The Great Seal of the

State of Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...

is used to represent the government of the state of Florida, and for various official purposes, such as to seal official documents and legislation. It is commonly used on state government buildings, vehicles, and other effects of the state government. It also appears on the state flag of Florida. The

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

was granted the right to use the seal to represent the university. The seal features a shoreline on which a

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

woman is spreading flowers. Legend says that the woman is the historical heroine

Milly Francis Milly Francis (c. 1803–1848), daughter of Creek leader Josiah Francis (Francis the Prophet), was born near what is today Montgomery, Alabama, about 1803. Her name is sometimes thought to be an Anglicization of the Creek name "Malee", but the mos ...

, but there is no documentation supporting this. Two

Sabal palm ''Sabal'' is a genus of palms (or fan-palms) endemic to the New World. Currently, there are 17 recognized species of ''Sabal'', including one hybrid species. The species are native to the subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas, from th ...

s (Florida's

state tree This is a list of U.S. state, federal district, and territory trees, including official trees of the following of the states, of the federal district, and of the territories. Table See also * List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insign ...

) are growing. In the background, a

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

sails before a sun breaks the horizon, with rays of sunlight extending into the sky. The seal is encircled with the words "Great Seal of the State of Florida", and "

In God We Trust "In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the United States national motto, official motto of the United States and of the U.S. state of Florida. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956, replacing ("Out of many, one"), whic ...

" (the

state motto Most of the United States' 50 states have a state motto, as do the District of Columbia and 3 of its territories. A motto is a phrase intended to formally describe the general motivation or intention of an organization. State mottos ca ...

History

The Florida Legislature in 1868 specified in a joint resolution the design of Florida's first seal. "The Resolution specified that the seal had to be the size of an American silver dollar. It also stated that the seal should contain the sun's rays, a cocoa tree, a steamboat, and a female Indian scattering flowers. These images were to be circled by the words 'Great Seal of the State of Florida: In God We Trust.'" Several changes have occurred on the seal over the years. The Indian woman no longer has a feathered headdress, which female Seminoles did not wear. "A mountain in the background has been flattened (Florida has no mountains). The steamboat has been revised a few times. And a sabal palm has been transplanted in place of the original cocoa tree to reflect the state's adoption of the Sabal palmetto palm as the official state tree in 1953. The latest revisions took place in 1985."

Use of the seal

The

Florida Secretary of State The Secretary of State of Florida is an executive officer of the state government of the U.S. state of Florida, established since the original 1838 state constitution. Like the corresponding officials in other states, the original charge of the ...

is the official custodian of the seal. Use or display of the seal must be for an official purpose and approved by the Florida Department of State. One exception is that other Florida state or local agencies can use or display the seal for official business if approved by the head of their agency.Rule 1-2.0021, Florida Administrative Code
/ref> Illegal use of the seal in Florida is a second-degree misdemeanor.

Government seals of Florida

File:Seal of the Florida House of Representatives.svg, Seal of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopt ...

File:Florida Senate seal color.png, Seal of the

Florida Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted in ...

File:Florida Supreme Court Seal 2014.png, Seal of the

Supreme Court of Florida The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. It consists of seven members: the chief justice and six justices. Six members are chosen from six districts around the state to foster geographic diversity, and one ...

File:Seal of the Florida Department of Transportation.svg, Seal of the

Florida Department of Transportation The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of t ...

File:Oppaga seal.gif, Seal of the

Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) is the research arm of the Florida Legislature. OPPAGA supports the Florida Legislature by providing data, evaluative research, and objective analyses that assist legisla ...

File:Security guards around the Great Seal of Florida - Tallahassee, Florida.jpg, Security guards around the Great Seal of Florida - Tallahassee, Florida

References

External links

The Great Seal of the State of Florida
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seal Of Florida Symbols of Florida

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

1985 establishments in Florida Religion in the United States