The mission of the Department of State is to enhance the quality of life for every Floridian and its communities
by preserving and promoting Florida’s rich historical and cultural heritage; by supporting our local libraries and
providing access to information through our state library and archives; by ensuring fair and accurate elections;
and by ensuring the integrity of Florida’s business community by recording entity creations and certain financial
transactions. The Secretary of State serves as Florida’s Chief Cultural Officer, Chief Elections Officer, and is
custodian of the official state seal and state records. The Florida Department of State is comprised of the
Office of the Secretary and six divisions that carry out its programs, services and responsibilities:
Administrative Services is responsible for administrative and technology functions for the Department
including budget, financial management, purchasing, Human Resources, facility and property management
and web services.
The Division of Corporations serves as the state’s central repository for a number of commercial activities
that include business entity filings, trade and service mark registrations, federal lien recordings, judgment lien
filings, uniform commercial code financing statements, fictitious name registrations, notary commissions, and
cable and video service franchises.
The Division of Cultural Affairs guides and facilitates cultural development and access to information and
services for Florida’s citizens, artists, cultural organizations and visitors through public/private partnerships.
The Division actively partners with national, regional and statewide arts organizations including the National
Endowment for the Arts, South Arts and Citizens for Florida Arts. The Division administers the Museum of
Florida History, the state’s history museum and promotes arts and culture as essential to quality of life for all
Floridians.
The Division of Elections provides statewide coordination and direction for the interpretation and
enforcement of election laws. The Division handles all filing papers for state and multicounty candidates and
various political committees, establishes and implements Florida’s voting systems certification standards and
provides technical assistance to the county Supervisors of Elections on voting systems and manages list
maintenance processes for identifying potentially ineligible voters and providing that information to county
supervisors of elections for removal procedures.
The Division of Historical Resources promotes Florida’s role in regional, national and international history by
identifying, preserving and protecting the historical, archaeological, and folk cultural resources of Florida. The
Director serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, overseeing the National Register of Historic Places
program and State Historic Markers program. The Division manages Mission San Luis in Tallahassee, which
was the 17th century capital of Spanish Florida, and is responsible for the state’s archaeological research,
including the underwater archaeology program.
The Division of Library and Information Services is the designated information resource provider for the
Florida Legislature and all state agencies. It coordinates and helps to fund activities of public libraries, provides
a framework for statewide library initiatives, provides archival and records management services, and
preserves, collects, and makes available the published and unpublished documentary history of the state.