Quick Facts — Florida Apostille (2025)
The Direct Answer
The Florida Department of State currently processes apostille requests in 7–10 business days from the date the package is received in Tallahassee. Add 2–5 days for your documents to arrive by mail and another 2–5 days for the return journey, and you're looking at a total turnaround of 2.5 to 4 weeks from the day you drop your package in the mail.
During peak periods — particularly January through March (tax season, OCI renewal season) and June through August (international student enrollment) — the processing office sometimes runs 15–18 business days. If your deadline is firm, account for this buffer.
Florida does not offer in-person walk-in apostille service. All requests are handled by the Tallahassee office by mail only. There is no legitimate way to obtain a Florida apostille faster than the standard process unless you use a professional courier service that hand-delivers to Tallahassee (not a service the state provides directly).
The Florida Department of State counts Monday through Friday, excluding Florida state holidays. The office observes all standard federal holidays plus Florida-specific closures. Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving week are common sources of unexpected delays.
Florida's Two-Tier Fee Structure
Florida charges different apostille fees depending on the type of document. This distinction confuses many applicants because other states (like Texas) charge a flat fee regardless of document type.
| Document Type | Fee | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Notarized Documents | $10 per document | Power of attorney, affidavits, notarized birth certificate copies, notarized school transcripts |
| State-Certified Documents | $10 per document | Florida vital records (birth, death, marriage), Florida business records |
| Certified Court Documents | $20 per document | Divorce decrees, court orders, criminal record certifications, adoption decrees |
Pay by check or money order made payable to "Florida Department of State." The office does not accept credit cards, debit cards, or cash for mail submissions.
Exact Submission Address
Mail your apostille package to:
Florida Department of State
Division of Corporations
Authentications Section
P.O. Box 6327
Tallahassee, FL 32314
For FedEx/UPS/overnight (street address required):
R.A. Gray Building
500 S. Bronough Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
What to Include in Your Package
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1
The Original Document
Florida apostilles the original document — not a photocopy. For vital records (birth certificate, marriage certificate), this means the certified copy issued by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics. For notarized documents, it means the original with the original wet-ink notary signature and seal.
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2
A Cover Letter
Include a brief cover letter with your name, return mailing address, the country where the document will be used, and the number of documents enclosed. This is not a formal requirement but it prevents processing errors and speeds up handling.
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3
Payment
Check or money order payable to "Florida Department of State" for the correct fee amount. Write your name and the words "Apostille Request" on the memo line. Do not send cash.
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4
A Pre-Addressed Return Envelope
Include a self-addressed envelope for your documents to be returned. For valuable or time-sensitive documents, use a pre-paid FedEx or UPS envelope with tracking. USPS return envelopes are fine for lower-urgency requests.
The Documents That Cause Delays
Not all Florida documents are straightforward. These are the document situations most likely to add extra processing time or result in rejection:
Birth Certificates
Florida birth certificates must be certified copies issued by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics (part of the Florida Department of Health). A photocopy — even a notarized one — will be rejected. Laminated birth certificates cannot be apostilled. If your original Florida birth certificate is laminated, you must order a new certified copy from the Bureau of Vital Statistics before proceeding.
Documents Notarized in Another State
Florida can only apostille documents that were signed or issued in Florida. If a document was notarized in Georgia and you now live in Florida, you must contact the Georgia Secretary of State for the apostille — not Florida. The state that notarized or issued the document is always the state responsible for its apostille.
Federal Documents
Documents issued by a federal agency — such as an FBI background check, U.S. Department of State documents, or federal court orders — must be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., not by Florida. See our federal vs. state apostille guide for the full breakdown.
The Florida Department of State does not provide a tracking number or status update system for apostille requests. Use USPS Certified Mail or a commercial carrier (FedEx/UPS) with tracking to confirm delivery. For return, include a pre-paid tracked envelope. Once delivered, the standard processing clock begins.
Florida vs. Other States: Timeline Comparison
| State | Standard Processing | Walk-In? | Fee (per doc) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 7–10 business days | No | $10–$20 |
| Texas | 10–15 business days (mail); same day (walk-in) | Yes (Mon/Fri) | $15 |
| California | 5–7 business days | No | $20 |
| New York | 3–5 business days | Yes (Albany) | $10 |
| Illinois | 7–10 business days | Yes (Springfield) | $5 |
Frequently Asked Questions
The Florida Department of State does not offer an official expedited service. Some professional document retrieval and apostille courier services offer to hand-deliver to Tallahassee and return the document faster than standard mail — this can reduce turnaround to 3–5 business days, but the apostille itself is still processed in the standard queue. The state does not offer a paid fast-track lane. If your deadline is extremely tight, the courier route is your only legitimate option for speeding things up.
Yes — all Florida vital records (birth, death, marriage) are issued as state records through the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics, even though you may have applied through a county health department. The signature on the document is that of the State Registrar, which is what the Florida SOS authenticates. As long as your document has the Bureau of Vital Statistics state registrar's seal and signature, Florida SOS can apostille it directly without additional notarization.
First, confirm your package arrived using whatever tracking method you used. If confirmed delivered, call the Florida Department of State Authentications Section at (850) 245-6945 with your submission date and the names on your documents. During peak periods, processing may run 3 weeks. If it's been more than 4 weeks since confirmed delivery, contact the office directly.
No — the Florida SOS does not impose an expiration date on apostilles it issues. However, the destination country or agency may have their own requirements about how recently a document was apostilled. Many European embassies and immigration agencies accept apostilles indefinitely; some require documents apostilled within the past 12 months. Check the specific requirements of the institution where you'll be submitting your document.
Yes, if the notary's commission is issued by Florida. Florida remote online notarization (RON) has been legal since 2020, meaning a Florida-commissioned notary can notarize documents for people located anywhere in the world. The apostille jurisdiction is determined by the state that commissioned the notary, not where the signer was physically located. If a Florida-commissioned notary performed the notarization — in person or remotely — the Florida Department of State is the correct office to issue the apostille.