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About the Department - Florida Department of State

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" class="no-js"> <head> <title>About the Department - Florida Department of State </title> <meta charset="UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" /> <meta name="google-translate-customization" content="b13e11864ff26f97-9ce91fe801721469-g2e5db22dd13dac5a-11"/> <meta name="google-site-verification" content="LeO7xapTmIz1cyCSxvIDFQx54khwE6tr0r86UBBEqR4" /> <!-- icon font --> <link href="/css/fontello.min.css" rel="stylesheet" /> <!-- web font <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oxygen:400,700' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'> --> <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:400,600,700|Oxygen:400,700' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'> <!--[if lte IE 8] <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oxygen:400' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'> <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oxygen:700' rel='stylesheet' 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</div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="menu-item "> <a href="/israel/">Information for Floridians Currently in Israel</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> <hr class="shadow"> </div> <div class="translation-bar container" > <p class="instruction" lang="es"> Para espa帽ol, seleccione de la lista </p> <div id="google_translate_element" class=""> <!--Google Translate Widget --> </div> </div> <div id="content" class="content container"> <div class="row"> <div class="page-content col-md-8"> <ul class="breadcrumbs list-inline"> <li><a href="/">Department of State</a></li> <li class="active">About the Department</li> </ul> <h1>About the Department</h1> <p>When the 1838 Constitution created the office of the Secretary of State, the Secretary was the keeper of the Great Seal and the custodian of the Laws of Florida.</p> <p>Since that time, the Secretary鈥檚 duties have multiplied and expanded. Today, the Secretary of State is Florida鈥檚 State Protocol Officer, Chief Election Officer, Chief Arts and Culture Officer, and the head of the Department of State.</p> <p>The Department is organized into the Office of the Secretary, the Divisions of Administrative Services, Corporations, Arts and Culture, Elections, Historical Resources, Library and Information Services, and the Offices of International Affairs and Election Crimes and Security.</p> <ul> <li><a href="/offices/administrative-services/">The Division of Administrative Services</a> houses the agency鈥檚 information technology office and is responsible for keeping our data secure. The division also oversees department finances, human resources, and general services.</li> </ul> <p>聽</p> <ul> <li><a href="/cultural/">The Division of Arts and Culture</a> is Florida鈥檚 state arts agency. It offers grant funding opportunities and other resources that support Florida鈥檚 creative institutions and promote Florida鈥檚 vibrant arts and culture offerings.</li> </ul> <p>聽</p> <ul> <li><a href="/sunbiz/">The Division of Corporations</a> is the central location for business filings. Business entities can file online through the Division鈥檚 website, Sunbiz.org.</li> </ul> <p>聽</p> <ul> <li><a href="/elections/">The Division of Elections</a> ensures fair and accurate elections in Florida. Election staff support the Secretary of State in carrying out duties as Chief Election Officer. Division of Election staff also provide administrative support for the 67 local county Supervisors of Elections.</li> </ul> <p>聽</p> <ul> <li><a href="/historical/">The Division of Historical Resources</a> preserves and promotes Florida鈥檚 historical and archaeological resources. The Division manages grant programs and directs preservation efforts in cooperation with federal agencies, local governments, private organizations, and individuals.</li> </ul> <p>聽</p> <ul> <li><a href="/library-archives/">The Division of Library and Information Services</a> manages the Florida State Library, Florida State Archives, and the state records center. More than 500 of Florida鈥檚 public libraries receive grant funding that helps to develop and improve the services they offer to their communities.</li> </ul> <p>聽</p> <ul> <li><a href="/cultural/about-us/office-of-international-affairs/">The Office of International Affairs</a> is housed within the Division of Arts and Culture and assists the Secretary of State in their duties as Chief Protocol Officer. The office coordinates with the Department of Commerce and facilitates consular relations between the state and all foreign governments doing business in Florida.</li> </ul> <p>聽</p> <ul> <li><a href="/elections/integrity">The Office of Election Crimes and Security</a> was established in 2022 to aid the Secretary of State in their duties as Chief Election Officer. The office has the authority to initiate preliminary investigations based on reports of alleged violations to Florida鈥檚 election code.</li> </ul> <p>聽</p> </div> <div class="sidebar col-md-4"> <div id="page-navigation"> <h2>About the Department</h2> <ul> <li> <a href="/about-the-department/about-the-secretary/">About the Secretary</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-the-department/office-history/">Office History</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-the-department/our-mission/">Our Mission</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-the-department/flag-and-seal-protocol/">Flag and Seal Protocol</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-the-department/annual-regulatory-plans/">Annual Regulatory Plans</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p class="logo state-seal"><img src="/images/seal.png" alt="Florida State Seal"></p> <p class="officials"> Ron DeSantis, Governor<br> Cord Byrd, Secretary of State </p> <ul class="list-inline utility-links" style="clear:left;"> <li><a href="/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/accessibility/">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="/site-map/">Site Map</a></li> </ul> <p class="lead questions">Questions or comments? <a href="/contact-us/">Contact Us </a> <br /> <a href="http://dos.myflorida.com/offices/general-counsel/public-records-requests/">Submit a public records request.</a> </p> <p class="disclaimer">Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.</p> <p class="copyright"><small><a href="/copyright/">Copyright</a> &copy; 2024 State of Florida, Florida Department of State.</small></p> </div> <div class="contact-block col-md-4"> <ul class="utility-links list-inline" style="clear:left;"> </ul> <p class="department"> Florida Department of State<br> Phone: 850.245.6500<br /> </p> <p class="address"> R.A. Gray Building<br /> 500 South Bronough Street<br /> Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250<br /> </p> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-9"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- To collect end-user usage analytics about your application, insert the following script into each page you want to track. Place this code immediately before the closing </head> tag, and before any other scripts. 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