Procedure for Document Authentication

DOCUMENTS WHICH MAY BE CERTIFIED:

The Secretary of State will Certify or Apostille the following documents:

• Documents notarized or certified as true copies by a Florida Notary Public
• Birth and Death Certificates bearing the signature of the State Registrar (C. Meade Grigg)
• Vehicle Titles certified by the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles
• Corporation documents bearing the signature of the Secretary of State (Katherine Harris)
• Documents certified by a Clerk of the Court from a county within Florida

**NOTE: Documents must be submitted with original signatures; copies cannot be certified.

CERTIFICATION FEES:

The fee for certification by the Secretary of State is $10 per notarization. However, a county certified document, which also requires an Apostille (example, Marriage License) requires an additional $10 fee for a total of $20 per document. We accept either checks (drawn on a U.S. Bank) or money orders made payable to the Department of State.

PROCESSING TIME:

The processing time varies dependent upon the volume of work received and the resources available. We advise you to allow at least five (5) working days for processing. Requests are completed in the date order they are received. We do not offer expedited services.

PROCEDURES:

Please follow these procedures carefully to enable our staff to process your request without delay.

1. Enclose a cover letter stating the name of the country in which the documents will be used. The country name is needed in order to authenticate the document correctly, whether by Certificate of Notarial Authority or Apostille.
2. Enclose the required fee. (See "Certification Fees" above)
3. Enclose a self addressed, stamped envelope for return of the documents. If you wish the order to be returned by a courier service, you must enclose a pre-paid air bill with your order.
4. Mail your request to:

   Department of State

   Office of International Affairs

   Notary Certification/Apostille Section

   Room 1902, The Capitol

   Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250

   
   

NOTARIAL CERTIFICATES AND APOSTILLES

A new program aimed at helping Florida citizens and businesses conduct international transactions is provided for your convenience. Foreign governments require that public documents originating from another country be accompanied by a notarial certificate or an apostille. These documents are issued exclusively by the Department of State. Both the notarial certificate and the apostille can be acquired at the Department of State's regional licensing offices. The regional offices will be available for walk-in customers only. Walk-in and mail service is still provided from the Florida Department of State's office in Tallahassee. The locations and telephone numbers of the regional offices are: