How Much Does It Cost to Get Married in Florida?

A basic Florida wedding costs about $91 if you take the state’s premarital preparation course and have a clerk of the circuit court perform the ceremony. Without the course discount, the same courthouse wedding runs $116. That’s the short answer to how much it costs to get married in Florida; the longer answer depends on who officiates, how many certified copies you need, and whether a name change follows.

The Marriage License Fee

The license itself is $86, paid to the clerk of the circuit court in any Florida county.¹ You don’t have to apply where you live or where you plan to marry. Both parties need to appear together at the clerk’s office to sign a sworn affidavit that includes each person’s Social Security number (or alien registration number, if applicable) and age.²

Once issued, the license is good for 60 days. If the ceremony doesn’t happen within that window, the license expires and you’d have to apply and pay again.³

Save $25 With a Premarital Course

Completing a state-approved premarital preparation course drops the license fee from $86 to $61.¹ You bring a valid certificate of completion when you apply, and the course must have been completed within one year of the application date.

The course has to be at least four hours long and taught by a qualified, registered provider. That includes licensed psychologists, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, representatives of recognized religious institutions with relevant training, and other providers designated by the local judicial circuit.⁴

The course does something else worth knowing: it eliminates the three-day waiting period that otherwise applies to Florida residents. Without the certificate, the license’s effective date is pushed back three days from when you apply, and the ceremony can’t legally happen during that window. With the certificate, the license takes effect immediately.⁵ Non-Florida residents are exempt from the three-day delay whether or not they take the course.

What the Ceremony Costs

If the clerk of court performs your ceremony, the fee is $30.⁶ That’s the cheapest route, and it turns the whole thing into one stop at the courthouse.

Private officiants set their own rates. Professional wedding officiants in Florida commonly charge anywhere from $250 to $600 depending on the ceremony, travel, and preparation. Florida law also authorizes ordained clergy in good standing, judicial officers (including retired judges), notaries public, and designated members of the Society of Friends to solemnize marriages,⁷ so a friend who happens to be a Florida notary can perform the ceremony for free.

Certified Copies of the Marriage Certificate

Your license fee includes one certified copy of the marriage certificate after the ceremony.⁶ Additional certified copies cost $2 for the certification, plus a small copying fee, usually landing near $3 per copy. Order at least two or three extras. Name changes on a driver’s license, Social Security card, and passport each tend to want an original.

The officiant has to sign the license and return it to the issuing clerk within 10 days of the ceremony.⁸ A late return doesn’t invalidate the marriage, but it delays when you can get certified copies.

Apostille for International Use

If you need the certificate recognized in another country, you’ll usually need an apostille from the Florida Secretary of State. The fee is $20 per document for certificates issued by a clerk of court, which covers the apostille and a required certificate of incumbency.⁹

Name Change Costs After the Wedding

The license doesn’t update your name anywhere else on its own. If either spouse plans to change their name, the follow-up costs are modest.

Social Security card: free. The SSA charges nothing to issue a new card with your married name. Third-party sites that offer to handle this for a fee have no connection to SSA.¹⁰
U.S. passport: free if the name change and your current passport were both issued within the past year. You mail Form DS-5504 with your passport, a certified marriage certificate, and a new photo. Beyond a year, you pay the standard renewal fee instead.¹¹
Florida driver’s license: a replacement card fee at the FLHSMV. Florida law requires the update within 30 days of the name change; contact your local office for the current amount.

Do the Social Security card first. The FLHSMV and passport agencies verify names against Social Security records, and getting the order wrong usually means a delay or a second trip.

Total Cost at a Glance

At the low end, a courthouse wedding with the premarital course discount is about $91: $61 for the discounted license plus $30 for the clerk ceremony, with the first certified copy included. Skip the course and the same wedding is $116. From there, private officiants ($250 to $600), extra certified copies (roughly $3 each), an apostille ($20), and name-change paperwork add up in small amounts, but no single line item is steep. Compared to the rest of a wedding, the legal side of marrying in Florida stays cheap.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Code 741.01 – County Court Judge or Clerk of the Circuit Court to Issue Marriage License; Fee
2
Justia. Florida Code 741.04 – Issuance of Marriage License
3
Florida Senate. Florida Code 741.041 – Marriage License Application Valid for 60 Days
4
Florida Senate. Florida Code 741.0305 – Marriage Fee Reduction for Completion of Premarital Preparation Course
5
Florida Senate. Florida Code 741.04 – Issuance of Marriage License
6
FindLaw. Florida Code 28.24 – Service Charges by Clerks of the Circuit Court
7
Florida Senate. Florida Code 741.07 – Persons Authorized to Solemnize Matrimony
8
Florida Senate. Florida Code 741.08 – Marriage Not to Be Solemnized Without a License
9
Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications)
10
Social Security Administration. What Does It Cost to Get a Social Security Card?
11
U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error