Can You Apply for a Florida Marriage License Online?

You can apply for a Florida marriage license online in most counties, and in a growing number of them you can complete the whole process remotely by video. There’s no statewide portal. Each county’s Clerk of the Circuit Court runs its own system, so what’s actually available depends on where you apply.

What “Online” Means in Your County

Every Florida marriage license is issued by a County Clerk, and each clerk decides how much of the process is digital. Some counties offer only a pre-application form that lets you enter your information online before coming in to finish in person. Others have built full “e-marriage” systems where you apply, verify your identity on a live video call with a deputy clerk, pay electronically, and receive the license without visiting an office.

Lee County is one example of the fully remote model. You complete the online application, email your unsigned document packet as a PDF, and schedule a Zoom call where both applicants appear on camera. A clerk verifies your information, witnesses your electronic signatures, and issues the license electronically.¹ Not every county has gone this far. To see what yours offers, go to the Clerk of Court website for the county where you plan to apply and look under the Marriage or Official Records section.

Who Can Apply

Both parties have to meet Florida’s eligibility rules before you start. You must be at least 18. A 17-year-old can apply with written consent from both parents or a legal guardian, but only if the other party is no more than two years older. No one under 17 can marry in Florida under any circumstances.²

Florida also prohibits marriages between close relatives: a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew.³ If either party was previously married, that marriage must be legally ended by divorce, annulment, or death before a new license can issue.

Information and Documents You’ll Need

The application asks for each party’s Social Security number. Non-citizens may provide either a Social Security number or an alien registration number from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The statute also allows non-citizens who have neither to provide another form of identification, and a clerk cannot refuse to issue a license solely because an applicant doesn’t have any of these numbers.²

The statute doesn’t specifically list photo identification, but in practice every clerk’s office will ask for a valid government-issued photo ID to verify your identity and age. A current driver’s license, state ID card, or passport works. If either party was previously married, you’ll need the date that marriage ended. Counties with virtual processes usually let you upload scans of your documents directly. Check every field on the online form carefully before submitting, since what you enter will appear on the final legal document.

Both parties also sign a statement confirming whether they’ve completed a premarital preparation course, and a separate statement confirming they’ve read the state’s marriage handbook on the legal rights and responsibilities of marriage.²

Fees and the Premarital Course Discount

The standard license fee is $86. Couples where both parties are Florida residents and who present a valid premarital course completion certificate pay $61.⁴ Payment methods vary by county but typically include credit cards and electronic checks. Counties with virtual processes handle payment through a secure online portal during or after the video appointment.

The course has to be at least four hours long and come from a provider registered with the Clerk of Court.⁵ It’s optional, but completing it does two things: it drops the fee to $61 for resident couples, and it eliminates the three-day waiting period described below.² You’ll need to present the completion certificate when you apply. The online form has a field to indicate you’ve finished the course, and virtual processes let you upload the certificate with your other documents. The course must be completed within one year before you apply.⁴

The Three-Day Wait and When It Applies

If at least one applicant is a Florida resident and neither has completed a premarital course, the clerk delays the license’s effective date by three days. That effective date is printed on the license in bold, and the ceremony cannot happen before it. The clerk can grant hardship exceptions case by case, and a county court judge may waive the delay for Florida residents who show good cause.²

Non-residents are automatically exempt. If both parties are from out of state, the license takes effect immediately.⁶

How Long the License Is Good For

Whenever it becomes effective, the license expires 60 days after issuance. The ceremony must take place within that window, or the license becomes void and you’ll have to start over.⁴

The Ceremony Still Has to Happen in Person

This trips people up: you can get the license remotely in many counties, but the wedding ceremony itself cannot be virtual. Florida requires the couple and the officiant to be physically together in the same location within Florida’s borders during the ceremony. A ceremony performed over video, with the officiant in one place and the couple in another, is not legally valid. Livestreaming the ceremony to remote guests is fine, but that’s a different thing.

After the Wedding

Your officiant completes the marriage certificate portion of the license and returns it to the clerk’s office that issued it. The clerk then records the marriage, entering the officiant’s name and the ceremony date into the official record.⁷ County clerks typically require the completed license back within 10 days of the ceremony.⁸ Follow up with your officiant to confirm it was returned. A lost or unreturned license creates real problems when you later need to prove you’re married.

Once recorded, the license is forwarded to the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics for permanent filing, which takes roughly 60 days. If you need proof of marriage before then, contact the clerk’s office in the county that issued the license, since they’ll have the record first. After that window, you can order certified copies through the Bureau of Vital Statistics using its contracted vendor, VitalChek.⁹

1
Lee County Clerk of Court. Marriage Licenses and Ceremonies
2
Justia Law. Florida Code 741.04 – Issuance of Marriage License
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 741.21 – Incestuous Marriages Prohibited
4
Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers. How Do I Apply For A Marriage License?
5
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 741.0305 – Marriage Fee Reduction for Completion of Premarital Preparation Course
6
Hillsborough County Clerk of Court & Comptroller. Marriage License FAQ
7
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 741.09 – Record of License and Certificate
8
Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller. Marriage Licenses
9
Florida Department of Health. Marriage Certificates