Five types of people can legally marry you in Florida: ordained clergy, judicial officers, clerks of the circuit court, Florida-commissioned notaries public, and members of the Religious Society of Friends acting under their own traditions.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 741.07 – Persons Authorized to Solemnize Matrimony No single state registry governs all five, so the rules differ depending on who you choose. Picking the right person matters for one reason beyond the ceremony itself: whoever officiates also carries the legal duty to certify your marriage license and return it to the clerk within 10 days.
Ordained Clergy
Any regularly ordained minister, elder in communion with a church, or other ordained clergy member can perform a wedding in Florida.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 741.07 – Persons Authorized to Solemnize Matrimony The statute does not restrict this to any denomination or faith tradition. Clergy ordained in another state can officiate in Florida without a separate Florida credential, and no clergy member has to register with a county office or state agency before performing a ceremony.
The common question is whether a friend ordained online qualifies. Florida’s statute uses the phrase “regularly ordained ministers of the gospel or elders in communion with some church, or other ordained clergy” and never defines “regularly ordained.”1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 741.07 – Persons Authorized to Solemnize Matrimony Because there is no registration requirement and no vetting process, nothing in state procedure screens out online ordinations. In practice, ministers ordained through organizations like the Universal Life Church or American Marriage Ministries routinely perform weddings across Florida without legal challenge. The statute has never been amended to address online ordination directly, and no published Florida appellate decision squarely resolves the question. If certainty matters to you, picking an officiant with a traditional ordination or choosing one of the other authorized categories removes the ambiguity.
Judicial Officers
All judicial officers in Florida can solemnize a marriage, including retired ones.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 741.07 – Persons Authorized to Solemnize Matrimony The statute says “all judicial officers” without limiting the authority to a particular court level, so this reaches justices of the Florida Supreme Court, judges on the district courts of appeal, circuit court judges, and county court judges. Many judges perform weddings at the courthouse, sometimes for a small fee, though scheduling and availability vary by county.
Clerks of the Circuit Court
The clerk of the circuit court can perform marriage ceremonies.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 741.07 – Persons Authorized to Solemnize Matrimony Many clerk offices offer a short civil ceremony at the time you pick up your license, which is a convenient option if you want something simple. The statute authorizes the clerk specifically; it does not extend to deputy clerks or other office staff.
Florida Notaries Public
Florida is one of only three states, along with South Carolina and Maine, that let notaries public perform weddings. The notary must hold a current Florida commission. When a notary officiates, completing the marriage certificate portion of the marriage record serves as their official certification that the ceremony took place.2Florida Department of State. Marriage Ceremony
Out-of-state notaries cannot officiate a Florida wedding, even if they hold a notary commission in a state that also permits notaries to marry couples.2Florida Department of State. Marriage Ceremony The reverse is also true: a Florida notary cannot perform a ceremony outside the state’s borders. If you’re planning a Florida wedding and your officiant is a notary, confirm the commission is a Florida one.
The Quaker Exception
Florida law carves out a specific exception for members of the Religious Society of Friends. A Quaker wedding can follow the society’s own rites and ceremonies without a separate officiant presiding. In traditional Quaker practice, the couple marries each other in the presence of their meeting, and those present sign the marriage certificate as witnesses. The statute also clarifies that wherever “minister” and “elder” appear in Florida’s marriage laws, those terms include the people within the Society of Friends who perform or oversee the ceremony.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 741.07 – Persons Authorized to Solemnize Matrimony
The exception is narrow. It does not create a general right to self-solemnization for couples outside the Quaker tradition. If you are not a member of the Religious Society of Friends, you need one of the other authorized officiants.
What Your Officiant Must Do After the Ceremony
Picking an authorized officiant is only half of what makes your marriage legal. Within 10 days of the ceremony, the officiant must certify on the marriage license that the marriage took place and return the completed license to the county court judge or clerk of the circuit court that issued it.3Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 741.08 – Marriage Not to Be Solemnized Without a License
The statute itself does not spell out a fine or criminal penalty for an officiant who misses the deadline, but the practical consequence is real. If the license is never returned, there is no official record of your marriage, which can create problems later with insurance, taxes, property ownership, and survivor benefits. The officiant is responsible for returning the license, but nothing stops you or someone you trust from physically delivering it to the clerk’s office on their behalf. This is one of those details worth following up on personally.