How to Fill Out and Submit the Florida Marriage License Application

To complete a Florida marriage license application, both parties go together to any county’s Clerk of the Circuit Court (in person, or by video conference where the county offers it), sign the application under oath, pay $86, and use the license within 60 days. Florida residents who finish a registered premarital preparation course pay $61 and skip the three-day waiting period. You do not need to be a Florida resident or a U.S. citizen, and you can apply in any county regardless of where the ceremony will take place.

Who Can Apply

Both applicants must be at least 18. A 17-year-old may apply only with written parental or guardian consent notarized before an officer authorized to administer oaths, and only if the older party is no more than two years older. No one under 17 can receive a Florida marriage license under any circumstances.¹

Neither applicant has to be a Florida resident or a U.S. citizen. Out-of-state and international couples can apply in any Florida county.²

Florida prohibits marriage between people related by direct lineage (parent-child, grandparent-grandchild) and between siblings, aunts and nephews, and uncles and nieces. First-cousin marriages are legal.³

What to Bring

Before you visit the clerk or join a video appointment, have these ready:

A valid government-issued photo ID for each party: driver’s license, passport, military ID, or state ID showing your full legal name and date of birth.
Your Social Security number. Florida law requires every applicant who has been issued one to provide it; the numbers support federal child-support enforcement and cannot be used for other purposes.¹
If you are not a U.S. citizen and have no Social Security number, you may provide a USCIS-issued alien registration number. If you have neither, you are encouraged to provide another form of identification, but the clerk cannot refuse to issue the license solely on that basis.¹
The exact date any prior marriage ended, whether by divorce, annulment, or death. You don’t need to bring the decree or death certificate itself, just the date.⁴
Your premarital course certificate, if you completed one and want the reduced fee and waived waiting period.

Filling Out the Application

The application form comes from your county’s Clerk of the Circuit Court. Many counties offer an online e-application portal so you can enter your information digitally before your appointment; some post a printable PDF you can fill out in advance. Either approach shortens your time at the counter.

The form asks for standard biographical information: full legal name, date of birth, residential address, and place of birth. You will also provide your Social Security number or alternative identification number and the dates of any prior marriages. Fields vary slightly by county, so pull your county’s version if you want to see the exact questions in advance.

Some counties run a fully virtual process. Hillsborough County, for example, lets both parties join a Zoom call where a clerk verifies IDs on camera, collects payment, and captures electronic signatures; both applicants must be 18 or older, and ID images must be uploaded in advance. The clerk records the portion of the call covering ID review and signatures.⁵ Not every county offers the virtual option, so check your local clerk before assuming it’s available.

Signing Before the Clerk

Both parties must appear together, whether in person or by video. The clerk administers an oath and witnesses both signatures on the application.² You will also sign two required statements:

A statement indicating whether both parties have completed a premarital preparation course.
A statement confirming that both parties have obtained and read the Family Law Handbook (or its electronic version), which covers the legal rights and responsibilities of marriage under Florida law.¹

The clerk cannot issue the license without both statements. The Family Law Handbook is published by the Florida Bar’s Family Law Section and is available through your county clerk’s website or at familylawfla.org. Read it before your appointment so you can honestly sign the certification.

Fees, Waiting Period, and the Premarital Course

The standard fee statewide is $86. Florida residents who complete a premarital preparation course pay $61.⁶ Payment methods vary by county. Some take only cash or money orders; others accept credit cards.

Florida residents face a three-day waiting period between issuance and the date the license becomes effective. Completing a registered premarital preparation course waives that wait, so the license takes effect immediately. If both parties are non-Florida residents, no waiting period applies at all.²

The premarital course must be at least four hours long and can be taken together or separately, in person, by video, or through another electronic format. The provider must be registered with the clerk of the circuit court.⁷ You’ll receive a certificate of completion to present with your application, and the course must have been finished within the past year.⁸

The 60-Day Window and Who Can Officiate

The license is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance. If the ceremony doesn’t happen within that window, the license expires and you have to start over with a new application and fee.⁹

Florida law authorizes these officiants:

Ordained ministers, elders, or other ordained clergy in communion with a church
All judicial officers, including retired judges
Clerks of the circuit courts
Florida notaries public
Members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) who have charge of the marriage ceremony according to their rites

Your officiant doesn’t have to be from the county that issued the license, but the ceremony itself has to take place in Florida.¹⁰

After the Ceremony

The officiant, not the couple, completes the marriage certificate on the license and returns it to the issuing clerk’s office within 10 days.¹¹ The clerk records the marriage in the county’s official records and sends a certified copy to the couple.⁶ If your officiant seems unfamiliar with this step, a polite reminder is worth the trouble. A marriage that never gets recorded creates real problems later when you need proof of it for insurance, name changes, or tax filings.

Changing Your Name

A marriage license does not automatically change anyone’s name. If either spouse wants a new surname, the recorded marriage certificate is the legal proof of the change, but each agency still has to be updated separately.

Start with the Social Security Administration, because the DMV, banks, and most other institutions will want to see your updated Social Security card first. File Form SS-5 (Application for a Social Security Card), sign it in your new name, and submit it with your certified marriage certificate and a valid photo ID to your local SSA office. The SSA accepts only originals or certified copies. Processing runs roughly 10 to 14 business days, and the SSA notifies the IRS automatically. Once your new card arrives, update your driver’s license, passport, bank accounts, and employer records.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Code 741.04 – Issuance of Marriage License
2
Hillsborough County Clerk of Court & Comptroller. Marriage License FAQ
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 741.21 – Incestuous Marriages Prohibited
4
Bay County Clerk of Court & Comptroller. Marriage Licenses
5
Hillsborough County Clerk of Court & Comptroller. Online Marriage License
6
Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers. How Do I Apply For A Marriage License?
7
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 741.0305 – Marriage Fee Reduction for Completion of Premarital Preparation Course
8
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 741.01 – County Court Judge or Clerk of the Circuit Court to Issue Marriage License; Fee
9
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 741.041 – Marriage License Application Valid for 60 Days
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The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 741.07 – Persons Authorized to Solemnize Matrimony
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The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 741.08 – Marriage License; Officiant Return Requirement