Heartland
Highlands County, Florida apostille filing
Every Highlands County paper that needs a foreign-use stamp still goes to Tallahassee. We cover 5 cities and 8 ZIP codes in this county.
Highlands County, without the jargon
Highlands County is in Heartland. 5 cities and towns and 8 ZIP codes here still use one Tallahassee office for the foreign-use stamp.
Inland counties around Lake Okeechobee send farm, court, and family documents. The clerk in that county has to certify court copies. We do not take a website printout to Tallahassee.
If the document is a court file — divorce, name change, adoption — the Highlands County clerk has to certify it first. We cannot take a website printout to the state.
How documents leave Highlands County
Inbound shipping from this county is 2 business days to our Tallahassee desk. We drop the original at the state office and send it back with tracking.
Birth and marriage records still come from Florida vital records. Powers of attorney still need a Florida notary. An FBI report still cannot be stamped here.
Latin America from this county
Families in Highlands County send documents to Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Brazil, and Central America more than anywhere else. Those countries take the Florida stamp. Cuba does not.
Cities and towns in Highlands County
Avon ParkLake PlacidLoridaSebringVenus
Questions people ask
Can the Highlands County clerk add the apostille?
No. The clerk can certify a court copy. Only the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee can add the foreign-use stamp.
Do I have to visit the county seat?
Only if you still need a certified court copy. Once you have that document, you can ship it to us from anywhere in the county.