The death certificate the apostille office accepts
The Florida Department of State's accepted documents page treats death certificates the same way as birth certificates: they must come from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics or a county health department, signed by the State Registrar. The state confirms that signature before it issues the apostille.
Our operating rule adds one more condition: the certified copy must have been issued in 2014 or later. That's the certification date, not the date of death. If the family has older certified copies from a funeral years ago, order a new one for the apostille.
Two situations fall outside Florida altogether. A death in another state is certified and apostilled by that state. A U.S. citizen's death abroad is recorded by the U.S. embassy or consulate on a Consular Report of Death Abroad, which is a federal document authenticated by the U.S. Department of State. We don't handle federal documents.
With or without cause of death
Florida issues death certificates in two versions, and who can order depends on which one you want. According to the Department of Health's death certificates page:
| Without cause of death | With cause of death | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can order | Anyone 18 or older | Restricted for deaths less than 50 years ago (list below) |
| Social Security number | First five digits redacted | Full SSN shown on the certified copy |
| Photo ID | Required with a written request | Required |
For records less than 50 years old, the version with cause of death may be issued only to:
- the decedent's spouse or parent;
- the decedent's child, grandchild or sibling, if 18 or older;
- anyone who provides a will, insurance policy or other document showing an interest in the estate;
- anyone who documents that they're acting for one of the people above, such as an attorney or funeral director;
- anyone with a court order.
If you don't qualify, an eligible person can sign a notarized Affidavit to Release Cause of Death Information (form DH1959). You send it with copies of both your photo IDs and any supporting documents. The Department of Health warns that false statements on these forms are a third-degree felony.
Which version does the foreign office need?
Florida doesn't care which version you apostille; both are signed by the State Registrar. The receiving office decides. Some patterns:
- Inheritance and property transfers. Foreign notaries and registries mainly need proof of the death, the date and place, and the decedent's identity. The version without cause of death is often enough, but ask.
- Life insurance and some pension claims. Insurers often want the cause of death. Order the full version.
- Remarriage of a widow or widower. The registry wants proof the marriage ended. Ask whether the redacted version is acceptable.
If you're eligible, ordering with cause of death costs the same and covers more uses. If you're a friend or more distant relative handling things for the family, the version without cause is the one you can order without paperwork from the family.
Ordering a certified copy step by step
Fees below are as the Department of Health lists them in October 2026.
Gather the details
A written request needs the decedent's full name, sex, date of death (or a range of years, at $2 per extra year up to $50), date of birth, city or county of death, and Social Security number. You add your name, relationship, mailing address, phone and signature, state whether you want the version with or without cause of death, and include a copy of your photo ID. Attorneys and funeral directors also give the client's name and relationship and their license number.
Choose where to order
Order through VitalChek, the Bureau's only contracted vendor, online or at 877-550-7330 (1-615-372-6800 from outside the U.S.). Or use form DH727 (DH727S in Spanish) by mail to Florida Department of Health, Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 210, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042, or walk in at 1217 N. Pearl St., Jacksonville, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. County health departments issue death certificates for deaths from 2009 to the present only.
Pay the right fees
Through VitalChek: $15 for the first certificate (a $5 search fee plus a $10 rush fee), a $7 processing fee and $4 per additional copy, with UPS shipping extra. By mail or walk-in: $5 for the search and one copy, $4 per additional copy, $1 shipping and handling, and an optional $10 rush fee. Mail payments are by check or money order to "Vital Statistics"; county health department fees vary.
Allow for processing
Deaths from 2009 onward normally take 3–5 business days by mail, not counting shipping. Earlier records take longer, and same-day walk-in service for pre-2009 records needs the $10 rush fee, when available.
Order enough copies
Estates abroad often need more than one apostilled copy: one for the notary or court, one for a bank, one for a land registry. Extra copies on the same order are $4 each, which is far cheaper than ordering again later.
The Department of Health's combined apostille order
The Department of Health's apostille page has a death application for apostille use (form DH727A). The combined route runs through VitalChek: the Bureau ships the certificate to the Florida Department of State, which mails the apostilled certificate back, both by UPS. VitalChek charges its $7 fee on top of both agencies' fees and two UPS charges. You won't see the certificate before it's apostilled, so make sure you've chosen the right version and spelled every name correctly.
Ordering when the family lives outside the U.S.
Heirs abroad are often the ones who need the certificate, and paying a Florida agency from overseas is the first hurdle. VitalChek takes card payments and has an international phone line, which makes it the simplest option. Mailed orders from abroad must be paid with a U.S.-dollar cashier's check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank, which is hard to get in most countries.
If a relative or attorney in the U.S. is eligible, they can order the certificate to their address and ship it to us with our prepaid FedEx label. We return the apostilled certificate anywhere in the world for the flat $100 international fee. More on that route in Florida apostille from outside the U.S..
Death certificates rarely travel alone
When a death certificate goes abroad for an estate, a foreign notary or court usually asks for more. Plan the whole package at once:
- Proof of who the heirs are. Birth and marriage certificates linking the heirs to the decedent. See birth certificates and marriage certificates.
- Florida probate records. Letters of administration or a will admitted to probate are court records, certified by the Clerk of Court. See court records for apostille.
- A power of attorney so someone abroad can sign for you. See how to prepare a power of attorney for use abroad.
Three or more documents in one order cost $160 each with us, instead of $220.
Before you send it
Check the certificate the day it arrives.
- Issued by the Bureau of Vital Statistics or a Florida county health department
- Signed by the State Registrar, on security paper with the raised seal
- Certified in 2014 or later
- The version (with or without cause of death) the receiving office asked for
- Decedent's name and dates match the other documents in your file
- Not stapled, taped, laminated or marked
- No translation attached yet; translate after the apostille if required
Getting the death certificate apostilled
Filing yourself costs the $10 state fee; the process is in how to get a Florida apostille. Or order online and send the certificate to us on our prepaid FedEx label. We file every order in person in Tallahassee and return it in 5–7 business days.
Pricing: $220 for one document, $380 for two, $160 each for three or more, including the state fee, request form, filing and FedEx inside the U.S. The certificate itself is a separate cost paid to the Department of Health, a county health department or VitalChek. Shipping to an heir or lawyer abroad is a flat $100 per order. See our death certificate apostille page for country notes, or non-Hague authentication if the country isn't a Hague member.