Certified translation and apostille for Miami-Dade documents

A county where most documents have a second country

According to the Census Bureau's QuickFacts, about 54.5% of Miami-Dade residents were born outside the United States and about 75.3% of people age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home (American Community Survey estimates, 2020-2024). In practice, that means a very large share of local paperwork has a foreign origin or a foreign destination, and almost always needs a translation in one direction or the other.

Two flows show up again and again:

• Foreign documents coming in. Birth, marriage and police certificates from Latin America, Spain or the Caribbean that you attach to an immigration filing. These need a full English translation. See what USCIS requires.
• Florida documents going out. Florida records and court papers that a consulate, registry or court abroad asks for. These usually need an apostille and, if the receiving office reads Spanish, a translation of the document and of the apostille.

USCIS in the Miami area

USCIS lists three field offices in Miami-Dade: Miami, Kendall and Hialeah. USCIS states that its field offices do not take walk-ins and that you need an appointment, so the address that counts is the one on your appointment or interview notice. Whichever office you are assigned to, the rule for foreign-language evidence is the same: each document must come with a complete English translation and a signed statement from the translator saying they are competent in both languages and that the translation is accurate (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). A translation is not a legal opinion about your case, and it does not guarantee how USCIS will decide it.

Court records from the Miami-Dade Clerk

Circuit and county court files in Miami-Dade are kept by the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller. The Clerk lets you order certified copies online, by mail or in person for most record types (civil, family, marriage licenses, official records, probate and criminal), while juvenile cases can only be requested by mail or in person. Fees apply, and personal checks are not accepted.

If that certified copy has to be used abroad, the Clerk's certification is only the first step. The Florida Department of State is the only authority that issues Florida apostilles, and it requires an original certified copy, not a photocopy. Its published fee is $10 per document, or $20 when the document was certified by a county Clerk of Court. Check the current amount on the state page before you send anything. The apostille request is made by mail to Tallahassee, so build that mailing time into your plan. We can order certified copies and coordinate the apostille, then translate the result.

Consulates and the "which version do they want" question

The Miami area hosts consulates from many Latin American countries and from Spain. Their requirements differ, and they change. Some accept a certified translation made in the United States; others ask for a translator registered with their own government, and Spain has its own sworn translators. Before ordering, look at the consulate's official page for the exact procedure. If you tell us which country will receive the document, we will say whether a standard certified translation is likely to work or whether you should ask the consulate first. A typical Miami case is covered in single status certificates.

Notarized translator's certificate

Some receiving offices ask for the translator's signature to be notarized. We offer that as an optional extra of a certified translation: the translator signs before a Florida notary public that we arrange, so you do not have to find a notary or cross the county during a workday. Whether the receiving office wants it is its decision, so ask first when the document is going abroad.

Opening a business in Miami-Dade

If you are also forming an LLC, remember that operating a business in the county involves a local business tax receipt. Miami-Dade County requires one for each place of business, valid from October 1 to September 30. Inside the City of Miami you also need a city Business Tax Receipt, and the city normally asks for a Certificate of Use first; businesses in unincorporated areas deal with the county instead. Both entities charge late penalties after September 30. Our guide to starting a Florida LLC covers the state side.

A Florida notary public only verifies the signer's identity and witnesses the signature. A notary public is not an attorney, does not draft or review the content of the document, and cannot give legal advice.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your specific situation, talk to a licensed attorney or CPA.