Do you need a Hague apostille for a certificate of incumbency in the State of Florida?
A Certificate if Incumbency certificate is a document issued by a corporation or a limited liability company (LLC) that lists the names of current directors, officer and, sometimes, shareholders/members.
Here are a few guidelines for preparing this document for foreign use...
To be eligible for an apostille, the certificate of incumbency must have the original signature of the signer and must be properly notarized by a notary commissioned in the State of Florida.
An apostille will authenticate the signature of the Florida notary public who notarized the signature of the company official on the certificate of incumbency.
Remotely notarized documents cannot be apostilled. The original signatures of both the signer and the notary are required for apostille purposes.
Documents in foreign languages are acceptable but the notarization must be in English.
Please note that, for apostille purposes, in a Spanish document the words "notario publico" are not allowed by most Secretaries of State, including the State of Florida.
In many cases the screening process will allow you to accomplish some of the necessary preparation work which can significantly speed up your apostille / legalization project. Email a copy of your notarized certificate of incumbency for a free evaluation.
What does "properly notarized" mean in the State of Florida?
For apostille purposes the contents of the document is not important. What is important is whether the document has been notarized properly.
What does a "proper notarization" mean for the State of Florida?
When notarizing a corporate document, the notary should use a Corporate acknowledgment form:
Corporate Acknowledgment:
(for corporate powers of attorney, certificates of incumbency, affidavits, etc.)
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this (numeric date) day of (month), (year), by (name of person) as (type of authority, e.g. officer, trustee, attorney in fact) for (name of party on behalf of whom instrument was executed)
Notary Stamp:
The official stamp of a Florida notary public shall:
1. Be a rubber stamp
2. Include the name of the notary public, the title “Notary Public - State of Florida” The seal shall also include the date of expiration of the commission of the notary public, and the commission number; and
3. An impression-type seal may be used in addition to the rubber stamp seal, but the rubber stamp seal shall be the official seal for use on a paper document.
The notary can also use Acknowledgment or Jurat usually used for individual powers of attorney. It is acceptable:
Acknowledgment:
(for personal powers of attorney, affidavits, statements, letters, consents, copies of diplomas and transcripts signed by school officials, etc.)
Jurat:
(for personal powers of attorney, affidavits, statements, letters, consents, copies of diplomas and transcripts signed by school officials, etc.)
If your certificate of incumbency meets the notarization requirements, send the original notarized document and the completed Order form to us by mail.
In the State of Florida, as in all U.S. states, an apostille is a separate page attached to the document by a staple. It is signed by the Secretary of State (facsimile signature) and has the Great Seal of the State of Florida.
Florida apostille: $175
Processing time: 4-6 bus. days + mail
Please complete the Order Form and mail it with your original document(s) to
If you are sending your document(s) from a foreign country, please use FedEx, DHL or TNT, and email the tracking number so that we can watch for your package.
No hidden fees.
Our guarantee: If we are unable to get your documents apostilled or legalized, we will issue a 100% refund, we do not keep any service fees.
Free document evaluation
Want to double check before shipping your document? Email a copy for a free evaluation.
