A company with Spanish-speaking staff, a foreign company opening an office in Florida, or a public office receiving documents in Spanish all run into the same question: what has to be translated, and with what requirements? This guide collects what the published rules say, without overstating them.

Business

Safety training: staff must understand it

OSHA’s 2010 training policy statement says training must be presented in a manner employees can understand, and that if an employee does not speak or comprehend English, instruction must be provided in a language the employee can understand. The rule is comprehension, not “a Spanish manual”.

Some standards say it outright. The bloodborne pathogens standard calls for material appropriate in content and vocabulary to employees’ educational level, literacy and language (29 CFR 1910.1030). Hazard communication works differently: labels and safety data sheets are in English, and employers may add another language (29 CFR 1910.1200).

Date to watch: under the hazard communication standard updated in 2024, employers must update, for substances, workplace labeling, the written program and training on newly identified hazards no later than November 20, 2026. For mixtures, the date is May 19, 2028.

What to translate first: the written program summary, training handouts and quizzes, training sign-off sheets, emergency steps, and the workplace labels you make yourself. That material is quoted per word: see below.

The I-9: what doesn’t need translating

The I-9 instructions say that outside Puerto Rico, employers complete the English version. Any employer may use the Spanish version as a translation tool. Whoever helps the employee complete Section 1 signs Supplement A. Almost every acceptable document is U.S.-issued, and the employer cannot ask for specific documents. That’s why what’s worth translating is the onboarding material (the handbook, the policies), not the I-9 documents.

A foreign company registering in Florida

Florida Statutes section 607.1503(2) requires a foreign corporation to file a certificate of existence authenticated no more than 90 days earlier. If the certificate isn’t in English, it must come with a translation under oath of the translator. In practice, the translator signs the statement before a notary.

Get the certificate and its apostille first, then translate, so the 90 days don’t run out. A 2-page certificate with notarization costs $29 + $25 + $30 = $84.

Government

The title of a foreign car or boat in Florida

Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles procedure TL-03 requires ownership documents that aren’t in English to come with a written English translation. The translator must sign it before a notary public (FLHSMV, TL-03). The translator states fluency in both languages, that they translate documents as a normal course of business, and that the translation is accurate. It can’t be someone who owns or has owned the vehicle, such as the owner or a co-owner.

The rule covers titles, registrations, bills of sale and proof of ownership for vehicles, mobile homes and vessels. Confirm the other import steps with your county tax collector’s office.

Language access: what changed and what didn’t

  • Executive Order 14224, of March 1, 2025, designated English as the official language and revoked Executive Order 13166. The order itself says it does not require any change in agency services, or that agencies stop producing documents in other languages.
  • The Department of Justice withdrew its 2002 guidance for recipients of federal funds in March 2025. It said the obligation to comply with Title VI continues.
  • Treasury (March 2026) and Homeland Security (July 2026) also withdrew their guidance.
  • Since February 6, 2026, Florida driver license exams are given in English only.

Our reading: these changes affect how agencies offer services in other languages. They don’t change the rules that require the public to submit English translations, such as Florida’s vehicle title rule or USCIS’s. That USCIS rule, 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(3), still requires a full, certified translation of every foreign-language document.

How we quote

There are two ways we price, depending on the type of document:

  • Manuals, training, policies, contracts and recurring work. This is the company’s own content, and it needs a glossary, the same terminology in every version, and its formatting. We quote it per word: from 9 cents a word, depending on volume, subject matter, formatting and deadline. You get a formal quote before we start, and work that repeats every month is priced by volume.
  • Official documents: the company’s certificate of existence, a vehicle title, an employee’s certificate or diploma. These are priced per page: $29 for the first and $25 for each additional page in the same order, up to 500 words per page, and we deliver 1 to 3 pages in 1–2 business days. Notarization adds $30 per order.

Either way, Jorge Cardona translates and signs, with a double review and verification, and we invoice against a purchase order (PO). To see our work, we translate and certify the first 2 pages of one real document free, once per business or institution. Request the free sample. See terms for businesses and institutions.

Sources

Fidelis Certified Translations is an independent translation service. It is not affiliated with OSHA, USCIS, the State of Florida or any U.S. government agency. This content is for information only and is not legal advice.

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