Need a Florida death certificate apostilled for use abroad? We hand-file your certified Florida death certificate in person at the Florida Department of State and return the finished apostille to you quickly — all state fees included, with overnight return shipping available. Order and submit before 1 PM EST and most clients receive their apostille within about three business days.
Does a Florida death certificate need an apostille for use abroad?
Yes. If a Florida death certificate will be used in another Hague Convention country — to settle an estate, claim a pension or survivor benefit, transfer property, or prove a family relationship — it must be authenticated with an apostille from the Florida Secretary of State, the only authority that issues apostilles for Florida documents. See the full list of countries that accept Florida apostilles.
The two-step process unique to Florida vital records
Death certificates follow a different path than most documents, and getting the order wrong causes rejections. A Florida death certificate must first be issued as a certified copy — a plain photocopy or a notarized copy cannot be apostilled. Certified Florida death and birth records come from the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville. Once you have the certified original, it is submitted to the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee for the apostille. We make sure your certificate is in the correct certified form before filing, so it is not rejected at the counter.
Who needs a Florida death certificate apostille?
- Settling an estate or inheritance abroad — foreign courts and notaries require proof of death
- Claiming a foreign pension or survivor benefit
- Transferring or selling property held in another country
- Closing foreign bank or investment accounts
- Proving lineage for dual citizenship or genealogy claims
- Remarriage abroad, where proof of a prior spouse’s death is required
How our Florida death certificate apostille service works
- Get a certified copy. Order a certified Florida death certificate from the Bureau of Vital Statistics if you do not already have one.
- Send it to us. Ship your certified original to our team.
- We file in person. We hand-deliver it to the Florida Department of State and pre-check it to prevent rejections.
- We ship it back. Your apostilled death certificate returns by overnight FedEx.
Cost
$199 for your first document and $75 for each additional document — all-inclusive, covering the state fee, in-person filing, and FedEx return shipping within the U.S. See our full Florida apostille cost guide.
Non-Hague countries
If the country requesting the death certificate is not a Hague Convention member, the document needs authentication and embassy legalization instead of an apostille. Contact us and we will tell you exactly what your destination country requires.
Frequently asked questions
Can a photocopy of a death certificate be apostilled?
No. Only a certified copy from the Florida Department of Health can be apostilled. A plain photocopy or a notarized copy will be rejected by the state.
Where do I get a certified Florida death certificate?
From the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville, or in some cases the county health department. It must be a certified copy with the registrar’s signature to qualify for an apostille.
How long does a Florida death certificate apostille take?
Once we have your certified certificate, most orders are completed in about three business days — the apostille is issued by the state in roughly two business days and shipped back overnight.
Do I need to come to Florida?
No. Ship your certified death certificate to us, we file it in person, and we ship the completed apostille back to you anywhere.
How much does it cost?
$199 for the first document and $75 for each additional, with all state fees and overnight FedEx return shipping included.
Get your Florida death certificate apostilled
Call or text 954-999-4933, or send us your certified death certificate to get your Florida apostille handled quickly and correctly. Your request is handled by the Online Florida Apostille Team — local Florida notaries who file in person at the Department of State.