Divorce Records in Florida: Clerk of Court and Health Department Requests

To find divorce records in Florida, contact the Clerk of Court in the county where the case was filed for the full court file, or order a Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage from the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics if you only need official confirmation that the divorce was granted. Florida treats dissolution records as public under the state’s broad public records law, so almost anyone can request them with the right information.¹

Which Document You Actually Need

The two offices hold different things, and picking the wrong one is the most common wasted trip.

The Clerk of Court in the circuit where the dissolution was filed keeps the complete case file: the original petition, motions, the final judgment, and any marital settlement agreement. If you need to know what the divorce actually said — property division, alimony, parental responsibilities — this is the office to contact.²

The Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, keeps a Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage. It is a short abstract that confirms the divorce was finalized and lists basic identifying information. It does not include the terms of the judgment. The Bureau has certificates on file from June 6, 1927, forward.²

For a name change, remarriage, or a government benefit, the DOH certificate is usually enough. For anything requiring the actual terms, go to the clerk.

What to Gather Before You Search

A request moves faster when you bring the right identifiers. The most useful are:

Full names of both spouses, including maiden and any former names used during the marriage or at filing.
The county where the case was filed. Court files are maintained by that county’s clerk, not in a central statewide database.
The case number if you have it. It appears on every document a party to the case received, and it pulls the file up immediately.
An approximate year. The DOH Bureau of Vital Statistics charges $2 for each additional calendar year it has to search when the year is unknown, up to a $50 maximum.²

If you don’t know which county, start with where either spouse lived at the time. Florida law requires the dissolution petition to be filed in circuit court, and most people file where they reside.³

Requesting Records from the Clerk of Court

Each county clerk handles requests slightly differently, but there are three standard paths. Fees are set by state statute, so the base charges are the same statewide.

Online

Many Florida county clerks run online portals where you can search case dockets for free and view basic case information. Some clerks also allow you to order certified copies electronically. The statutory certification fee is $2 per document, and individual clerks may add a service or processing fee for electronic orders.⁴ Check the specific clerk’s website for its ordering system and any added fees.

In Person

Visiting the clerk’s office lets you review the case file on the spot. Standard photocopies of court records cost $1 per page for pages up to standard legal size. A certified copy, which carries an official seal and is accepted as a legal document, adds the $2 per document certification fee on top of the copy charges.⁴

By Mail

You can send a written request to the clerk’s office with the case number or enough identifying detail to locate the file, a check or money order for the fees, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return. Mail is the slowest option, and some offices will not process the request until payment clears.

Ordering a Certificate from the Department of Health

If you only need official confirmation that a divorce was granted, the Bureau of Vital Statistics certificate will do. Fees break down this way:

Search fee: $5 for one calendar year, which includes one certified copy. The fee is nonrefundable even if no record is found.
Additional copies: $4 each when ordered at the same time.
Unknown year: $2 per additional calendar year searched, up to $50 total.
Rush processing: $10, required for records prior to 1970 when using same-day walk-in service.
Shipping: $1 handling fee for mailed orders.²

The fastest route is ordering online through VitalChek, a third-party vendor authorized by the state. VitalChek adds a $7 service fee on top of the state fees and the $10 rush fee, so a first certificate typically runs around $22 or more depending on what you order.⁵ You can also order by mail directly from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville. That avoids the VitalChek service fee but takes longer.

What You Won’t See in the File

The final judgment and general case filings are public, but not every page in a divorce file is open to anyone who asks. Florida’s court access rules shield certain categories of information from public view.⁶

Information that gets automatically redacted or restricted includes Social Security numbers (only the last four digits may appear), bank and financial account numbers, and identifying information about minor children. The clerk screens these details before releasing the file.

Financial affidavits are a separate issue. Florida’s mandatory disclosure rules require both spouses to prepare and exchange detailed affidavits of income, assets, debts, and monthly expenses.⁷ The exchange cannot be waived, but the parties can jointly agree not to file them with the court by signing Form 12.902(k), which keeps the affidavits out of the public file.⁸ If the affidavits were filed, accessing them generally requires being a party to the case or obtaining a court order.

Sealing an entire divorce record is a much higher bar. A written motion goes to the presiding judge, and the court grants sealing only when the harm from disclosure outweighs the public’s right of access. Valid grounds include protecting innocent third parties from substantial injury, preventing threats to the administration of justice, or safeguarding privacy rights not inherent in dissolution proceedings.⁹ Wanting privacy is not enough on its own; the motion has to show specific, concrete harm.

Using a Florida Divorce Record Abroad

If you need a Florida divorce decree recognized in another country for remarriage, immigration, or custody matters, you will likely need an apostille from the Florida Secretary of State. An apostille is a form of international authentication under the Hague Convention that certifies a document’s legitimacy for use in member countries.

Start by obtaining a certified copy of the divorce judgment from the clerk of court. The DOH certificate usually will not work unless the receiving country specifically accepts it. Then submit the certified copy to the Florida Department of State’s Division of Corporations with a completed request form, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope or prepaid shipping label.¹⁰

The apostille fee is $20 for documents certified by a Florida clerk of court: $10 for the apostille itself plus $10 for a certificate of incumbency. Payment is by check or money order payable to the Florida Department of State. Cash and credit cards are not accepted.¹⁰ If the destination country is not a Hague Convention member, you may need embassy or consular legalization instead, which runs through the U.S. Department of State and the foreign country’s embassy and takes longer.

1
Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 119.07 – Inspection and Copying of Records
2
Florida Department of Health. Divorce or Annulment Certificates
3
Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 61.043 – Commencement of a Proceeding for Dissolution of Marriage
4
Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 28.24 – Service Charges by Clerk of the Circuit Court
5
Florida Department of Health. Order Certificates from VitalChek
6
Ninth Judicial Circuit Court. Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420
7
Florida Courts. Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285 – Mandatory Disclosure
8
Florida State Courts. Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.902(k) – Notice of Joint Verified Waiver of Filing Financial Affidavits
9
Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court. Administrative Order 1-06-36 – Sealing of Court Records
10
Florida Department of State. Authentications – Apostilles and Notarial Certifications