How to Apostille a Document in Florida

General information for documents issued in Florida that will be used in Brazil or another country.

What Is an Apostille?

An apostille is a certificate used between countries that participate in the Hague Apostille Convention.

It confirms the authenticity of the signature, seal, or authority that issued or certified the document. The apostille does not validate the content of the document and does not guarantee that it will be accepted by the receiving institution.

The correct authority depends on where the document was issued.

Documents Issued in Florida

For documents issued or properly notarized in the State of Florida, the competent authority is:

Florida Department of State
Division of Corporations
Apostille Section

The Florida Secretary of State is the only competent authority to issue apostilles for Florida state documents.

Example Documents

Depending on how they were issued and certified, the following may be apostilled:

• Birth, marriage and death certificates
• Divorce documents
• Diplomas and academic transcripts
• Florida criminal history records
• Court documents
• Business documents
• Vehicle titles
• Documents properly notarized by a Florida notary

Do not assume that any photocopy can be apostilled.

How to Request

1. Complete the official Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form.
2. Include the original document, certified copy, or properly notarized document, as applicable to the document type. Plain photocopies are not accepted.
3. State the country where the document will be used. This information is needed to determine the correct certificate.
4. Include a return envelope: a self-addressed, stamped envelope, or a prepaid, pre-addressed courier air bill when using a courier service.
5. Include the correct payment.

Fees

The general fee is $10 per document.

Documents certified by the Clerk of the Court of a Florida county may cost $20 per document, corresponding to the apostille and the Certificate of Incumbency.

Confirm the current fee before submitting your documents.

Payment Methods

The Florida Department of State accepts check or money order payable to: Florida Department of State.

Payment must be in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank.

Cash and credit cards are not accepted.

Mailing Address — USPS

Department of State
Division of Corporations
Apostille Certification
P.O. Box 6800
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6800

Do not use this P.O. Box address for FedEx, UPS, or other courier services.

In-Person Service

In-person service is available at:

Florida Department of State
Division of Corporations – Apostille Section
2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810
Tallahassee, FL 32303

Stated hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except state holidays.

The office states that most in-person requests can be completed while you wait. This is not a guarantee of same-day completion for every document.

There is no formal express service.

Since addresses, hours and procedures may change, we recommend calling and checking the official website before traveling to Tallahassee.

Mail Processing Time

Requests are processed in the order received. The timeframe depends on current workload and should account for mailing time in both directions.

Check the current processing dates on the official website.

Official Contact

• Email: ApostillesCertsCorpHelp@dos.fl.gov
• Phone: (850) 245-6053

This email address is for questions and information. Documents are not apostilled by email.

Federal Documents or Documents From Another State

The Florida Department of State does not apostille:

• Federal documents
• Documents issued by another state
• Documents signed by a notary from another state

Federal documents, such as certain FBI and other federal authority documents, must follow the instructions of the U.S. Department of State.

Documents issued in another state must be sent to that state's competent authority.

Translation and Apostille

Translation and apostille are different procedures.

The client should confirm with the consulate, notary office, university, court, or receiving institution:

• Whether the document needs to be apostilled
• Whether the apostille should occur before or after translation
• What type of translation is required
• Whether the translation needs to be notarized
• Whether there are any other specific requirements

The Florida Department of State states that it does not offer translation. It also states that when a translation needs to be notarized for the procedure, the person who translated the document should not be the same person who performs the notarization.

Official Sources

• Florida Apostille and Notarial Certification
• Florida Apostille FAQ
• Florida Document Processing Dates
• U.S. Department of State — Office of Authentications
• HCCH — Apostille Section

Information verified on September 2, 2026.