Notary & Apostille · 5 min read

Can a document notarized online get a Florida apostille?

Short answer: yes. Documents notarized through Remote Online Notarization (RON) by a Florida-commissioned notary are eligible for a Florida Secretary of State apostille — which means you can complete the entire chain, from signing to a document valid abroad, without visiting an office or mailing originals for the notarization. Here's how it actually works, and where people get it wrong.

I'm a commissioned Florida Notary Public authorized for RON, and I process this exact combination every week for clients in the U.S., Latin America and Europe.

What Florida law says

Florida authorized Remote Online Notarization under Chapter 117, Part II of the Florida Statutes. A RON notarization performed by a Florida-commissioned online notary has the same legal effect as a traditional in-person notarization. Because the notary's commission is registered with the state, the Florida Department of State can verify that signature and seal — which is exactly what an apostille certifies.

That's the key insight: an apostille doesn't certify your document's content — it certifies the notary's authority. Whether the notarization happened at a desk or over secure video makes no difference to the apostille, as long as the notary is properly commissioned in Florida.

The RON + apostille process, step by step

1. You send the document and say where it will be used (which country, which institution).
2. Secure video session: your identity is verified through the RON platform (ID check plus knowledge-based authentication for U.S. records, or credential analysis for foreign passports). You sign electronically; the notary completes the notarization. Most sessions are done the same business day.
3. Apostille submission: the notarized document is submitted to the Florida Department of State. The state verifies the notary's commission and attaches the apostille.
4. Delivery: the apostilled document ships to you — domestically or by international courier with tracking.

Where people get it wrong

• Using a notary commissioned in another state. A Florida apostille only covers Florida-commissioned notaries. If your notary is commissioned in Texas, the apostille must come from Texas.
• Notarizing documents that shouldn't be notarized. Certified copies of vital records (birth, marriage, death certificates) must NOT be notarized — that can invalidate them for apostille purposes. They go to the state directly as certified copies.
• Believing "same-day apostille" promises. The RON session can be same-day; the apostille itself depends on the Florida Department of State's processing. Serious providers promise same-day submission, not same-day government processing.
• Forgetting the destination country's requirements. The apostille makes the document valid under the Hague Convention, but the receiving institution may also require a certified translation.

FAQ

Do I need to be in Florida — or even in the U.S.?

No. You can join the video session from anywhere in the world with a valid government-issued photo ID. The notary must be in Florida at the time of the notarization; you don't.

What documents work well with RON + apostille?

Powers of attorney, business agreements and releases, affidavits, corporate resolutions, parental travel authorizations — any document that requires a notarized signature and will be used abroad.

Is the notarized PDF the document that gets apostilled?

Yes — Florida supports apostilles for electronically notarized documents. Depending on the destination country's preferences, a printed certified version may be advisable; a good provider will tell you which format your destination accepts before you pay.

This article is informational and reflects Florida practice at the time of writing. It is not individualized legal advice. Requirements vary by destination country and receiving institution.