A Florida state apostille will authenticate the signature of the State Registrar on a certified copy of a Florida death certificate. An apostille issued by the Florida Secretary of State will make your Florida document valid outside the United States.
Certified copies of Florida death certificates are issued by the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville, Florida. The following signatures on the Florida death certificates are acceptable for Florida apostilles:
- Death certificates issued by local Health Departments are not eligible for apostilles / legalization.
- Death certificates signed by a Deputy State Registrar are not eligible for apostilles / legalization.
- Copies of death certificate cannot be notarized.
Florida apostille: price, processing time, order form
Florida apostille: $175
Processing time: 5-7 bus. days + mail
Please complete the Order Form and mail it with your original document(s) to
If you are sending your document(s) from a foreign country, please use FedEx, DHL or TNT, and email the tracking number so that we could watch for your package.
No hidden fees.
Our guarantee: If we are unable to get your documents apostilled or legalized, we issue a 100% refund, we do not keep any service fees.
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What does a Florida apostille look like?
Order Florida death certification with apostille online
Death certificates vs. death certifications
The State of Florida issues two types of death records: death certifications and death certificates.
Death certifications are public record without cause of death. Anyone may obtain certified copies without the cause of death information. The cause of death becomes public information after 50 years from the date of death. By Florida law, the cause of death is considered confidential prior to that time.
Death certificates which include the cause of death may only be issued to the decedent's spouse, parent, and (if of legal age) child, grandchild, or sibling, or anyone who provides a will, insurance policy or other document that demonstrates their interest in the estate of the decedent or anyone who provides documentation that he or she is acting on the behalf of any of the previously mentioned persons, or by court order.
The Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics (Florida Vital Records) issues certified copies of Florida death certificates for events which occurred in the State of Florida. You may order a certified copy of a Florida death certification (without cause of death) with an apostille through Foreign Documents Express on an expedited basis. If you need a certified copy of the death certificate with cause of death, we recommend using VitalChek.com or obtaining the document directly through the Florida Office of Vital Statistics.
To start the process of getting an apostille for a Florida death certificate, you must first have a certified copy. If you need several death certificates apostilled, for each Florida apostille you will need a certified copy. Please note that, under no circumstances, can a Florida vital record (including death certificates) be notarized. If the Secretary of State sees any kind of notarization on your document, the document will be rejected for an apostille.
Please note that social security numbers held by the Department of Health on death certificates are confidential and will only be issued to an eligible party requesting a confidential record, regardless of the date of death. Therefore, the first five digits of the decedent’s social security number will be redacted when issuing a public record request.