How to Get an Apostille in Florida: A Step-by-Step Guide

An apostille is a form of authentication issued by the Florida Secretary of State's office that makes a Florida document legally recognized in any of the countries that signed the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961 — currently 124 countries, including most of Europe, Latin America, and parts of Asia.

If you're sending a birth certificate, marriage license, diploma, corporate document, or power of attorney to another country and that country requires authentication, you almost certainly need an apostille, not just a notarization.

What documents can be apostilled

Florida can issue apostilles on documents that were originally issued or notarized in Florida. The most common ones:

- Vital records (birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates) issued by the Florida Department of Health - Court documents issued by Florida courts - Corporate documents like articles of incorporation or certificates of good standing from the Florida Division of Corporations - Notarized documents — any document that has been notarized by a Florida-commissioned notary public

Documents from other states need to be apostilled by that state's Secretary of State, not Florida's. Federal documents (FBI background checks, Social Security records) go through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, not a state office.

The process

For vital records and court documents, the document goes directly to the Secretary of State without needing a notarization first. For private documents — a power of attorney, an affidavit, a corporate resolution — the document must be notarized first, and then the apostille is applied to authenticate the notary's credentials.

I handle the notarization step and coordinate the submission to the Secretary of State's office. Turnaround depends on which processing tier you need.

Processing times and pricing

Standard apostille ($150 total): The Secretary of State's office processes standard requests in 3–5 business days after receipt. This is the right option if your deadline isn't urgent.

Rush apostille ($200 total): Expedited processing through the Secretary of State's office, typically 1–2 business days. Most people choose this when they have a visa appointment, a closing, or an international deadline within the week.

Same-day apostille ($275 total): For true emergencies. This requires an in-person submission at the Secretary of State's office in Tallahassee. Same-day results when you have a flight, a court date, or a consular appointment that won't move. Contact me as early in the day as possible if you need this — I need enough lead time to travel.

Common mistakes

The most frequent problem: people get a document notarized in one state and then try to apostille it in Florida, or vice versa. The apostille has to come from the same state where the notarization happened. If your document was notarized in Georgia, it needs a Georgia apostille.

The second most frequent problem: apostilling a document that doesn't need one. Some countries accept a plain notarization, or they need a different form of authentication (embassy legalization, not an apostille). Before you go through the apostille process, confirm with the receiving party — embassy, employer, school, or court — exactly what they need.

If you're in Palm Beach County and need an apostille, use the quote calculator or contact me directly. I'll confirm what your specific document requires before you spend money on the wrong process.