the Florida Department of State.
• All checks must be issued in U.S. currency drawn from a U.S. bank.
• We do not accept cash or credit cards.

Acceptable Types of Documents

• State of Florida Agency or Official Documents
• State of Florida Birth and Death Certificates
• State of Florida Circuit Court Documents
• State of Florida Clerk of the County Documents
• State of Florida Marriage and Divorce Certificates
• State of Florida School Transcripts
• State of Florida Vehicle Titles
• Documents Notarized by a Florida Notary Public
• Florida Criminal Background Checks (Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local law enforcement agencies)
• Florida Secretary of State Certified Copies and Certificates of Status

What if my document isn’t listed?

• Federal Documents: Submit your request to the U.S. Department of State.
• Document Issued in another state: Submit your document to the Competent Authority for that state.
• Document Signed by the Notary Public in another state: Submit your document to the Competent Authority for that state.

• Accepted Types of Documents

Accepted Types of Documents

Apostille & Notarial Requests

State of Florida Birth and Death Certificates

• Contact the consulate or embassy for the country in which you will be using the apostille or exemplified record to obtain their certification requirements.
• Submit a birth or death certificate from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics signed by the State Registrar, OR
• Submit a birth or death certificate from the County Health Department signed by the State Registrar. Please note: Birth Records prior to 2004 contain limited information. Please contact the consulate or embassy to verify these records will be acceptable. Death records from 2009 to present are available. 
• Any fees required by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics or County Health Department are separate from the fees required by the Florida Department of State.
• We will confirm the signature of the State Registrar was valid when issued.

State of Florida Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Certificates

• Contact the consulate or embassy for the country in which you will be using the apostille or exemplified record to obtain their certification requirements.
• Submit a marriage or dissolution of marriage certificate from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics, signed by the State Registrar or the Clerk of the County Courts.
• Any fees required by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics are separate from the fees required by the Florida Department of State.

State of Florida School Transcripts

Florida Public School or University

• Submit a notarized transcript signed by the School Registrar or an issuing official
• Full notarial statement is required.

Florida Private School or University

• Submit a printed notarized transcript:
  • Attesting the transcript is a copy; AND
  • Signed by the Student or Custodian.
• Full notarial statement is required.

State of Florida Vehicle Titles

• Submit a vehicle title certified by the Florida Department of Highway Safety Motor Vehicles.
• Any fees required by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles are separate from the fees required by the Florida Department of State.

Documents Notarized by a Florida Notary Public

• A full notarial statement is required.
• The notarial statement must be in English.
• According to  Chapter 117, F.S., copies of public records, such as the records listed below, CANNOT be attested to by a Florida Notary Public:
  
  • Any document for which photocopying is prohibited
  • Birth Certificate
  • Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization
  • Death Certificate
  • Documents filed in a court proceeding
  • Documents recorded by the Clerk of the Court
  • Federal or state income tax forms, already filed
  • Marriage Certificate
  • Professional licenses issued by the State of Florida
  • Public records maintained in government offices
  • Student records (transcripts, etc.) kept in public education offices

Florida Secretary of State Certified Copies and Certificates of Status

• Submit the original certified copy or certificate of status (not a photocopy) previously issued by this office; OR
• Submit an apostille request and $10 fee, with a separate Certificate of Status or Certified Copy request and fee.
• Fees must be submitted using two separate checks or money orders.
  • One check or money order for the appropriate certified copy or certificate of status fee; AND
  • One check or money order for the $10 apostille fee.