Court records must be certified by the Clerk of Court
A Florida apostille certifies a Florida official's signature. On a court record, that official is the Clerk of Court for the county where the case was filed. The judge's signature on the original order isn't what gets apostilled — the clerk's certification on your copy is.
That gives you one rule to remember: the copy you send must be a certified copy issued by the clerk's office. The Florida Department of State accepts Florida circuit court documents and Clerk of Court documents on its apostille page, and requires original certified copies of public documents — photocopies aren't accepted.
Our operating rule is the same: the document must be certified by the county clerk either physically, with an original wet-ink certification, or with the clerk's official online e-certification.
Common court records we apostille:
- Final judgment of dissolution of marriage (divorce decree) — for remarriage abroad or updating civil status in another country.
- Final judgment of name change — to update foreign passports, residence records or citizenship files. See name change order apostille.
- Final judgment of adoption — for a child's foreign citizenship or registration. See adoption documents apostille.
- Letters of administration and other probate letters — so a personal representative can act on an estate's assets abroad.
- Other judgments and orders — custody orders, civil judgments, guardianship letters and similar records.
What a clerk certification looks like
There are two forms of clerk certification we accept.
Original wet-ink certification
The clerk's office prints a copy of the record and adds a certification stating it's a true and correct copy of the record on file, with the clerk's seal, the date and a handwritten signature for the Clerk of Court. That signature is often a deputy clerk's, signed on behalf of the Clerk. What matters is that it's the clerk's own official certification. A stamp from a law firm, a mediator or a court reporter is not.
Official online e-certification
A growing number of Florida clerks issue electronically certified copies. The Clay County Clerk's e-Certify page, for example, describes tamper-evident documents with a unique Clerk of Court digital signature, a unique reference number and a QR code that anyone can use to verify the copy. The Hillsborough County Clerk offers electronic certified copies of court documents such as final divorce decrees and name changes. If you order an e-certified copy, keep it exactly as the clerk delivered it and tell us it's e-certified so we can check it before filing.
Not every clerk offers e-certification, and not every document is available online. When it isn't, the clerk's office will issue a certified paper copy in person or by mail.
Why court records cost $20 at the state
For most documents, the Florida Department of State charges $10. For documents certified by any Florida Clerk of Court, it's $20: a $10 apostille plus a $10 certificate of incumbency, which confirms the authority of the clerk whose certification is on your document. If you file yourself and send $10 for a court record, the request is short-paid.
The same $20 applies to marriage and divorce certificates certified by a Clerk of the County Court rather than the State Registrar.
With us, it doesn't change your price: $220 per document, $380 for two, or $160 each for three or more, with the state fee and FedEx inside the U.S. included. See the cost breakdown.
How to request certified copies from a Florida clerk
Each of Florida's 67 counties has its own Clerk of Court, and each runs its own records system. The steps are broadly the same everywhere.
Find the right county
Certified copies come from the clerk of the county where the case was filed — not where you live now. If you're not sure, the Florida Department of State keeps a directory of Florida Clerks of Court, and the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers site links to each county clerk.
Gather the case details
Have the case number, the names of the parties, the type of case and the approximate filing or judgment date. The exact title of the document you need — for example "Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage" — speeds things up.
Choose how to order
Most clerks take requests online through their records portal, in person at the courthouse, or by mail. Check your clerk's website for which documents can be ordered online and whether e-certification is available.
Ask specifically for a certified copy
Say you need a certified copy, and request every page the receiving country needs. If a divorce judgment incorporates a marital settlement agreement or parenting plan, decide whether those attachments are needed too, and make sure they're included in the certified copy.
Pay the clerk's fees
Clerks charge per-page copy fees plus a certification fee, and online orders may add convenience and card fees. The Hillsborough County Clerk, for example, lists $1 per page plus $8 in convenience fees and a 3.5% card fee for electronic certified copies. Your clerk's website lists its own fees.
Check it when it arrives
Confirm the certification, seal and signature are on the copy, the case number and names are correct, and all the pages you asked for are there. Then send it for the apostille as it is — don't unstaple or add anything.
Notes on specific court records
Divorce decree vs. divorce certificate
The divorce decree is the clerk-certified final judgment. The dissolution of marriage certificate is a separate one-page vital record from the Bureau of Vital Statistics that summarizes it. Foreign authorities often want the full judgment, so ask before you order. The certificate route is in the vital records guide; both are on our divorce apostille page.
Adoption judgments
Adoption files are confidential in Florida, so the clerk will tell you who may get a certified copy and what they need to show. Start with the clerk in the county where the adoption was finalized.
Probate letters
Letters of administration are issued in the probate case and certified by the clerk like any other court record. Some foreign banks and registries want recently certified letters, so ask before you order.
Name change judgments
A final judgment of name change is a court record and follows the same rule: clerk-certified copy, $20 state fee.
Why court records get sent back
- Plain copies. The copy you received at the hearing, a copy from your attorney's file, or a photocopy of a certified copy. None of these carry an original clerk certification.
- Uncertified printouts. Many clerks let you view and print documents from their public records website. Those printouts usually aren't certified — some are watermarked as unofficial. Only the clerk's certified copy or official e-certified copy works.
- Notarized copies. A notary can't attest a copy of a document filed in court or recorded by the clerk. A notary stamp on a court record doesn't make it apostille-ready.
- Incomplete certification. A certification missing the seal or signature, or a stamp that doesn't identify the clerk's office.
- Missing pages. The certified copy leaves out an attachment the foreign authority needs.
- Out-of-state courts. A judgment from a court in another state has to be apostilled by that state, even if you now live in Florida.
- The wrong fee. $10 instead of $20 when filing yourself.
More rejection causes are in why Florida apostilles get rejected. Our online notarization service can't fix a court record — court records need the clerk's certification, not a notary.
Getting the apostille
Once you have the certified copy, you can file it yourself with the $20 state fee — the full process is in how to get a Florida apostille — or order online and send it to us. We review the certification and file it in person in Tallahassee, with the finished apostille back to you in 5–7 business days. International return shipping is $100 flat per order. For a non-Hague country, we handle the Florida authentication at the same price; the U.S. Department of State authentication and embassy legalization that follow are steps we don't handle or arrange. See court records apostille.