Florida Apostille Services — Birth, Marriage, Diplomas, FBI & Business

If you plan to use aFlorida-issued document abroad—whether that’s aMiami birth certificate, anOrlando marriage license, aUniversity of Florida diploma, aTampa court order, aJacksonville business filing, or anotarized power of attorney inFortLauderdale—you’ll likely be asked foranapostille. Anapostilleauthenticates the signature or sealso yourdocument is legally accepted incountriesthat participate in the1961 Hague Apostille Convention.This Florida guide is written forreal-lifeuse cases: visas and residency,study andemployment abroad, adoption andmarriageregistrations, dual citizenshipdossiers,cross-border banking, propertyandinheritance, and multinationalcorporatesetups.

The content below is intentionallyoptimizedforlocal SEO searchbehavioracross Florida—queries such as “Florida apostille services,” “apostille Tallahassee,” “apostille Miami,” “Florida Secretary of State apostille,” “apostille near me Florida,”anddocument-type searches likebirth certificate apostille,marriage certificate apostille,divorce decree apostille,death certificate apostille,diplomas & transcripts apostille, andpower of attorney &notarizeddocuments apostille. We explain the difference betweenstate vs. federal apostilles, detaildocument readiness, andshow how to achieve thefastest lawful turnaround—often~24 hours for many Floridastatedocuments—withsame-day scans includedandoriginal shipping optional.

Quick Answer

Authority: TheFlorida Department of Statein Tallahassee issues apostilles forFlorida-origin documents—vitalrecords, court-certified copies,notarizeddocuments executed by a Floridanotary,registrar-verified academic records,andbusiness filings certified by thestate.Federal documents—like anFBI Identity History SummaryorIRS letters—are apostilled bytheU.S. Department of StateinWashington, D.C.Rule of thumb: follow the issuer.

Speed: DIY mail-intypicallytakes weeks and is vulnerable toreturns.With readiness and in-personfiling,many Florida state apostilles canbecompleted in ~24 hours. We provide asame-day scanuponissuance;original shipping is optional.

Flat Rate:$145 per document—government fees included.Scans always included.U.S.shipping is$20(optional).International shipping availableby quote.

What Is an Apostille?

An apostille isastandardized, internationallyrecognizedcertificate used by countriesthatparticipate in the1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Itauthenticates thesignature, seal, or capacityof theofficial who signed your document—itdoesnot change the content itself. Ifyourdestination is a Hague country (e.g.,Italy,Spain, Portugal, France, Germany,theNetherlands, Mexico, Brazil, Japan,SouthKorea), an apostille is usually thefinalstep. Fornon-Hague destinations(e.g.,China, UAE, Qatar, Vietnam), the pathisauthentication +consularlegalizationinstead of a Hague apostille.

Who Issues Apostilles in Florida?

TheFlorida Department of Stateissues apostilles for Floridadocuments,including:

• Vital records —certifiedFlorida birth certificate apostille,marriage certificate apostille,death certificate apostille, anddivorce decree apostille.
• Court documents—certified judgments, adoption orders,namechanges, and probate records.
• Notarized documents —powers of attorney &notarizedaffidavits apostilleexecuted by aFlorida notary public.
• Education records—registrar-verifieddiplomas & transcripts apostille(UF, FSU, UCF, USF, FIU, FAU, UNF,FGCU,UWF, FAMU, NOVA Southeastern,Stetson,Rollins, Barry, Embry-Riddle,Lynn,Florida Tech, JacksonvilleUniversity,etc.).
• Business records—certified copies of Articles,GoodStanding, and resolutions issued viatheDivision of Corporations forinternationalbanking and registrations.

Federal documents (likeanFBI background check) are apostilled bytheU.S. Department of StateinWashington, D.C.—not by theFloridaDepartment of State.

When You’ll Need an Apostille

• Visas & immigration—apostilledbirth certificates,marriage certificates, and a federal apostille for theFBI background check.
• Study & teaching abroad— apostilleddiplomas & transcripts(UF, FSU, UCF, USF, FIU, FAU, etc.).
• Marriage or adoption abroad— apostilled vital records,single-statusaffidavits, andnotarized POAs.
• Dual citizenship—apostilledbirthanddeath certificates, and court orders for consulates.
• Corporate & banking—apostilled Articles, Good Standing,boardresolutions, andcorporate POAsfor overseas accounts and subsidiaries.
• Property & inheritance— apostilled court orders anddeath certificatesfor cross-border estates.

Your Options at a Glance: DIY vs. Expedited

Factor	DIY Mail-In	Our Expedited Service
Typical Timeline	~2–6+ weeks; returns add weeks	As fast as ~24 hoursfor many FL state docs(withreadiness)
Risk of Rejection	Higher — wrong authority, stalecopies,notary errors	Lower — expert pre-check,correctrouting, compliant packaging
Status Visibility	Low — limited after mailing	High — proactive monitoring +same-day scanwhenissued
Effort Required	You research, assemble, mail,track,and re-mail	We review, file inperson(state/federal), monitor, scan,and(optionally) ship
Best For	Flexible timelines, experienced DIYers	Deadlines, consularappointments,onboarding, corporateclosings

Pricing & ETA (Scans Included,ShippingOptional)

Document Readiness: Florida Requirements

A successful apostille hingesonreadiness. TheFloridaDepartment of State (andforeignauthorities) require documents to bein thecorrect format before an apostille canbeattached. Here’s what“apostille-ready”typically means in Florida:

Vital Records (Birth,Marriage/Divorce,Death)

Usecertified copies—notscansor photocopies—issued by the properFloridaoffice. Long-form versions arepreferred bymany consulates. If you need aFlorida birth certificate apostille, ensure the certificate is recent,legible,and bears the correctseal/signature. Thesame applies to amarriage certificate apostille, adivorce decree apostille, and adeath certificate apostille.

Court Documents

Florida court orders and judgments mustbecertified by the clerkwithoriginal seals and signatures. Plaindocketprintouts or e-downloads withoutclerkcertification are typically rejected.

Notarized Documents

Powers of attorney, affidavits,parentalconsents, corporate resolutions,andauthorization letters must beproperly notarized by aFloridanotary. That means complete certificatewording,venue, date, signature, printedname,commission details, and seal. Ifthedestination country is strict onnotarialformat, we align it before filing.See ourPOA & notarized documentsapostilleguide.

Education Records

Universities and colleges (UF, FSU, UCF,USF,FIU, FAU, UNF, UWF, FGCU, FAMU,NovaSoutheastern, Stetson, Rollins,Barry,Embry-Riddle, Florida Tech,JacksonvilleUniversity, Lynn, etc.) oftenrequire aregistrar verification letteror a sealed packet priortoapostille. We coordinate campus steps,thencomplete thediplomas & transcripts apostillethrough the Florida Department of State.

Business & Trade

For overseas banking andcorporateregistrations, you may needcertified copiesof Articles, Good Standing,boardresolutions, andcorporate POAs. We obtain certified copies andassemblethe packet in the order and formatthereceiving authority expects.

Step-by-Step: Florida Apostille Process

High-level overview; we preserveclientprivacy and proprietaryworkflows.

1. Identify the issuer—Florida issuer/notary → FloridaDepartmentof State; U.S. federal issuer →U.S.Department of State (D.C.).
2. Readiness check—Certified copies (vital/court),compliantnotary wording, registrarverifications,and destination pathway(Hague vs.non-Hague).
3. Submission — Wefile in personwith the FloridaDepartment of State forstate documentsand with theU.S. Department of Stateforfederal documents.
4. Monitoring — Wetrackstatus, prevent re-mail cycles,andresolve minor issues quickly.
5. Issuance & delivery—We send asame-day scanwhen yourapostille is issued; originalshipping isoptional ($20U.S.;international by quote).

Document Playbooks (Vital,Academic,Notarized, Corporate, Court,Federal/FBI)

Birth Certificate Apostille (Florida)

For dual citizenship, immigration,schoolenrollment, marriage registration,orforeign residency, obtain acertified birth certificatefirst. We then file for aFlorida birth certificate apostilleand provide a same-day scan upon issuance.

Marriage Certificate Apostille (Florida)

For spousal visas, foreignmarriageregistries, or name changes, requestacertified marriage certificate. We complete themarriage certificate apostillewith the Department of State and emailasame-day scan.

Divorce Decree Apostille (Florida)

For remarriage, custody, orinheritancematters abroad, secure acourt-certified copyofyour divorce decree and we’ll obtain thedivorce decree apostille.

Death Certificate Apostille (Florida)

Estate and insurance matters often requireadeath certificate apostille. Onlycertified copiesqualify;we file in person and provide asame-dayscan when issued.

Diplomas & TranscriptsApostille(Florida)

Foreign employers and ministries ofeducationoften requireapostilled diplomas & transcripts. We arrange the registrar verificationforUF/FSU/UCF/USF/FIU/FAU/UNF/UWF/FGCU/FAMU/etc.,thenfile with the Florida Department ofState.

Notarized Affidavits & POAs (Florida)

Real estate, banking, adoption, orbusinessrepresentation abroad often hingesonclean notarization.Wepre-check notary blocks and then obtainthePOA & notarized documentsapostille.

Corporate Records (Florida)

Florida companies and out-of-statecompaniesregistered in Florida frequentlyneedapostilled Articles,Certificates of Status/Good Standing, board resolutions, andcorporate POAsto open foreign bank accounts,formsubsidiaries, sign cross-borderagreements,or tender for projects. We sourcecertifiedcopies, sequence the packetcorrectly, andobtain the apostille.

FBI Background Check (Federal Apostille)

The FBI Identity History Summary is afederaldocument; Floridacannot apostille it. Wesubmit to theU.S. Department of StateinWashington, D.C., relay asame-day scanuponissuance, and ship the original onlyifrequested.

Florida Use Cases & Scenarios

• Miami families applying forEUresidency— apostilledbirth certificates,marriage certificates, and FBI apostille.
• UCF and USF graduates teachinginAsia— apostilleddiplomas & transcriptsplus federal FBI apostille for workvisas.
• Tampa/St. Pete businesses openingEUaccounts— apostilled Articles, GoodStanding,board resolutions, andcorporate POA.
• Orlando marriagesregisteredoverseas—marriage certificate apostilleand single-status affidavits.
• Inheritance matters with propertyinLatin America— apostilled court orders anddeath certificates.

Florida Cities We Serve

We support clients statewide—urban,suburban,coastal, and rural—via secureintake,in-person filing,same-day scans, andoptional shipping.Frequentservice areas include:

• Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah, CoralGables,Doral, Kendall
• Orlando, Winter Park, Kissimmee,AltamonteSprings, Sanford
• Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater,Brandon,Riverview
• Jacksonville, Orange Park, St.Augustine,Ponte Vedra
• Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, PembrokePines,Weston, Miramar
• West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, BoyntonBeach,Delray Beach, Jupiter
• Gainesville, Ocala, The Villages, LakeCity
• Tallahassee, Panama City,Pensacola,Destin, Fort Walton Beach
• Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples,BonitaSprings, Marco Island
• Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, North Port
• Daytona Beach, Port Orange, OrmondBeach,New Smyrna Beach
• Lakeland, Winter Haven, Plant City
• Palm Bay, Melbourne, Viera, Titusville
• Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Stuart
• Key West, Marathon, Key Largo(FloridaKeys)
• Space Coast, Treasure Coast, NatureCoast& beyond

County & Campus Coverage (All67Counties)

We process Florida apostilles acrossall 67 counties, including:Miami-Dade, Broward, PalmBeach,Hillsborough, Orange, Duval,Pinellas,Polk, Lee, Pasco, Volusia,Brevard,Seminole, Sarasota, Manatee,Collier,Osceola, Lake, Marion, Escambia,Leon,Alachua, Bay, St. Lucie, Clay,Hernando,Okaloosa, Charlotte, Santa Rosa,Citrus,Indian River, Sumter, Highlands,Nassau,Putnam, Flagler, Walton,Columbia,Gadsden, St. Johns, Suwannee,Jackson,Okeechobee, Martin, Washington,Baker,Levy, Holmes, DeSoto, Gilchrist,Bradford,Hendry, Taylor, Madison, Union,Wakulla,Jefferson, Dixie, Glades,Franklin,Hamilton, Lafayette, Hardee,Calhoun,Liberty, Monroe.

Campus work spans Florida’smajoruniversities and colleges:

• University of Florida (UF)— Gainesville
• Florida State University (FSU)— Tallahassee
• University of CentralFlorida(UCF)— Orlando
• University of SouthFlorida(USF)— Tampa/St. Pete
• Florida InternationalUniversity(FIU)— Miami
• Florida AtlanticUniversity(FAU)— Boca Raton
• University of NorthFlorida(UNF)— Jacksonville
• University of West Florida(UWF)— Pensacola
• Florida Gulf CoastUniversity(FGCU)— Fort Myers
• Florida A&MUniversity(FAMU)— Tallahassee
• Nova Southeastern University— Fort Lauderdale
• Stetson University—DeLand/Gulfport
• Rollins College —WinterPark
• Embry-RiddleAeronauticalUniversity— Daytona Beach
• Florida Institute of Technology(FloridaTech)— Melbourne
• Jacksonville University—Jacksonville
• Barry University —MiamiShores
• Lynn University —BocaRaton
• Keiser University—state-wide campuses
• State colleges and communitycollegesacross Florida

Hague vs. Non-Hague: EmbassyLegalizationPath

If your destination is aHague member, a Floridaapostille is generally the laststep. Fornon-Haguecountries,documents follow anauthenticationpath (stateor federal) followed byembassy/consular legalization. Requirements vary by country,documenttype, and sometimes by thereceivingauthority (e.g., a ministry ofjustice vs. aministry of education). We mapthe exactsequence and, if needed,coordinatecertified translationsinthe correct order (some countriesrequiretranslations after apostille; othersacceptthem before).

Real-World Timelines, Risks&Contingencies

Government workloadsfluctuate—especiallyaround travel seasonsand academicdeadlines. With DIY mail-in,small errorscan cause long delays: wrongfees, outdatedcertificates, incompletenotary wording, ormissing registrar steps.To protect yourtimeline:

• Front-load readiness—obtain recent certified copies,ensurenotary blocks are complete, getregistrarverification fordiplomas & transcripts.
• In-person filing—essential if you have fixedconsularappointments, onboarding dates, orschoolstart windows.
• Leverage scans —manyconsulates, banks, and universitieswillpre-process from oursame-day scanwhile theoriginal ships.
• Parallel tracks — ifyouneed both state and federal apostilles,werun them simultaneously to compressthecalendar.

Top Mistakes to Avoid in Florida

• Wrong authority —Sendingan FBI report to the FloridaDepartment ofState or sending a Floridavital record tothe U.S. Department ofState. Match issuerto authority:birth,marriage,divorce,death,diplomas & transcripts,POAs & affidavits.
• Uncertified/old copies—Photocopies or stale vital recordsarecommon rejection reasons. Getfreshcertified copies.
• Notary defects —Missingseal, wrong venue, incompletecertificate,or remote notarization notaccepted by thedestination. UseFlorida-compliantverbiage; we can supply amodel notarycertificate upon request.
• Skipping registrar steps—University records without aregistrarletter or sealed packet arefrequentlybounced. Follow theacademic apostilleworkflow.
• No destination check—Hague vs. non-Hague determines whetheryouneed an apostille or authentication+legalization; the sequence differs.
• Late starts — Mailcyclesplus re-mailing can derail visasandschool start dates. In-personfilingreduces this risk.

Readiness Checklist (Florida)

• Is your documentstate-level(Florida) orfederal (U.S.agency)?
• For vital/court records, do you haveacertified copy (notaphotocopy)? Start here if not:birth certificate apostille,marriage certificate apostille,divorce decree apostille,death certificate apostille.
• For notarized items, is thenotarizationFlorida-compliant(venue,date, signature, printed name,commission,seal)? SeePOA & notarizeddocumentsapostille.
• For academic records, has theregistrarprovided therequired letter or sealedpacket? Seediplomas & transcripts apostille.
• Is the destinationHague(apostille) ornon-Hague(authentication+ legalization)?
• Do you have adeadline(visaappointment, onboarding, schoolstart)that justifies in-person filingandproactive monitoring?

Frequently Asked Questions(FloridaApostille)

Who issues apostilles forFloridadocuments?

TheFlorida Department of Stateissues apostilles forFlorida-origindocuments such asbirth certificates,marriage certificates,divorce decrees, court orders,diplomas & transcripts, andnotarized POAs & affidavits.

Can Florida apostille my FBIbackgroundcheck?

No. The FBI Identity History Summary isafederal record andmustbe apostilled by theU.S. Department of Statein Washington, D.C.

How fast can a Florida apostillebecompleted?

DIY mail-in can take weeks. Withreadinessand in-person filing,~24 hours is possibleformany state documents(vital,court-certified,notarized,registrar-verified). We send asame-dayscan upon issuance; shipping isoptional.

Do apostilles expire?

The apostille certificate itself doesnotexpire, but many consulatesanduniversities prefer recent issuance(oftenwithin 90 days). If timingmatters,expedite.

Is shipping required?

No.Shipping is optional.Wealways provide asame-day scan. U.S.shipping is $20; internationalshipping isquoted.

Can you handle multiple documents at once?

Yes. We can runparallel tracksfor stateand federal items and returnsame-dayscans as each completes.

Do you provide certified translations?

Yes—when required by the destination.We’llconfirm whether translation mustoccurbefore or after apostille to complywithlocal rules.

Are you a government office?

No. We’re a private expert servicethatprepares, files, monitors, anddeliversapostilles end-to-end (state andfederal),withsame-day scans andoptional shippingincluded in our workflow.

Mini-Glossary

• Apostille —AHague-recognized certificatethatauthenticates a publicdocument’ssignature/seal/capacity for useabroad.
• Certified Copy —Anofficial copy issued by the properagencyor court with seal/signature; notaphotocopy.
• Authentication — Thepathused fornon-Hague destinationsprior toconsular legalization.
• Consular Legalization—Certification by aforeignembassy/consulate fornon-Hagueacceptance.
• Registrar Verification —Aschool registrar confirms academicrecordsto enable apostille.
• RON — RemoteOnlineNotarization; acceptance variesbydestination. When in doubt,usetraditional in-person notarization.

Related Guides & Tools

• Birth Certificate Apostille
• Marriage Certificate Apostille
• Divorce Decree Apostille
• Death Certificate Apostille
• Academic Diplomas &TranscriptsApostille
• Power of Attorney &NotarizedDocuments Apostille

Disclaimer: Requirements and timelinescanchange without notice. We base ourguidanceon current practices of theFloridaDepartment of State and the U.S.Departmentof State at the time of yourorder.