Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions govern your use of the South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary website and any services provided by South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary, including through its employees, contractors, service providers, and business partners.

By accessing our website, requesting a quote, scheduling an appointment, submitting documents, making a payment, or using our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and Conditions.

1. Important Private Service Provider Disclosure

South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary is a private service provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an agent of any government agency.

We are not a federal, state, county, municipal, foreign, or international government office. We do not issue government documents, apostilles, authentications, passports, immigration approvals, background checks, licenses, or other official government determinations.

Our role is to assist customers with services such as document preparation, notarization, translation, submission coordination, courier arrangements, fingerprinting coordination, and navigating applicable administrative processes.

Customers may, where permitted, apply directly through the appropriate government agency without using a private service provider.

2. Our Services

Depending on availability, location, document type, destination country, and customer needs, our services may include:

• Apostille and document authentication assistance
• Certified and sworn translations
• Notary and mobile notary services
• Remote online notarization coordination
• Live Scan and fingerprinting coordination
• FBI background check-related document assistance
• Document legalization and embassy or consular processing assistance
• Expedited passport and travel-document support
• Wedding officiant and wedding document services
• Interpreter services
• Document pickup, delivery, shipping, and courier coordination
• Related administrative and document-support services

The availability, pricing, processing requirements, and estimated completion time for each service may vary.

3. No Government Affiliation or Authority

South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary does not control government offices, embassies, consulates, courts, law-enforcement agencies, foreign authorities, shipping carriers, payment processors, or other third parties.

We cannot:

• Issue or approve an apostille, passport, visa, license, background check, immigration benefit, or other government document
• Guarantee that a government agency or receiving organization will accept a document
• Waive government requirements or fees
• Guarantee a government appointment
• Alter government processing times
• Influence the outcome of a government review or decision
• Provide preferential access to government agencies

References on our website to government agencies, government documents, official forms, processing requirements, or governmental procedures are provided for informational and service-description purposes only. Such references do not imply sponsorship, endorsement, authorization, or affiliation.

4. No Legal, Immigration, Tax, or Governmental Advice

The information and services we provide are not legal, immigration, tax, financial, or governmental advice.

South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary is not a law firm and does not act as your attorney, immigration representative, accountant, or government representative. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or similar professional relationship is created by your use of our website or services.

Customers are responsible for consulting a qualified attorney, immigration professional, accountant, government agency, embassy, consulate, or receiving institution when professional or official guidance is required.

5. Customer Responsibilities

You are responsible for:

• Providing accurate, complete, current, and legible information and documents
• Confirming the exact requirements of the agency, country, court, school, employer, attorney, consulate, embassy, or organization receiving the documents
• Informing us of all relevant deadlines, destination countries, language requirements, and intended uses
• Reviewing names, dates, spellings, numbers, addresses, and other information before approving a document or translation
• Obtaining any required original documents, certified copies, supporting records, or identification
• Ensuring that you are legally authorized to submit documents and personal information belonging to another person
• Responding promptly when we request additional information or approval
• Paying all applicable service charges, government fees, shipping expenses, taxes, and third-party costs

We are not responsible for delays, rejections, additional expenses, or losses caused by inaccurate, incomplete, fraudulent, altered, damaged, illegible, expired, or improperly issued documents supplied by a customer.

6. Quotes and Pricing

Quotes are based on the information available at the time they are provided. A quote may change if:

• The scope of work changes
• Additional documents or pages are submitted
• A different processing method becomes necessary
• Government, consular, courier, translation, or third-party fees change
• Rush or after-hours service is requested
• The destination country or receiving authority imposes additional requirements
• Previously undisclosed document issues are discovered

Unless otherwise stated in writing, quotes do not include government fees, consular fees, embassy fees, shipping charges, courier charges, taxes, filing fees, or other third-party expenses.

7. Payments

Payment may be required before work begins, before documents are released, or at another stage communicated to the customer.

By submitting payment information, you represent that you are authorized to use the selected payment method. You authorize us and our payment processor to charge the agreed amount, including any approved government, courier, shipping, or third-party expenses.

Returned payments, chargebacks, declined transactions, or unpaid balances may result in the suspension of services and may be subject to reasonable collection costs where permitted by law.

8. Cancellations and Refunds

Because many services involve immediate administrative work, professional time, translation work, scheduling, document review, courier arrangements, or advance payment of third-party fees, all payments are not automatically refundable.

Refund eligibility will depend on the circumstances and the amount of work already performed.

Unless otherwise required by law:

• Government, embassy, consular, courier, shipping, fingerprinting, filing, and other third-party fees are nonrefundable once paid or incurred.
• Completed services are nonrefundable.
• Translation work is nonrefundable once translation has begun.
• Rush, same-day, mobile, appointment, and after-hours fees may be nonrefundable once resources have been reserved or dispatched.
• Administrative work, document review, consultation time, and processing work already performed may be deducted from any approved refund.
• A cancellation does not guarantee a full refund.

Any approved refund will ordinarily be returned through the original payment method. Processing times may depend on the financial institution or payment provider.

9. Processing Times and Deadlines

Any processing time, turnaround time, delivery estimate, or expected completion date is an estimate unless we expressly guarantee it in writing.

Processing may be affected by:

• Government office closures or backlogs
• Changes in agency procedures
• Embassy or consular requirements
• Document defects or missing information
• Customer response times
• Translation complexity
• Shipping or courier delays
• Weather emergencies
• Technology outages
• Security reviews
• Holidays
• Events beyond our reasonable control

Rush or expedited service means that we will prioritize or accelerate the portions of the process within our control. It does not guarantee that a government agency, embassy, consulate, shipping carrier, or third party will complete its work by a specific date.

Customers should not purchase nonrefundable travel, schedule legal proceedings, commit to closings, or make other time-sensitive arrangements solely in reliance on an estimated completion date.

10. Apostille, Authentication, and Legalization Services

An apostille, authentication, certification, or legalization is issued or approved by the applicable governmental or diplomatic authority, not by South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary.

We assist customers with identifying and coordinating the applicable process based on the information provided. Requirements can vary according to:

• The type of document
• The authority that issued or notarized it
• The state or country of origin
• The destination country
• Whether the destination participates in the Hague Apostille Convention
• The intended use of the document
• The requirements of the receiving institution

A document's acceptance remains subject to the receiving authority's rules and discretion.

11. Translation Services

Translations may be completed by qualified translators, contractors, or translation partners.

Customers are responsible for reviewing translated names, addresses, dates, transliterations, technical terminology, and other information. Any requested correction should be reported promptly after delivery.

A certified translation is a translation accompanied by a certification statement. Certification does not mean that the translation was issued, approved, or guaranteed by a government agency.

A sworn translation may be prepared by a translator who is officially authorized or recognized under the laws or procedures of a particular jurisdiction. Sworn-translation requirements vary by country and receiving authority.

Unless expressly agreed in writing, we do not guarantee that a particular court, agency, consulate, university, employer, or foreign authority will accept a translation.

12. Notary Services

A notary public verifies identity, witnesses signatures, administers authorized oaths or acknowledgments, and performs other duties permitted by applicable law.

A notary does not verify that the contents of a document are legally sufficient or factually accurate and does not provide legal advice.

The signer must ordinarily:

• Personally appear as required by law
• Present acceptable identification
• Demonstrate willingness and awareness
• Sign in the notary's presence when required
• Provide any necessary witnesses

A notary may refuse to perform a notarization when legal requirements are not met or when fraud, coercion, incapacity, document incompleteness, or another concern is present.

13. Fingerprinting and Background Check Services

Fingerprinting services may be provided directly, through a technology provider, or in coordination with a third-party fingerprinting provider.

South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary does not control the databases, review standards, processing times, or results of the FBI, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, licensing boards, employers, government agencies, or other requesting entities.

Fingerprint quality and submission acceptance may be affected by skin condition, injuries, equipment, submission codes, agency requirements, or other factors outside our control.

A fingerprinting appointment does not guarantee that fingerprints will be accepted, that a background check will be completed by a particular date, or that the applicant will receive a favorable result.

14. Passport and Travel-Document Assistance

We are not the United States Department of State, a passport acceptance facility, an embassy, a consulate, or a government travel office.

We may provide administrative assistance, document review, appointment-related guidance, courier coordination, or other support. Passport issuance, renewal, approval, denial, and processing time remain exclusively within the authority of the applicable government agency.

15. Shipping, Courier, and Document Delivery

At the customer's request, documents may be shipped or transported through third-party carriers, couriers, delivery services, or postal providers.

Once documents are transferred to a third-party carrier, delivery timing and handling are subject to that provider's terms and operations. We are not responsible for delays, damage, loss, misdelivery, customs issues, or interruptions caused by a carrier or courier, except to the extent required by law.

Customers are responsible for confirming that the delivery address is accurate. Additional charges may apply for address corrections, reshipment, insurance, signature confirmation, international customs, or expedited delivery.

16. Electronic Communications and SMS Messages

By providing your telephone number or email address, you authorize us to contact you regarding inquiries, quotes, appointments, document status, payments, service updates, and customer support.

Where you separately consent to marketing communications, we may also send promotional messages, service announcements, or review requests.

Consent to receive marketing text messages is not a condition of purchasing services. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary.

You may opt out of marketing text messages by replying STOP. You may request assistance by replying HELP or contacting us directly. Transactional or service-related messages may continue when reasonably necessary to complete an active request.

17. Website Information

We try to keep our website accurate and current, but government procedures, fees, laws, forms, processing times, and agency requirements may change without notice.

Website content is provided for general informational purposes and does not replace confirmation from the applicable government agency or receiving authority.

We do not warrant that the website will always be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free from harmful components.

18. Intellectual Property

The website and its original content, including text, graphics, branding, layouts, service descriptions, videos, photographs, and other materials, are owned by or licensed to South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary and are protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.

You may view and print website content for your personal, noncommercial use. You may not reproduce, republish, sell, scrape, distribute, modify, or commercially exploit our content without prior written permission.

Government names, agency names, forms, seals, and third-party trademarks belong to their respective owners. Their appearance on our website does not imply affiliation or endorsement.

19. Prohibited Uses

You may not use our website or services to:

• Submit fraudulent, forged, altered, stolen, or unlawfully obtained documents
• Impersonate another person
• Violate any law, regulation, court order, or third-party right
• Transmit malicious software or interfere with website security
• Collect information from the website through unauthorized automated methods
• Misrepresent your relationship with South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary
• Use our services to facilitate fraud, identity theft, money laundering, evasion, or other unlawful conduct

We may refuse, suspend, or terminate service when we reasonably suspect illegal, abusive, deceptive, or unsafe activity.

20. Third-Party Services and Links

Our website or services may involve third-party providers, including payment processors, shipping carriers, software providers, translators, fingerprinting providers, government websites, mapping services, scheduling tools, and communications platforms.

Third parties operate under their own terms and privacy practices. We are not responsible for the availability, content, security, or conduct of third-party websites or services.

21. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our website and services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis.

We disclaim warranties that are not expressly stated in writing, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, noninfringement, uninterrupted availability, and acceptance by a particular agency or organization.

Nothing in these Terms excludes a warranty or consumer right that cannot legally be excluded.

22. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary and its owners, employees, contractors, agents, and service providers will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including lost profits, lost opportunities, travel expenses, missed deadlines, loss of business, or loss of data.

Except where prohibited by law, our total liability arising from a specific service will not exceed the amount of service fees paid directly to South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary for the service giving rise to the claim, excluding government fees, courier fees, shipping costs, taxes, and other third-party charges.

This limitation does not apply where liability cannot legally be limited.

23. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary and its owners, employees, contractors, and agents from claims, losses, liabilities, and reasonable expenses arising from:

• Documents or information you provide
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your misuse of our website or services
• Your violation of another person's rights
• Fraudulent, unlawful, or unauthorized conduct associated with your request

24. Force Majeure

We are not responsible for a failure or delay caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, severe weather, public emergencies, government shutdowns, civil disturbances, labor disruptions, transportation interruptions, internet or utility failures, cyber incidents, epidemics, wars, or changes in government operations.

25. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Unless applicable law requires otherwise, any legal action relating to these Terms or our services must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction located in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Before filing a claim, the parties agree to make a reasonable good-faith effort to resolve the matter informally.

26. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect. The invalid provision will be interpreted or modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable where permitted by law.

27. No Waiver

A failure to enforce any provision of these Terms does not waive our right to enforce it later.

28. Changes to These Terms

We may revise these Terms periodically to reflect changes in our services, business practices, technology, or legal requirements.

The revised version will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of the website or services after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

29. Contact Us

Questions regarding these Terms and Conditions may be submitted through our contact page or by contacting:

Private Service Provider Disclosure: South Beach Apostille, Translation and Notary is a private service provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an agent of any government agency.

See also our Privacy Policy.