Quick answer
This comes up for Italian citizens, including those recognized by descent, who changed their name by Florida court order and now have Italian records showing the old name. 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 name change was granted, as a certified copy of the final judgment of change of name (section 68.07…
- Florida state fee
- $20 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 1978
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of Italy in Miami
- Translation
- Italian offices need an official Italian translation of English records, and the Miami consulate states that it does not translate documents.
How a Florida name change order is used in Italy
This comes up for Italian citizens, including those recognized by descent, who changed their name by Florida court order and now have Italian records showing the old name. The comune doesn't simply overwrite an Italian civil record with a foreign name change, and Italian name rules differ from Florida's. It also comes up in descent files, to connect a birth certificate to an ancestor's or applicant's later name. Bring the order certified by the Clerk of Court, apostilled and translated, and ask the consulate how it will treat it.
Getting a name change order Florida will apostille
A certified copy of the final judgment of change of name with the clerk's original certification and seal or official e-certification, complete with the judge's signature page. The former and new names must match your other records exactly. The state fee is $20, included in our price.
Request it from the clerk of the county that granted the change, online, by mail or at the counter. If you were born in Florida, the change is reported to Vital Statistics, and many foreign offices also want an updated certified birth certificate from VitalChek or the Bureau. Clerk and Vital Statistics fees are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $20 — included in our price. Full details on the name change order apostille page.
Who receives it in Italy — and translation
The Consulate General of Italy in Miami handles citizenship by descent and transcription of Florida births, marriages and divorces into the comune's civil records; applicants must live in its district. Citizenship by marriage is filed online with the Ministry of the Interior. Italian notai use powers of attorney and handle property and inheritances, the Agenzia delle Entrate receives inheritance declarations, and universities and CIMEA assess foreign degrees. Since Law 74/2025, citizenship-by-descent applications filed after March 27, 2025 face much narrower eligibility — confirm you qualify before preparing documents.
Italian offices need an official Italian translation of English records, and the Miami consulate states that it does not translate documents. Our general rule is a translation certified by the translator, notarized by a separate Florida notary and apostilled; ask the consulate whether it accepts that format or certifies translations itself. Courts and some comuni in Italy may instead require a translation sworn before an Italian court (asseverata). Translate after the apostille, including the apostille page.
Criminal-record certificates for citizenship by marriage are valid for six months from issue and must still be valid when you file. For descent files, the consulate wants every document in original in one complete submission, so order fresh vital records close to your appointment.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Italy 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 name change orders get rejected
- Hearing copy, scan or attorney copy instead of the clerk-certified judgment
- Notarized photocopy of the judgment
- Missing pages
- Wrong document: a name restored in a divorce is shown by the divorce judgment
What it costs for Italy
$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 Italy 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).
