Quick answer
A sheriff's clearance letter covers only one Florida county, and Israeli offices rarely ask for it. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The records section of the Florida county sheriff's office where you live or lived, with its employee signing before a Florida notary when the letter is issued.
- Florida state fee
- $10 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 1978
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of Israel in Miami
- Translation
- For registering a change of personal status, gov.il requires a notarized translation only for certificates not in Hebrew, English or Arabic…
How a Florida sheriff clearance letter is used in Israel
A sheriff's clearance letter covers only one Florida county, and Israeli offices rarely ask for it. The aliyah certificate of good conduct is usually a national check, and many U.S. applicants are asked for the FBI check. A sheriff's letter might be useful only if an Israeli office specifically asks for local records. If so, the sheriff's office must notarize it at issuance; a plain printout can't be apostilled.
Getting a sheriff clearance letter Florida will apostille
An original letter on the sheriff's office letterhead, signed by its records employee and notarized when issued, with a complete Florida notarial certificate and seal. A plain printout, an emailed PDF or a letter you take to a notary afterwards can't be apostilled.
Contact the records section of the sheriff's office, say the letter is for an apostille and ask for the notarized version; each office sets its own process, fees and ID rules. Sheriff's office fees are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $10 — included in our price. Full details on the sheriff clearance letter apostille page.
Who receives it in Israel — and translation
The Population and Immigration Authority's Population Registry records marriages, divorces, births and deaths, usually through Israeli missions when you're abroad. Aliyah files go through the bodies handling immigration eligibility. The Registrar of Inheritance handles inheritance orders, and the Land Registry (Tabu) handles property. The Consulate General of Israel in Miami serves Florida.
For registering a change of personal status, gov.il requires a notarized translation only for certificates not in Hebrew, English or Arabic, so English Florida certificates usually need none. If another office asks for Hebrew, our rule applies: a translation certified by the translator, notarized by a different notary and apostilled in Florida.
Israel has no single expiry for apostilled documents. Aliyah files and some offices may want recent police records or civil-status documents, so check your file's list before ordering.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Israel 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 sheriff clearance letters get rejected
- Letter not notarized
- Notarized later by a notary who didn't witness the signature
- Scan or copy instead of the original letter
- Older than the receiving authority's age limit
What it costs for Israel
$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 Israel 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).