Quick answer
A sheriff's clearance letter covers one Florida county, and Turkish 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 1985
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of Türkiye in Miami
- Translation
- Turkish offices expect a Turkish translation.
How a Florida sheriff clearance letter is used in Turkey
A sheriff's clearance letter covers one Florida county, and Turkish offices rarely ask for it. It could appear in a teaching or volunteer file, or alongside a statewide record. Ask whether a county letter is acceptable, or whether they want a statewide FDLE record or an FBI check. If it's the sheriff's letter, 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 Turkey — and translation
Turkish consulates register civil-status events in Türkiye's civil registry (nüfus). In Türkiye, the Presidency of Migration Management handles residence permits, the land registry (Tapu) handles property, notaries and civil courts of peace issue certificates of inheritance, municipal marriage offices handle weddings, YÖK handles degree equivalence, and the trade registry handles companies. The Consulate General of Türkiye in Miami serves Florida.
Turkish offices expect a Turkish translation. Turkish consulates in the U.S. accept a translation by a sworn translator, certified by a U.S. notary and apostilled, which matches our rule: certified by the translator, notarized by a different notary and apostilled in Florida. In Türkiye, a sworn translator's translation approved by a Turkish notary is the alternative. Ask the Turkish consulate in Miami whether the translator must be registered on its list.
Municipal marriage offices commonly treat documents as valid for 6 months (180 days). Other offices set their own limits, so order fresh certified copies close to filing.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Türkiye 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 Turkey
$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 Turkey 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).