To get marriage records in St. Johns County, FL, you contact one of two agencies depending on what you need. The St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court holds the original recorded marriage license as part of the county’s Official Records, and the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics issues the state-certified marriage certificate for any marriage recorded from June 6, 1927, onward. The Clerk is faster and cheaper; the state certificate is the version most courts, agencies, and foreign governments require.
License or Certificate: Which One Do You Need
Florida treats these as two separate documents, and mixing them up is the most common source of frustration.
The marriage license is what the couple obtains before the ceremony. After the officiant signs and returns it, the Clerk of Court records it, and it stays permanently with the Clerk’s office. The marriage certificate is a separate document generated by the Bureau of Vital Statistics after the Clerk forwards the completed paperwork to the state. The certificate is what agencies, courts, insurers, and foreign governments typically want when you need to prove a marriage happened.
If your marriage happened recently and you need proof right away, the Clerk is your only option. It takes roughly 60 days for the completed license to reach the state and become available as a certified certificate through Vital Statistics.1Florida Department of Health. Marriage Certificates
Which Agency Holds Your Record
The dividing line is June 6, 1927. For any St. Johns County marriage before that date, the Clerk of the Circuit Court is the sole source. The state didn’t begin collecting marriage records until then, so the Bureau of Vital Statistics has nothing on file for earlier marriages.1Florida Department of Health. Marriage Certificates
For marriages from June 6, 1927 to the present, both agencies hold a version. The Clerk keeps the original recorded license; the state holds the certified certificate. If you just want to confirm a marriage occurred or need a copy of the original paperwork for local use, the Clerk is faster and cheaper. If you need the version recognized for legal proceedings, name changes, insurance, or international use, order from the state.
How to Order From the St. Johns County Clerk
The Clerk’s office maintains marriage licenses as public records open to anyone.2St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller. Marriage Licenses and Ceremonies You have three ways to get a copy.
Online Search and E-Certify
The Clerk offers a free online index of Official Records where you can search by party name and view recorded marriage licenses.3St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller. Online Research If you need an official certified copy without visiting the office, the Clerk’s E-Certify service delivers an electronically certified document for $8 per single-page document ($2 statutory certification fee plus $6 electronic service fee).4St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller. E-Certify Frequently Asked Questions
In Person or by Mail
The Clerk’s office is at 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Mail requests go to the same address. Include the full names of both spouses (including the maiden name) and the approximate date of the marriage.2St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller. Marriage Licenses and Ceremonies
A plain photocopy is $1.00 per page. Add $2.00 per document to have the copy officially certified.5St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller. Clerk’s Fees For most local purposes where the state-issued certificate isn’t specifically required, a certified copy from the Clerk works and costs considerably less than ordering from the state.
How to Order the State-Certified Certificate
When a court, agency, or foreign authority asks for a certified marriage certificate, they almost always mean the state-issued version from the Bureau of Vital Statistics. You can order by mail or online through VitalChek.
Mail Orders
Submit a completed Application for a Marriage Record (Form DH 261) to the Bureau of Vital Statistics at P.O. Box 210, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042.1Florida Department of Health. Marriage Certificates The form asks for the names of both spouses as they were before their first marriage, dates of birth, the date and county of the marriage, and your relationship to the parties on the record.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 64V-1.0131 – Certifications of Vital Records, Information Required for Release, Applicant Identification Requirements
The first certified certificate costs $5.00, which covers a search of one calendar year. That $5.00 is nonrefundable even if no record is found. Each additional certified copy ordered at the same time is $4.00. If you don’t know the exact year of the marriage, the Bureau charges $2.00 for each extra calendar year searched, up to a maximum of $50.00.1Florida Department of Health. Marriage Certificates A $10.00 rush fee is optional.
Online Through VitalChek
Online ordering through VitalChek is faster but significantly more expensive. VitalChek adds a $7.00 service fee on top of the state fees, and the $10.00 rush fee is automatically included in every online order.7Florida Department of Health. Order Certificates from VitalChek Your first certificate costs at least $22.00 through VitalChek ($5.00 state fee + $10.00 rush + $7.00 service fee), compared to $5.00 by mail. Shipping is extra. If you aren’t in a hurry, mail saves real money.
Who Can Request a Copy
Florida law treats marriage records differently from birth records and the confidential parts of death records. Birth certificates are restricted to a short list of authorized people. Marriage certificates are available to anyone. The statute authorizes the department to issue a certified copy to “any person requesting it” who submits an application and pays the fee.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 382.025 – Certified Copies of Vital Records, Fees The application does ask for your relationship to the people on the record, but that’s for administrative tracking, not gatekeeping. You don’t need to be a spouse, relative, or attorney.
The same open-access rule applies at the county level: the Clerk is required to maintain marriage records as public records, so anyone can search and request copies.9My Florida Legal. Attorney General Opinion 98-65
Apostilles for Use Abroad
If a foreign government that participates in the Hague Apostille Convention needs to recognize your Florida marriage certificate, you’ll need an apostille attached. The Florida Secretary of State’s Division of Corporations is the only authority in the state that issues apostilles.10Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications)
The process has two steps. First, get a certified copy of the marriage record. Then submit that original certified copy to the Secretary of State for the apostille. Photocopies aren’t accepted. The fee depends on where the certified copy came from:
- State-issued certificate from Vital Statistics: $10.00 per document.
- Clerk-certified copy from St. Johns County: $20.00 per document, because the Secretary of State must also issue a Certificate of Incumbency for the Clerk’s signature ($10.00 for the apostille plus $10.00 for the incumbency certificate).
Pay by check or money order to the Florida Department of State. The office doesn’t accept cash or credit cards.10Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications) If you know the document is heading overseas, ordering the state-certified certificate from Vital Statistics rather than a Clerk-certified copy saves $10.00 at the apostille step.