To ship a car out of Florida, U.S. Customs doesn’t ask for a translation. It asks for the original title in English. A Spanish translation of the certificate of title is only needed if the office in the destination country asks for it, such as its customs agency or vehicle registry. Before you order one, ask that office two things: whether it wants a translation, and whether the translation must be apostilled.

What a Florida certificate of title is

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) describes the certificate of title as the proof of ownership of a vehicle, in paper or electronic form.

Under Florida Statutes, the title carries:

  • The owner’s full name, date of birth, and sex (§ 319.23(9)).
  • The license plate number (§ 319.23(9)).
  • Liens, noted on the face of the title (§ 319.27(1)), with the lienholder’s name and address.
  • Use or condition brands, such as taxi, lease, or rebuilt, which FLHSMV stamps in a conspicuous place (§ 319.23(2)).

The back holds the Transfer of Title by Seller section. FLHSMV procedure TL-11 says the seller and buyer print and sign their names there, and the seller records the odometer reading, the selling price, and the buyer’s name.

If your title is electronic

FLHSMV encourages owners to keep titles electronic until they need paper, for example to transfer the title to another country. An electronic title can be printed only if every lien has been satisfied.

You have three options:

  • Online through MyDMV Portal for $4.50. It arrives by mail in 3 to 4 weeks.
  • By mail to your county tax collector’s office, for $2.50.
  • In person, as a fast title: printed the same day for an extra $10.

What CBP requires to export the car

For a used vehicle with a U.S. title, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) lists these rules on its page about 19 CFR Part 192:

  • The original title or a certified copy, plus two complete copies. If there’s writing on the back, a complete copy includes both sides.
  • The vehicle identification number (VIN) in the documents that describe the car.
  • If there’s a lien or a lease, a letter from the lienholder on its letterhead. It must allow the export, describe the car with its VIN, and carry an original signature and date.
  • 72 hours ahead: for cars leaving by ship or plane, the documents and the vehicle go to the port at least 72 hours before export.

The Census Bureau also requires Electronic Export Information (EEI) filed through the Automated Export System (AES) 72 hours before export. CBP notes this applies regardless of destination, value, or condition.

What the destination country asks for

Here’s what the official pages of two common destinations from Florida say:

  • Dominican Republic. The Dirección General de Aduanas (DGA) asks for the used vehicle’s title, the bill of lading (BL), and the customs declaration (DUA). The DGA also says Law 04-07 bans importing used vehicles more than 5 years old. Its page doesn’t mention translating or apostilling the title.
  • Guatemala. The tax and customs agency (SAT) asks for the title, or the document declared at customs, in original and copy, along with the Central American customs declaration (DUCA). Its page doesn’t mention a translation or an apostille either.

For Mexico, Colombia, and the rest of Central America, we didn’t find an official page that says whether the title must be translated. Ask the customs office or your customs broker before you ship. If they want a translator authorized by that country, our translation won’t work for that step.

What gets translated

A translation must be complete, so it covers both sides of the title:

  • Front: the owner and vehicle details, the VIN, the plate number, and everything else printed there.
  • Liens: the lienholder, its address, and the lien date, or the lien release if it’s paid off.
  • Title brands: for example, rebuilt or salvage.
  • Back: the transfer section, the odometer reading, the selling price, and the signatures.
  • Dealer reassignments, if any.
  • Seals, signatures, and watermarks, described in brackets.

We use the terms a Spanish-speaking customs office expects: titular (owner), gravamen (lien), acreedor (lienholder), and número de identificación vehicular (VIN). Jorge Cardona translates and signs each certificate, and you get the translation as a PDF.

If the country asks for an apostille

The Florida Department of State in Tallahassee is the only authority that issues apostilles in Florida. The title is a Florida document, so it’s apostilled there. You send a title certified by FLHSMV, not a photocopy.

If the country also wants the translation apostilled, order it notarized. The Department of State apostilles documents signed before a Florida notary, with a full notarial statement in English. Its FAQ adds that the translator can’t be the notary.

When you send the request, with the Department of State’s request form:

  • Pay $10 per document by check or money order to the Florida Department of State.
  • Add a self-addressed stamped envelope or a prepaid air bill for the return.

Fidelis doesn’t handle apostilles. We deliver the notarized translation so you can send it in.

Price and turnaround

A title is priced per page: $29 for the first page and $25 for each additional page, up to 500 words per page. Notarization adds $30 per order. A two-page notarized title comes to $29 + $25 + $30 = $84.

  • Certified: ready in 3 hours. Certified translations of up to 3 pages in 3 hours. Orders from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time), every day. The 3 hours start once you pay and send a legible photo; outside those hours, they start at 8 a.m. If we don’t deliver in 3 hours, you get your money back.
  • Notarized translation: 1 business day.

Going the other way, with a foreign title to register a car in Florida? Different rule. See translations for government offices.

Already have the paper title? Send us a photo of both sides and we’ll confirm the page count and price before you pay.

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