Quick answer
Florida court records reach China in family and commercial disputes: custody or support orders, judgments a Chinese court is asked to recognize, or probate orders for assets in China. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The Clerk of the Circuit Court in the Florida county where the case was filed: judgments, probate letters, guardianship letters and family orders.
- Florida state fee
- $20 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 2023
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Embassy of China in Washington, D.C.
- Translation
- China generally requires a full Chinese translation sealed by a translation agency, often one registered in China, or by the employer for work-permit files.
How a Florida court records is used in China
Florida court records reach China in family and commercial disputes: custody or support orders, judgments a Chinese court is asked to recognize, or probate orders for assets in China. Chinese courts want the order certified by the Clerk of Court and apostilled, with a Chinese translation. Recognition of a foreign judgment in China is a court process, and the apostille only proves authenticity. Bring the final order, not an interim one.
Getting a court records Florida will apostille
A complete copy certified by the Florida Clerk of Court, either with an original wet-ink certification and the clerk's seal or with the clerk's official e-certification, including the judge's signature page and with nothing removed or added. The state fee is $20 ($10 apostille + $10 certificate of incumbency), included in our price.
Order the certified copy from the clerk of the county where the case was filed, online, by mail or at the courthouse. Florida law sets the clerk's certification fee at $2 plus copy charges, usually $1 per page, and some clerks add online fees. Sealed or confidential records need the clerk's release. Clerk fees are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $20 — included in our price. Full details on the court records apostille page.
Who receives it in China — and translation
Work permits go through local foreign-expert and work-permit offices; residence permits through public security bureaus' exit-entry offices; companies through local Administrations for Market Regulation; marriages through civil affairs marriage registration offices; and inheritances through Chinese notary offices. The Embassy of China in Washington, D.C. serves Florida, but it no longer authenticates U.S. documents for mainland China.
China generally requires a full Chinese translation sealed by a translation agency, often one registered in China, or by the employer for work-permit files. A Florida translation, even certified, notarized and apostilled, may not be accepted, so ask the Chinese office first.
Work-permit rules require a criminal record certificate issued within six months, and Beijing's marriage registration rules treat a single-status document as valid for six months. Other offices set their own limits.
Consular office serving Florida: Embassy of China in Washington, D.C.
Four steps, one week
Order online
Pick the document and destination country on the order form and pay by card. After we review your documents, FedEx emails you a prepaid label.
Send your document
Drop the envelope at any FedEx location.
We file in person
We review it, then walk it to the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee for the apostille.
Returned to you
Back in 5–7 business days — anywhere in the U.S., or abroad for a flat $100.
Why court recordss get rejected
- Docket printout, attorney copy or conformed copy
- Notarized photocopy of the court record
- Missing pages, such as the judge's signature page
- Order from another state's court
What it costs for China
$220 per document, $380 for two and $160 each for three or more — the state fee, request form, in-person filing in Tallahassee and FedEx shipping inside the U.S. are included. Shipping the finished apostille to China is a flat $100 per order.
Not included: whatever the issuing office charges for the certified copy or certificate, and notarization (online notarization is $40 for the first document — $10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee — and $20 for each additional one).