How Do You Get Married in Florida?

At Weddings à la Carte, we explain how to get married in Florida in one line: you and your partner apply together for a marriage license from a county clerk of the circuit court, wait three days if either of you is a Florida resident, and have an authorized officiant solemnize the ceremony within 60 days.

A premarital preparation course can waive that wait, and each step has details that depend on your situation. This page walks through them in order.

Step by Step

1. 01

   Choose a county clerk

   A license is issued by a county court judge or by the clerk of the circuit court. Florida has no residency or citizenship requirement to apply, and a Florida license lets you marry anywhere in the state regardless of the issuing county. It is not valid outside Florida.

   Pick the clerk that is most convenient, near your home or near your venue. The signed license goes back to the office that issued it.

2. 02

   Apply together

   Both of you must apply. The Hillsborough and Pinellas clerks require you to appear in person together, and Pinellas asks for an online application first. The Hillsborough Clerk says no blood test is required.

   Before a license is issued, each of you signs a statement about whether you completed a premarital preparation course, and a statement that you obtained and read or accessed the handbook on the rights and responsibilities of marriage parties, which the clerk makes available. Check the current fee with your county clerk before you go.

   A license cannot be issued to anyone under 18 unless that person is at least 17, has written parental or guardian consent, and the older party is no more than 2 years older than the younger.

3. 03

   Plan for the waiting period

   If either of you is a Florida resident, the clerk delays the license's effective date by 3 days from the application unless you file premarital course certificates. The course must be at least 4 hours and come from a registered provider.

   If you are both non-residents there is no waiting period, but the Hillsborough Clerk notes that if one of you is a resident and one is not, the waiting period applies. A license obtained on Monday allows a ceremony on Thursday.

4. 04

   Hold the ceremony within 60 days

   A Florida license is valid for 60 days after issuance, and no one may perform a ceremony after it expires. The ceremony has to fall between the effective date and the expiration date, so build your wedding date around both.

5. 05

   Choose who solemnizes

   Florida law lets ordained ministers, elders in communion with a church and other ordained clergy solemnize a marriage. So can judicial officers, including retired ones, clerks of the circuit courts, and notaries public of the state. Marriages among Quakers or Friends in the manner of their societies are also recognized.

   Some county clerks perform courthouse ceremonies through deputy clerks. Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk list the service, with different appointment rules, so ask your clerk. If you would rather have a personal ceremony, see our wedding officiant page.

6. 06

   Return the signed license

   The person who solemnizes the marriage must complete the certificate on the license and send it to the issuing office within 10 days after the ceremony. Ask your officiant how they will return it.

If Your Date Is Close

A close date does not rule out a legal wedding, but the paperwork keeps its own clock, so start the license first. Rocío has a track record of assembling a full wedding in as little as 24 hours, and last-minute wedding planning covers the vendors and details around the license.

Our last-minute wedding checklist shows what you have and what is still missing, from the officiant to the florist.

Sources

Florida Statutes sections 741.04, 741.041, 741.07 and 741.08, and the Hillsborough County Clerk marriage license FAQ.