Quick answer
A county sheriff's clearance letter covers only that county's records, and Mexican offices rarely ask for one. 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 1995
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of Mexico in Miami
- Translation
- Our general rule is a translation certified by the translator, notarized by a different notary and apostilled in Florida.
How a Florida sheriff clearance letter is used in Mexico
A county sheriff's clearance letter covers only that county's records, and Mexican offices rarely ask for one. You might see it in a teaching contract, a volunteer placement, or a home-study packet for an adoption that goes through the DIF. Before ordering, ask whether a local letter is enough or whether the Mexican side expects a statewide FDLE record or an FBI check. If the sheriff's letter is the right document, ask the sheriff's office to notarize it when it's issued; 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 Mexico — and translation
In Mexico, Florida documents go to the Registro Civil of each state (inserción de actas extranjeras), notarios públicos (property, fideicomisos, sucesiones, companies), family courts, the SEP (revalidación de estudios) and the National Migration Institute (INM). In the U.S., the Consulate General of Mexico in Miami registers births for Mexican nationality, grants poderes notariales and issues residence visas; its checklists generally require apostille and translation only for documents issued in a third country.
Our general rule is a translation certified by the translator, notarized by a different notary and apostilled in Florida. Mexico is the big exception: notarios, courts and Registros Civiles usually require a perito traductor authorized by a state Tribunal Superior de Justicia instead, done in Mexico after the apostille. Mexican consulates in the U.S. generally don't ask for a translation of English documents, and SEP revalidation accepts a simple translation.
Mexico has no single national expiry for apostilled documents; each notario, registry or consulate sets its own. Many want civil-status records and company certificates recently issued, so order fresh certified copies shortly before you send them to us.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Mexico 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 Mexico
$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 Mexico 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).