Florida Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Florida
What Florida requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $10.00 per authentication; $20.00 for a document certified by a Florida Clerk of the Court ($10 apostille plus $10 certificate of incumbency)
- Typical time
- Generally within five business days of receipt, processed in the order received
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What Florida requires of the document
- The Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form must accompany the document.
- Include a self-addressed stamped envelope, or a prepaid pre-addressed air bill, with your name as both sender and recipient.
- Cheque or money order payable to the Florida Department of State, drawn on a U.S. bank. Cash and credit cards are not accepted.
Where to send it
By post: Department of State, Division of Corporations, Apostille Certification, P.O. Box 6800, Tallahassee, FL 32314-6800
By courier: 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, FL 32303
Timing: Generally within five business days of receipt, processed in the order received
Florida Secretary of State: apostilles and authentications
Checked against the state's own page on 8 September 2026.
After the state
If the destination is in the Hague Apostille Convention, the state apostille ends the chain. If it is not, the document then needs U.S. Department of State authentication and legalisation by that country’s mission.
Questions people actually ask
Does Florida require a county clerk certification first?
No. Florida is not among the seven states that insert a county-level step, so a properly notarised document goes directly to the Secretary of State.
I live elsewhere but my document is from Florida. Where does it go?
To Florida. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Florida authenticate my FBI background check?
No. An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document and no state can certify a federal signature. It goes straight to the U.S. Department of State.
What does Florida charge?
$10.00 per authentication; $20.00 for a document certified by a Florida Clerk of the Court ($10 apostille plus $10 certificate of incumbency) This was checked against the official page for that state on 8 September 2026. Fees change without notice, so confirm before filing.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
