Florida apostilles are issued by the Department of State in Tallahassee on security paper. The state fee is $10 per document, or $20 for documents certified by a county clerk.
Last reviewed: October 1, 2026
Key facts
| Issuing office | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations |
|---|---|
| State fee | $10 per document. $20 per document certified by a Clerk of the Court of any Florida county. |
| State processing time | Walk-in: most requests completed while you wait. Mail: processed in the order received; as of October 1, 2026 the state was processing apostille requests dated 09/08/26. |
| Where issued | 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, FL 32303 |
| Form | Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form |
| Payment | Check or money order payable to “Florida Department of State”, U.S. funds on a U.S. bank. No cash or credit cards. |
Who issues apostilles in Florida?
The Florida Department of State issues them through its Division of Corporations in Tallahassee. One office handles the whole state.
The Department accepts state agency documents, vital records, court documents, school transcripts, vehicle titles, documents notarized in Florida and criminal background checks. The list is on the Department’s Apostille and Notarial Certification page.
How much is a Florida apostille, and why is it $20 for court documents?
The fee is $10 per document. Documents certified by a Clerk of the Court cost $20, because the state adds a $10 certificate of incumbency for the clerk.
The $20 rate applies to clerks in every Florida county. Marriage licenses and divorce documents certified by a Clerk of the Circuit Court fall under it. A state-issued birth certificate or a notarized power of attorney is $10. Sending $10 for a clerk-certified record is an easy way to have a request stall. These are government fees. AI Fingerprinting’s own fee is quoted separately.
Can I pay Florida’s apostille fee by credit card?
No. Florida takes a check or money order only. Cash and credit cards are not accepted.
Make it payable to “Florida Department of State”. It must be in U.S. funds and drawn on a U.S. bank. Clients abroad often need someone in the United States to arrange this.
Does Florida offer expedited or same-day apostille service?
Florida has no expedited mail service. The fast option is the walk-in counter in Tallahassee, where the state says “Most requests may be completed while you wait.”
The counter is at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810. It is open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, except state holidays.
How long does a Florida apostille take by mail?
There is no fixed number of days. Mail is processed in the order received. As of October 1, 2026, the state’s processing-dates page showed apostille requests dated 09/08/26.
That was a gap of about three weeks, before mailing time. The date moves daily, so check the Document Processing Dates page on the day you send.
How do I request a Florida apostille by mail?
- Get the right original. Florida requires an original certified copy or certificate of status. A photocopy is not acceptable.
- For notarized documents, check that the page has a full notarial statement and the notary’s original signature, stamp and seal.
- Work out the fee: $10 per document, or $20 for each one certified by a Clerk of the Court.
- Complete the Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form.
- Write a check or money order to “Florida Department of State”.
- Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope, or a prepaid air bill naming you as both sender and recipient, and mail the package to Tallahassee.
How do I verify a Florida apostille?
Each Florida certificate has a unique identification number. The Department of State verifies authenticity on written request.
Florida also checks notaries before issuing. A notary’s signature is compared with the state’s Notary Public database: commission number, expiration date and name. For countries outside the Hague Convention, Florida issues a notarial certificate or certification instead of an apostille. See the Department’s FAQ.
What a Florida apostille looks like
A Florida apostille is printed on blue-gray security paper with an ornate scalloped border. It looks more like a stock certificate than a letter.
- Header: “State of Florida” in blackletter type, arched over a state-seal vignette, then “Department of State”.
- Language: English, with the French convention title “Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961”.
- Place and signer: certified at “Tallahassee, Florida” by “Secretary of State, State of Florida”. The date is spelled out in words.
- Number format: a four-digit year, a hyphen and six digits.
- Seal: a flat gold-printed “Great Seal of the State of Florida” at the lower left.
- Form number: “DSDE 99 (2/12)” at the bottom left.
- Security features: repeating “State of Florida” microtext, the word “VOID” when photocopied, and a true watermark. The paper says a black and white copy is not official.
No destination country is printed on the face.
Common reasons for rejection
Florida does not publish a rejection list. These problems follow directly from its stated requirements.
- A photocopy was sent instead of an original certified copy.
- The notarization lacks a full notarial statement, or the stamp or seal is missing.
- The notary’s name, commission number or expiration date does not match the state database.
- $10 was paid for a clerk-certified document that costs $20.
- Payment was a card, cash, or a check not drawn on a U.S. bank.
- No return envelope or prepaid air bill was enclosed.
How AI Fingerprinting helps
AI Fingerprinting is a private document service. We are not a government agency and not a law firm. Our office is at 201 NE Park Plaza Dr #221, Vancouver, WA 98684, open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. We accept mail-in requests from anywhere in the United States.
With Florida, the usual stumbling blocks are the fee split and the payment method. We sort your documents into $10 and $20 items, check each notarial certificate, and arrange payment in the form the state accepts. We also look at the live processing date with you, so the timeline you plan around is the real one.
Our Florida apostille price is not published. Request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Florida charge me $20 instead of $10?
Your document was certified by a Clerk of the Court. Florida adds a $10 certificate of incumbency to the $10 apostille for those documents.
Can I photocopy a Florida apostille?
Not as an official copy. Florida prints its certificates on security paper, and the word VOID appears when the page is photocopied.
Is there a Florida apostille office outside Tallahassee?
The Department of State lists one walk-in location, at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee.
Do Florida school transcripts need to be notarized?
Yes, according to the Department’s notary guidance. The school registrar or issuing official’s signature must be notarized at the time the transcript is issued.
Can Florida apostille an FBI background check?
No. An FBI check is a federal document and goes to the U.S. Department of State. Florida’s criminal background check category covers state checks.
What does Florida issue for a country that is not in the Hague Convention?
A notarial certificate or certification instead of an apostille. The receiving country may require further steps.
Can someone outside the United States pay the Florida fee?
Only with a check or money order in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. Florida does not accept credit cards or cash.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the requirements with the receiving country’s authority, and check the current fee and processing date with the Florida Department of State.
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