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How to get a Florida birth certificate apostille

By Frank MetayerUpdated November 12, 2026

A Florida birth certificate gets its apostille from the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee. First, though, the Florida Department of Health has to issue a certified copy that carries the State Registrar's signature. That copy can come from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville or from a county health department.

The Department of Health calls this a two-step process: first the record, then the apostille (a certificate from the Florida Department of State that tells other Hague Convention countries the State Registrar's signature is genuine). If the copy from step one is wrong, Tallahassee sends it back, however official it looks. So check the signature line before you do anything else.

For Florida powers of attorney, court papers, and corporate records, see our Florida apostille page.

Key takeaways

The Florida Department of State, through its Division of Corporations, is the only Florida office that issues apostilles.
The certified copy needs the State Registrar's signature, whether it came from Jacksonville or a county health department.
Florida birth records stay confidential for 125 years, so only eligible people can order a certified copy.
Ordering through VitalChek with the Department of Health's apostille application can cover both steps in one order.

Jacksonville or the county health department

Florida prints certified birth certificates in two places. The Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville holds the statewide file and takes orders online, by mail, and at its walk-in lobby. County health departments also issue certified copies, in person or by mail, for births from 1917 to the present (as of 2026).

Either source can work for an apostille. The Department of State looks at the signature, not at the counter where you picked the copy up. It wants the State Registrar's signature on a certified copy printed on security paper with Florida's embossed seal.

Births before 1917 are a different story. Florida recorded only a limited number of births between 1850 and 1917, and those records are held by the Bureau. If yours is that old, ask the Bureau what it can certify before you plan the apostille.

Read the signature line first

Look at the name and title printed under the signature on your certificate. If it says State Registrar, you're in good shape. If it names a local registrar or a county health officer instead, plan on ordering a new copy.

Age can matter too. Florida has had several State Registrars over the years, and the Department of State checks the signature against its own records. If your copy is decades old or worn, a fresh one is usually the simpler route.

Some papers look like birth certificates but aren't the certified copy Florida needs:

A hospital souvenir with the baby's footprints.
A commemorative certificate bought as a keepsake.
A photocopy of any kind, including one with a notary's stamp.

About that notary stamp: Florida law doesn't allow notaries to certify copies of vital records. A notarized photocopy gives Tallahassee one more reason to refuse the request. Send the certified copy exactly as the Department of Health issued it.

Who Florida lets order the record

Florida keeps birth records confidential for 125 years. Until then, the Department of Health releases a certified copy only to the person named on it (once they're 18), a parent listed on the record, a legal guardian, a legal representative of one of those people, or someone with a court order.

Ordering for someone else, such as a grown child? The eligible person signs a notarized Affidavit to Release Birth Certificate (form DH1958), and you send it with copies of both photo IDs. If the person on the record has died, a spouse, child, grandchild, or sibling can order a copy with a copy of the death certificate.

Ordering with the apostille in mind

The Department of Health has its own apostille birth application, form DH726A. Through VitalChek, the state's only contracted online vendor, you can order the certificate and the apostille together, and VitalChek collects payment for both steps (as of 2026).

By mail or in person, the steps run in sequence. You order the certified copy from the Bureau or a county health department, then forward that copy to the Department of State. As of 2026, the Bureau lists three to five business days to process a mail request, not counting shipping.

Not sure which Florida form fits your case? Our document retrieval service can order the State Registrar copy for you and pass it straight to the apostille step.

What happens in Tallahassee

The Department of State's Division of Corporations is the only office designated to issue apostilles for Florida documents. Its job is narrow: confirm the official's signature and attach the certificate.

It needs to know where the document is going. A country in the Hague Apostille Convention receives an apostille. For a country outside the Convention, Florida issues a notarial certification instead, and that country's embassy or consulate usually handles legalization afterward.

Florida only certifies Florida records. If you were born in Miami and now live in San Diego, the apostille still comes from Tallahassee. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad, issued to a child of American parents born overseas, is a federal record, so the U.S. Department of State issues that apostille instead.

A Florida record, filed from across the country

Florida is one of the states we handle every week. People born there move everywhere, and the request often reaches us when a consulate asks for a record from a state the person left years ago.

We're based in San Diego and have no office in Florida. You can drop the certificate at either of our San Diego offices or mail it to us with tracking. We check the signature, order a replacement if it's the wrong copy, and submit it to the Florida Department of State for the apostille. Our birth certificate apostille service also handles records from other states, each sent to the state that issued it.

Before the consulate sees it

Many receiving offices want a birth certificate issued recently, often within the last few months. That window is set by the office abroad, not by Florida, and the apostille itself never expires. Ask before you order, or you may pay for the copy twice. Our guide to when an apostille expires explains the difference.

A country that works in another language will often want the certificate and its apostille translated. We arrange certified translations. For Spain, some consulates ask for a sworn translation by a Traductor-Intérprete Jurado, a translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). Hector Gomez on our team holds that appointment. Each office sets its own translation rules, so check the checklist for your case first.

Check your Florida copy before it travels

Show us the certificate you have, by email or at our San Diego offices, and we'll check the signature before anything goes to Tallahassee. Florida rates are on our pricing page.

Start an order Call 1-800-889-7850

Frequently asked questions

Who issues the apostille for a Florida birth certificate?+

The Florida Department of State, through its Division of Corporations in Tallahassee. It is the only office designated to issue apostilles for Florida documents. Only Florida can apostille a Florida birth record, wherever you live now, and the U.S. Department of State does not apostille state birth certificates.

Does a birth certificate from a Florida county health department work for an apostille?+

It can. The Department of State looks at the signature, not the office that printed the copy. It needs a certified copy on security paper with Florida's embossed seal, signed by the State Registrar. If your copy is signed by a local registrar or a county health officer, order a new one. As of 2026, confirm current rules with the Department of State.

Who can order a Florida birth certificate for an apostille?+

Florida keeps birth records confidential for 125 years. Until then, only the person named on the record (age 18 or older), a parent listed on it, a legal guardian, a legal representative, or someone with a court order can order a certified copy. Anyone else needs a notarized Affidavit to Release Birth Certificate (form DH1958) signed by an eligible person, plus copies of both photo IDs.

Should I notarize my Florida birth certificate before the apostille?+

No. Florida notaries are not allowed to certify copies of vital records, and a notarized photocopy will not be accepted. Send the certified copy exactly as the Florida Department of Health issued it.

How long does a Florida birth certificate apostille take?+

Most orders, including Florida birth certificates, are completed in six business days or sooner. Government workload can lengthen this. If we first need to order a State Registrar copy for you, add the time the Department of Health takes to produce it.

How much does it cost to apostille a Florida birth certificate?+

We charge a flat price per document, based on the document type and the state or agency that issued it. You see that price before you order, with no hidden fees.

Keep reading

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