Apply For a Marriage License in Florida

Of all the things to worry about on your wedding day, your Florida marriage license should not be one of them. Get your marriage license application done in advance so you will have one less thing on your mind as you prepare for your wedding day.

Steps

Preparing to Apply

  1. Call your local courthouse. Find the phone number for your local county courthouse and call to inquire about your county’s specific requirements for getting a marriage license.
    • If an appointment is required, schedule an appointment with the courthouse.
    • You don’t have to be a resident of the county in which you apply, but it’s often easier to apply for a license at a local courthouse.
    • You can also find information about your local courthouse online at the state of Florida website.
  2. Prepare the necessary documentation. You’ll need certain documents to apply for a marriage certificate. Have these prepared and with you when you apply.[1]
    • Valid picture ID: You each must have a valid picture identification with you to prove your identity and age (note that you must be at least 18 to marry in Florida without parental consent). This could be a state-issued ID card, driver's license, passport, or military ID.
    • Your Social Security card and/or birth certificate: Depending on the county in which you reside, you will need to have either your birth certificate or Social Security card. You must have original or certified copies of these documents. Standard copies are not valid. Certified copies can generally be obtained from the vital records department of the county in which the birth took place. These copies are stamped or embossed as certified copies that have not been altered in any way from the original.
    • Certified death certificate or divorce decree: If either of you has been married before, you must show a certified death certificate of the deceased spouse or a divorce decree as proof of your current marital status.
  3. Be prepared to pay the marriage license fee. Every county varies in the payment methods accepted, but in most cases, cash, credit card, or a check (not a starter check) is accepted.[2]
    • A Florida marriage license costs a set amount ($93.50 as of February 2015), but you may be able to get a discount if you can show proof of taking a pre-marital counseling class.[2]
    • Classes are offered through the county court system or through state-sanctioned providers, generally in a four-hour set of lessons. These lessons include divorce, finances, parenting, and communication.
    • In some counties, the course requirement may be waived if the couple provides a signed statement that they completed marriage counseling with a pastor or counselor.[2]

Applying for a Marriage License

  1. Go to the county courthouse. If the courthouse requires you to have an appointment, make sure you have one ahead of time.
    • Both you and your fiancé(e) must be present at the courthouse to apply for a marriage license.
  2. Read the marriage law handbook. The clerk will give you a handbook of marriage law that by law you must read.[1]
    • The handbook gives information about divorce through the court system, including information on property and asset division, child custody and support, etc.
  3. Use the license to get married within the time restrictions. Usually you’ll receive your license during the same visit at which you apply.
    • You may not get married within 3 days of the issue date (unless you’ve taken a pre-marital counseling course).
    • You must use the license to get married within 60 days. If you don’t, you’ll need to reapply. Note, though, that the marriage license may be valid for up to 90 days in some counties. Contact your county or visit the county website for complete information.[1]
    • If you’re a Florida resident, you’ll have to observe a waiting period before reapplying.
  4. Marry within the state of Florida. Remember that the wedding and the legal marriage process are not necessarily the same thing. You can have your wedding ceremony wherever you choose, but you’ll need to have the legal marriage process in your resident state.
    • Ministers, elders in communion, ordained clergy, all judicial officers, retired judicial officers, clerks of the circuit court, and notaries public can legally officiate weddings in Florida. You can become a notary public in Florida online.
    • A marriage license issued in Florida is only valid in Florida. You may use your Florida marriage license in any Florida county. You do not have to get married in the county of issuance, but you do need to get married within the state.[2]
    • If you live in, for example, Georgia but want to have a wedding ceremony in Florida, you need to get your marriage license in Georgia and have a Georgia officiant perform the legal marriage process. Then you can hold your wedding ceremony in Florida.
  5. Have your marriage license signed and submitted to the court. Your officiant will sign the marriage license after the wedding. Generally, the license should be signed and submitted to the court within 7 days of the wedding.[3]
    • Some couples choose to complete the legal process of marriage before their actual wedding. This allows you additional time before the wedding to change names and get new documents, licenses, etc.
    • You should receive a certified copy of the marriage license in the mail within 4-6 weeks. You can order additional copies through your local courthouse for a fee.
    • You’ll need the certified copy of your marriage license to change your name, obtain a new Social Security card, and update account records, etc.

Warnings

  • Both parties must be at least 18 years of age to get married without parental consent. Florida allows 16- and 17-year-olds to get married if they have parental consent or if there is a child involved. If there is only one living parent, or one parent has sole custody of the minor, the consent of one parent is sufficient. If neither parent is living and there is no legal guardian, the minor can apply for a marriage license without parental consent. If there is a pregnancy involved, the couple applying for a license must have a signed statement from a physician verifying the pregnancy.

Tips

  • As of January 6, 2015, same sex marriage is legal in Florida.
  • In Florida, relatives may not marry each other. This includes all people within a direct lineage (for example, fathers and daughters), sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces or nephews.[2]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://usmarriagelaws.com/search/united_states/florida/marriage_licenses/index.shtml
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 http://www.stateofflorida.com/Portal/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=30
  3. ↑ https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy045
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