Florida Secretary Of State Certified Copies And Certificates Of Status
- Submit the original certified copy or certificate of status previously issued by this office OR
- Submit an apostille request and $10 fee, with a separate Certificate of Status or Certified Copy request and fee.
- Fees must be submitted using two separate checks or money orders.
- One check or money order for the appropriate certified copy or certificate of status fee AND
- One check or money order for the $10 apostille fee.
How Do I Obtain Florida Divorce Records
Florida divorce records can be obtained by querying the office of the Clerk of Circuit Court in the judicial district where the divorce was granted. Requests for divorce records are also processed by Floridas Bureau of Vital Statistics which maintains a statewide repository of records of divorces that occurred within the states jurisdiction. To request a divorce record, interested persons may download and complete the states divorce report application. Completed applications must be accompanied by a payment of $5 plus $4 per additional certification and $2 for each additional year searched. The application and payment may then be submitted in person or via mail to:
Florida Department Of HealthJacksonville, FL 32231-0042
How Do I Obtain Sealed Vital Records In Florida
Sealed vital records can be accessed by persons with a court order or subpoena authorizing their request. To obtain legal authorization, interested persons may petition a Florida-licensed judge and request the order. This request will be granted if the requesting party sufficiently proves a direct and tangible interest in the record. Upon receiving the legal order, the requestor may proceed to query the record custodian for the record of interest.
State Archives
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How Do I Obtain A Copy Of My Deed Or Other Recorded Instrument
There are four ways in which you can obtain a regular copy or a certified copy of a document:
Please refer to our for associated costs.
How Do I Obtain Florida Vital Records

To access a vital record in Florida, requestors are typically expected to fulfill specific prerequisites. The requirements for obtaining these records often vary depending on the type of record requested, and the authority of the requesting party.
Where the requestor is ineligible to access the record of interest or said record has been sealed or deemed confidential by court order, the requesting party will be required to provide the required legal authority in form of a court subpoena. This must be accompanied by a government-issued photo I.D. and any additional document requested by the record custodian. In the event that the record is being requested for non-official functions, no documentation is required by the requestor. Notwithstanding, the requestor will be required to provide the information required to facilitate record search.
Similarly, publicly available records are also managed and disseminated by some third-party aggregate sites. These sites are generally not limited by geographical record availability and may serve as a reliable jump-off point when researching specific or multiple records. However, third-party sites are not government-sponsored. As such, record availability may differ from official channels. To find a record using the search engines on third party sites, the requesting party will be required to provide:
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Are Death Certificates Public Record In Florida
Certificates are open to the public. Anyone 18 years old or older can ask for one. However, records accessed publicly generally do not contain a cause of death unless the person has a qualifying relationship or the death occurred more than 50 years ago.
If you dont need an actual certificate, you can complete a death record search by name at Florida Vital Records. While you can usually complete public records search free online, not all information may be accessible. While death certificates are public record in Florida, they are not public in every state.
How To Order A Florida Birth Certificate
Who can request a birth certificate?
Births less than 100 years old are confidential and may only be issued to:
- Registrant if of legal age
- Parent listed on the Birth Record
- Legal representative of one of the above persons
- Upon receipt of registrants death record, a birth certificate marked Deceased may be issued to the spouse, child, grandchild, or sibling, if of legal age. Please notate Registrant Deceased on the application and include a photocopy of the death certificate.
VALID PHOTO IDENTIFICATION IS REQUIRED WHEN REQUESTING A BIRTH RECORD.
If applicant is not one of the above, the application must be accompanied with a notarized Affidavit to Release a Birth Certificate signed by one of the above, along with any supporting documentation and a copy of valid photo ID of both the person authorizing release and the applicant.
Ordering a Florida Birth Certificate
Any person who willfully and knowingly provides any false information on a certificate, record or report required by Chapter 382, Florida Statutes, or on an application or affidavit, or who obtains confidential information from any Vital Record under false or fraudulent purposes, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in Chapter 775, Florida Statutes.
Please note that limited births were recorded between 1850 and 1917
- ORDER ONLINE WITH VITALCHEK
Click here to order online with a credit card from VitalChek® and have your certificates delivered right to your door.
Fees:
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Obtaining A Death Certificate
You may use one of four secure, convenient, and fast ways to acquire a death certificate:
IN PERSON – same day service available at our Vital Statistics office located at 807 W. Church St. Any of the following is required for identification: valid State Driver’s license, ID card, Passport, or Military ID.
BY MAIL – you may use the application form provided here: Death Certificate Application .
Please include cardholders state-issued identification or drivers license to the application if the cardholder is different than the applicant. Mail application to the attention of Vital Statistics at 832 West Central Blvd Orlando, FL 32805 .
Make money orders or cashier’s checks payable to Vital Statistics. Personal checks are not accepted at this time.
Please Note: “Florida Department of Health in Orange County does not accept online orders however, for your convenience, you can process online requests through an independent company that we have partnered with to provide you this service VitalChek Network, Inc. VitalChek can be reached either through its website, VitalChek, or by phone at 1-800-255-2414. An additional fee is charged by VitalChek for using this service, and all major credit cards are accepted, including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®.”
All other records for the state of Florida may be obtained through the State Vital Statistics Office by calling 904-359-6900 or in writing to: Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 210, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042
How Do I Obtain A Copy Of My Divorce
Divorce documents are filed in the Civil Division, located in the Justice Center at 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, mailing address P. O. Box 310, Fort Myers, Florida 33902. There is a fee for copies and certification of documents. Refer to the . The documents are not available on the Internet. At the end of the information about any given case, there is a link to the particular office, which can give further information.
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Are Florida Vital Records Open To The Public
Not all Florida vital records are open to the public. Although Floridas public record laws offer members of the public the right of access to vital records, this right is not absolute. According to the provisions of Florida statutes, certified copies and records which are deemed confidential are strictly available to persons who meet specific eligibility requirements. This usually includes the person named on the record, their immediate family members and persons with the legal authority to waive any exemptions.
Florida Bureau Of Vital Statistics
The Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics has copies of:
- Florida Birth Records, 1917-present
- Florida Marriage Records, 1927-present
- Florida Divorce Records, 1927-present
These records are not currently available online but can be ordered from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics for a fee. Restrictions apply to obtaining these records. Details about how to order the records can be found on the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics website.
For online and earlier vital records for Florida, see the pages in our directory for:
- 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
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How Do I Obtain Florida Birth Records
Requests for Florida birth records or birth certificates are processed by Local County Health Departments and the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics. The requirements for accessing birth certificates through county health departments generally varies depending on the judicial district. As such, requestors are required to contact the departments for information regarding their respective requirements.
To order birth certificate copies from the state Bureau, interested and eligible persons are required to download and complete the state’s birth record application.
Where the requestor is the registrant, an immediate family member or legal representative, the completed application must be accompanied by a copy of a government-issued photo ID. An applicant can also request for a birth certificate replacement if the need arises. However, if the applicant is neither of the aforementioned persons, the application must be accompanied by an affidavit to release a birth certificate which must be signed by one of the eligible persons and notarized. Completed applications along with the accompanying documents and indicated fees may be submitted in person or via mail to
Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics,1217 N Pearl Street,Jacksonville, Fl 32231-004
How To Obtain A Copy Of A Death Certificate:

Visit our main office:
Bldg. A, Suite 251, MC-21Jacksonville, FL 32209
Order via telephone:
You may order birth and death certificates by phone with a credit card by calling VitalChek at 1-877-297-9125. All major credit cards are accepted, including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®. The VitalChek fax number is 1-888-985-2842.
Order online through VitalCheck:
VitalChek® is the only vendor recommended by the Florida Department of Health. VitalChek® is a 3rd party service, not affiliated with the Florida Department of Health. VitalChek can be reached either through its website, www.vitalchek.com, or by phone at 1-877-297-9125. An additional fee is charged by VitalChek for using this service and all major credit cards are accepted, including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®.
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How Do I Obtain A Copy Of A Death Certificate
Florida death record copies for deaths occurring in 2009 to the present may be obtained at the Florida Department of Health Lee County Vital Statistics office or ordered online through VitalChek.
Florida death records prior to 2009 can be obtained from the Bureau of Vital Statistics or ordered through VitalChek.
Death records for other states can be ordered through VitalChek.
For more information call 239-332-9572 or visit .
What Information Do I Need To Search For Florida Vital Records Online
To search for vital records online, requesters are generally required to provide record-related information to facilitate the search. This information includes:
- The place and approximate date of the vital event
- The full name of the person named on the record
- Former or maiden names
- The case file number of the record The license-number and issuing date of the record
- The name of the subject’s parents or legal guardians.
The Florida Bureau of Vital Health Statistics maintains a statewide repository of public information that can be searched for open vital records. However, all sealed, restricted or closed records cannot be searched online but may be obtained by querying the record custodian in person.
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State Of Florida School Transcripts
Florida Public School or University
- Submit a notarized transcript signed by the School Registrar or an issuing official
Florida Private School or University
- Submit a printed notarized transcript:
- Attesting the transcript is a copy AND
- Signed by the Student or Custodian.
- Submit a vehicle title certified by the Florida Department of Highway Safety Motor Vehicles.
- Any fees required by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles are from the fees required by the Florida Department of State.
Death Certificate Without Cause
A certified copy of the death record with the embossed Seal of Florida. This certificate is accepted by all state and federal agencies. It can typically be used to obtain death benefits, notify social security and other legal purposes. Death certificates are available for events that occurred within the State of Florida from 1877 to present.
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Need Information On Deaths That Occurred Outside Of Florida Or The United States
For deaths that occurred outside of Florida, visit the National Center of Health Statistics website at www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
For deaths that occurred outside of the United States, visit the National Center for Health Statistics website at www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/foreign.htm
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.
How To Conduct A Free Obituary Search In Florida
Residents can visit their local public library to carry out a free Florida obituary search. Usually, public libraries have extensive collections of digitized local newspapers, including archives of older newspapers. These libraries may also provide an online resource where interested persons can remotely conduct a free obituary search. For example, the Florida Electronic Library provided by the Division of Library and Information Services and the Learning & Research resources provided by the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative are both online resources for persons interested in performing a free obituary search in Florida. However, in most cases, an individual must have a public library card or membership to view a library’s collection.
Other than the public libraries, individuals can use online databases to conduct a free obituary lookup in Florida. Many of these databases are searchable with a decedent’s name, place of death, or death year range, but they may not contain older obituary records.
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How Do I Obtain A Copy Of My Florida Driving Record
You may check the status of your license on the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website. The site will only inform you if your license is valid or invalid. In order to find out the reason for suspensions or revocations, you may purchase a copy of your driving record from the Clerk of Courts for a fee. Refer to the for more information.
Who Can Obtain A Copy Of A Death Certificate

Without the cause of death listed:
- Anyone may request a copy of a death certificate without the cause of death showing on the certificate
With the cause of death listed:
- To obtain a copy of a death certificate with the cause of death showing on the certificate, you have to be an immediate family member. This includes a spouse, brother or sister, son or daughter, grandparent or grandson or granddaughter or
- Beneficiary of a deceased persons life insurance policy or
- Estate administrator
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Documents Notarized By A Florida Notary Public
- A full notarial statement is required.
- See examples of acceptable full notarial statements in Governor’s Manual.
Are Florida Death Records Open To The Public
Yes. According to the provisions of Florida state statutes, Florida death records are open to the public and can be accessed by persons who are 18 or older. However, public death records typically exclude information regarding the cause of death. Persons eligible to perform a death record search by name, or obtain Florida death records with the cause of death information include:
- The deceaseds parent, legal guardian or spouse
- Children, grandchildren, and siblings of the decedent
- Persons authorized by court order
- Individuals who can demonstrate tangible interest i.e. can provide a will or insurance policy.
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