- Serving Citrus & Marion County
- Same-day appointments
Documents headed to another country have to be notarized in a very specific way before Tallahassee will authenticate them. I get that first step right so your paperwork is not mailed back to you three weeks later over a wording problem.
If a government, university, employer or court outside the United States is going to read it, it probably needs one.
Powers of attorney for property, banking or legal matters in another country.
Degrees, transcripts and enrollment letters for study or work visas overseas.
Single status affidavits, affidavits of freedom to marry, and supporting documents for marrying abroad.
International adoption paperwork and guardianship affidavits, where the requirements are strictest.
Articles, resolutions, certificates of good standing and distributor agreements for foreign business.
Sworn statements for foreign courts, pensions, inheritance claims and immigration matters.
An apostille is a certificate issued by the Florida Department of State that tells a foreign government your notary is real and properly commissioned. It goes to countries in the Hague Convention. Countries outside it get a certificate of authentication instead, which usually then needs legalization at that country’s consulate.
Either way, the sequence is the same. Your document gets notarized correctly by a Florida notary. It then goes to the Department of State in Tallahassee with the right fee and a cover letter naming the destination country. They attach the apostille and return it. The naming of the destination country is not optional: it determines which certificate you get.
My part is the first step, and it is where most rejections start: the wrong notarial wording, a missing signer name, an incomplete venue line, or a jurat used where an acknowledgment was required. I will also tell you plainly when a document cannot be notarized at all. Birth, death and marriage certificates must come from the issuing agency as certified copies, and no notary can substitute for that.
I notarize the document and can point you to the state’s submission process. I am not a legal or immigration adviser and I do not file on your behalf.
Three steps, no office visit, no waiting room.
One notary, one phone number, whatever the document turns out to be.
Affidavits, powers of attorney, bills of sale, consent forms and the rest of the everyday paperwork that needs a seal.
Purchases, refinances, HELOCs and reverse mortgages, returned to your title company on time.
Urgent signings at hospitals, rehab, assisted living and hospice, including nights and weekends.
Florida notaries can solemnize marriage. Small, warm ceremonies wherever you want to hold them.
Not sure which service you need? Start here and I will point you to the right one.
Based in Inverness and covering Citrus and Marion County door to door. If you are just outside the list, call anyway. I almost certainly still come.
Inverness · Crystal River · Homosassa · Lecanto · Beverly Hills · Hernando · Citrus Springs · Floral City · Dunnellon · Ocala · Belleview · The Villages
If yours is not here, call and ask. There is no charge for a question.
An apostille is for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention and is accepted on its own. For countries outside it, Florida issues a certificate of authentication, which typically then needs to be legalized by that country’s embassy or consulate. Which one you need depends entirely on the destination country.
No, and no notary can. Vital records (birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates) must be obtained as certified copies from the issuing agency and sent for apostille in that form. A notarized photocopy will be rejected.
I perform the notarization, which is the step that has to be right. Submission to the Department of State is handled by you or by a courier service; I will explain what the packet needs to contain.
Florida’s processing time varies with volume, and mailing adds to it. Check the Department of State’s current turnaround before you commit to a deadline, and build in more time than you think you need.
Bring it. I will use the notarial certificate the document requires as long as it complies with Florida law. Where foreign wording conflicts with what Florida permits, I will tell you before I sign rather than after.
The notarial certificate itself must be in English, and I must be able to communicate directly with you without an interpreter. The body of the document can be in another language. Mention it when you call.
Tell me what you need notarized and I’ll call you back to lock in a time. Same-day, evening and weekend appointments are available, and I come to you.
Call me and get the first step right the first time.
