Quick answer
A county sheriff's clearance letter is a narrower record than an FDLE check, because it only covers that county. 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 2013
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of Nicaragua in Miami
- Translation
- Our standard for a translation is a translator's certification, notarized by a different notary, with its own Florida apostille.
How a Florida sheriff clearance letter is used in Nicaragua
A county sheriff's clearance letter is a narrower record than an FDLE check, because it only covers that county. It's occasional for Nicaragua, mainly when Migración or an attorney asks for a local police record in addition to, or instead of, a state or federal one. If you're asked for it, request the letter from the sheriff's office in the county where you live and ask for it to be notarized when it's issued. A letter without a notarization can't be apostilled, and the sheriff's office won't always notarize it unless you ask.
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 Nicaragua — and translation
Residency files go to the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería. Births, marriages and deaths that happened in Florida are recorded through the Registro del Estado Civil de las Personas (or a Nicaraguan consulate). Powers of attorney, property sales and estates pass through Nicaraguan notaries (notarios públicos), the Registro Público de la Propiedad and the courts. In Florida, the Consulate General of Nicaragua in Miami handles consular matters.
Our standard for a translation is a translator's certification, notarized by a different notary, with its own Florida apostille. Nicaragua may instead require the translation to be made in Nicaragua: its notarial law (Ley 139) allows translations in a public deed before a Nicaraguan notary with at least ten years of incorporation, through an interpreter the notary appoints. Ask the receiving office which version it accepts before you pay for either.
We could not verify a published age limit for Florida documents in Nicaragua. Criminal-record certificates are the documents offices most often want recent, so order them close to your filing date and ask Migración how old is too old.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua
$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 Nicaragua 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).