Quick answer
German courts can recognize a Florida judgment, but enforcing it, for example collecting a money judgment from assets in Germany, requires a German court to declare it enforceable first. 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 1966
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of Germany in Miami
- Translation
- German offices that require a translation usually want one by a translator sworn, publicly appointed or authorized under German state law…
How a Florida court records is used in Germany
German courts can recognize a Florida judgment, but enforcing it, for example collecting a money judgment from assets in Germany, requires a German court to declare it enforceable first. Custody and support orders follow their own rules and often involve German family courts. In every case, the German side wants a complete copy certified by the Clerk of Court, plus proof of service and finality where available, all apostilled and translated by a sworn German translator. Ask a German lawyer which documents the court needs before you order copies.
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 Germany — and translation
The registrar's office (Standesamt) handles marriages, birth registrations and name declarations; births of children who never lived in Germany go to Standesamt I in Berlin. State justice departments recognize foreign divorces, probate courts (Nachlassgerichte) issue certificates of inheritance, and German notaries and land registries handle property. Recognition of qualifications runs through state authorities and the ZAB. The Consulate General of Germany in Miami serves Florida.
German offices that require a translation usually want one by a translator sworn, publicly appointed or authorized under German state law, searchable in the state justice administrations' database. Our general rule is a translation certified by the translator, notarized by a separate notary and apostilled in Florida; some German offices accept it, but many will instead require a sworn German translator. For recognition of a Florida divorce, plan on the apostille plus a sworn German translation. Translate after the apostille, including the apostille page.
To marry in Germany, the birth certificate must not be older than six months. Other offices set their own limits, so ask; German notaries and register courts also tend to reject corporate certificates that are several months old.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Germany in Miami.
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 Germany
$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 Germany 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).