Depending upon the type of document requiring an apostille (ie: POA, court document, marriage license, death certificate, travel consent letter, FBI background report, state background report etc) will determine which government office needs to provide the apostille. In addition to knowing if your document needs to get processed for an apostille at a state level Secretary of State office or at the federal level with the USDOS, it’s imperative to know the correct way to submit the document. For example, some documents will require correct notarization, and for others, you cannot legally notarize the document. Also, if the document is provided by a court, it must be correctly certified in order to obtain an apostille. For documents requiring notarization, there are multiple types of notarizations. The type of notarization is dependent on the type of document. Additionally, some types of documents must be submitted as a copy, and most others cannot. Each Secretary of State government office also has its own set of rules and regulations, that might differ from other SOS offices. Turnaround times to obtain apostilles will differ from state to state, and options for expediting service will be determined by the specific SOS office. If you due your due diligence and research online for answers to questions related to obtaining apostilles, the probability that you’ll find conflicting information, or instructions that may not be clear. If you use an agency or Certified Apostille Agent, be sure that the apostilles are legally obtained and that they are knowledgeable about the process and have experience in the field. Lastly, be sure that whomever you may use to help with the process is up to date on the latest changes with SOS and USDOS requirements, as well as a realistic turnaround time.
Florida Notary Public, LLC can assist with the process. We have close to 15 years of experience with correct notarizations and obtaining apostilles from many SOS offices and the USDOS. Our clients vary from individuals to businesses and from the United States to countries abroad. For those requiring certified/notarized translations, we also provide those services, as well as Remote Online Notarizations (RON) for clients all over the United States and the world.
