Who is a Notary Public?

A Notary Public is an official of integrity appointed by The Governor — to serve the public as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents.

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What is Mobile Notary?

A mobile notary is a Notary Public who travels to the customer's location of choice, to perform notarizations. A travel fee is usually charged for this kind of service.

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Do I need an appointment?

Yes. An appointment is required. 

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What types of identification are acceptable?

• State-issued driver's license / identification card

• U.S. passport issued by the U.S. Department of State

• U.S. military ID

• State, county and local government IDs

• Permanent resident card, or "green card," issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services*

• Foreign passport*

• Driver's license officially issued in Mexico or Canada

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Do you notarize on weekends?

Yes. We perform notarization 7 days a week.

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FINGERPRINTING:

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• How soon can I schedule a Mobile On-Site fingerprinting appointment?

We always aim to accommodate your needs! If we have availability, we can even set up a session for the same day!

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• Is a minimum number of people required in order to schedule a Mobile On-Site Fingerprinting session?

Absolutely not! Even if you have one person that requires a session, we'll be there!

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• Do I need to provide any documentation at my Mobile On-Site Fingerprint Session?

All we require is a valid Photo ID. However, some requesting agencies may ask you to have the Fingerprint Technician fill out specific forms that may require more than one ID to be verified.

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• What payment do you accept?

We accept all major credit/debit cards, PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, etc... 

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APOSTILLE / AUTHENTICATION CERTIFICATE

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What is a Florida Apostille?

An apostille, simply put, is a cover page.  This cover page by the Florida Department of State serves as the authentication  of the seals and signatures on a document intended for use in a foreign country.  

The Florida Department of State will only apostille the following types of documents:

• Original paper documents notarized by a Florida notary public.  The document must have an original wet signature and notarial stamp;

• Documents notarized online by a certified Florida remote online notary (RON); and

• Certified and/or recordable documents issued by the State of Florida or Florida county governments.  Examples: Florida birth and death certificates, articles of incorporation, certificates of status, corporate and LLC articles or annual reports, divorce decrees, single status affidavits, etc.

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What is the difference between “Hague” and “Non-Hague” countries?

Countries that are participants in the 1961 Hague Convention have agreed to accept an apostille cover sheet as the only authentication required for a document to be used in their country.  The apostille is issued by the Secretary of State in the state of the document’s origination.  For a federal document such as an FBI background check or a social security benefit verification letter, the apostille is issued by the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C..

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Can you help with authentications for “Non-Hague” countries?

Yes. Instead of the simplified “one-step” apostille process for Hague countries, you will typically require a 4-step process to authenticate your documents:

• The document must be properly notarized.

• Authentication by the Secretary of State.

• Authentication by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC; and

• Legalized at the embassy/consulate of the destination country.

Unfortunately, there is no way to expedite or rush a U.S. Department of State authentication.  As of December 2022, the average turnaround time is 8-10 weeks.  Please plan accordingly.

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Can I apostille a document for use in the United States?

No, an apostille is only for a document intended for use in a foreign country.

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What if I have a federal document, like an FBI Background Check?

Federal documents such as FBI background checks cannot be apostilled, Instead, we will have it authenticated for you with the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

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My document is in a foreign language, does it need to be translated prior to being sent for an apostille?

The Florida Secretary of State will issue an apostille for documents in a language other than English, but the notarization language must be in English.  However, your intended recipient in the foreign country may require a translation of the document.   In some cases, the translation must be apostilled too.  If you require document translations services, we can assist you.

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My documents are not notarized.  Can you help?

Yes.  We have a certified Florida remote online (RON) notary on staff that can notarize your documents online.  

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How do you get Florida apostille certifications so quickly?

We take your documents to the Florida state capital in Tallahassee and personally present them to the Florida Department of State.  After the apostille is issued, we FedEx or UPS the authenticated documents back to the address you provided.    If your documents require further authentication with the U.S. Department of State, we handle that also.  In addition, we facilitate the legalization of your documents with foreign consulates and embassies.

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Can you ship internationally ?

Yes, we can ship your apostilled documents back to you, anywhere in the world, at an additional cost.  We use FedEx Priority International and DHL Express International.

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I have been told that I need my birth certificate, passport, and something called a “Single Status Certificate” apostilled for my destination wedding.  Can you help with this?

It’s actually our most popular request, and we’re happy to help. 

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Can I un-staple the apostille cover sheet from the original document and attach it to a copy?

No.  It is unlawful for you to remove the staple.  Once an apostille cover sheet is stapled to a document, it is intended to stay there forever.  Some foreign authorities carefully inspect the documents for double staple holes.  If they are found, your document may be rejected.

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Does an apostille cover sheet expire?

No.  However, we have seen foreign countries reject a document because they have deemed that the apostille is too old.  It is always best to check with your foreign authorities for .

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