Southwest Gulf
Lee County, Florida apostille filing
Every Lee County paper that needs a foreign-use stamp still goes to Tallahassee. We cover 14 cities and 36 ZIP codes in this county.
Lee County, without the jargon
Lee County is in Southwest Gulf. 14 cities and towns and 36 ZIP codes here still use one Tallahassee office for the foreign-use stamp.
Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral, and Sarasota are two days inbound. Real-estate powers of attorney for Latin America are common. The notary must be a Florida notary.
If the document is a court file — divorce, name change, adoption — the Lee County clerk has to certify it first. We cannot take a website printout to the state.
How documents leave Lee 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 Lee 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 Lee County
AlvaBoca GrandeBokeeliaBonita SpringsCape CoralCaptivaEsteroFort MyersFort Myers BeachLehigh AcresNorth Fort MyersPinelandSaint James CitySanibel
Questions people ask
Can the Lee 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.