Florida marriage records are public, and anyone can order a copy without proving a relationship to the couple or giving a reason. Where you send the request depends on when the marriage took place: the Bureau of Vital Statistics within the Florida Department of Health holds certificates from June 6, 1927 to the present, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county that issued the license holds anything earlier.1Florida Department of Health. Marriage Certificates
Where to Request Based on Marriage Date
For marriages from June 6, 1927 forward, the state Bureau of Vital Statistics is the primary source. Its mailing address is P.O. Box 210, 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Florida
For anything before June 6, 1927, the Bureau will not have it. You have to contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the license was originally issued.1Florida Department of Health. Marriage Certificates
The county clerk is also the original recorder of every Florida marriage license, so even for newer marriages you can often skip the state and go straight to the county. Some clerks run free online search portals where you can look up records by name and order certified copies directly. Miami-Dade County has one on its clerk’s website. If you know the county, checking there first is usually faster than going through Jacksonville.
How to Request a Certificate From the State
The Bureau of Vital Statistics accepts requests three ways: by mail, in person at the Jacksonville office, or online through VitalChek, the only third-party vendor the Department of Health has authorized.3Florida Department of Health. Certificates and Records
Mail or Walk-In
Use Form DH 261, “Application for Florida Marriage Certificate,” from the Department of Health website.4Florida Department of Health. Application for Florida Marriage Certificate The form asks for:
- Both spouses’ full names prior to first marriage, including maiden names
- Each spouse’s date of birth
- The exact date of marriage, or a range of years if you’re not sure
- City, county of marriage, and the county where the license was issued
- Your name, mailing address, phone number, relationship to the parties, and signature
Mail the completed form with a check or money order payable to “Vital Statistics.” Filling in every field matters, because a missing detail forces the Bureau to contact you before they can search.
Online Through VitalChek
VitalChek is faster but costs more. The portal charges the Bureau’s fees plus its own processing fee for identity verification and electronic submission, and every VitalChek order automatically includes the $10 expedited processing charge.
Fees
The Bureau’s fees are set by Rule 64V-1.014 of the Florida Administrative Code:5Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R. 64V-1.014 – Fees for Vital Statistics Services Provided by State Registrar
- $5 for the first calendar year searched, which includes one computer-generated certified copy if the record is found. This fee is non-refundable even if no record turns up.
- $2 for each additional calendar year searched when the exact year is unknown, capped at $50.
- $4 for each additional certified copy ordered at the same time as the initial request.
- $10 for expedited processing.
- $1 shipping and handling on mail-in orders.
A certified photocopy of the original record, rather than a computer-generated certification, costs an additional $5. For most legal uses, the standard computer certification is enough.
Processing Times
Standard processing at the Bureau runs three to five business days for computer-generated certificates covering marriages from 1970 to the present. That clock does not include mail time in either direction, so a mail-in request usually takes two to three weeks from drop-off to delivery.
Records from before 1970 take longer because they may need to be pulled from older archives. Expedited processing moves your request to the front of the line, which helps most with pre-1970 records or during high-volume periods. VitalChek orders include expedited handling by default, though final delivery still depends on the shipping method you pick at checkout.
Information You’ll Need to Provide
At a minimum, the Bureau needs the full legal names of both spouses as they appeared at the time of the marriage. Maiden names matter, because the record was filed under the names on the license, not names adopted afterward.
If you don’t know the exact year, you can order a multi-year search, but the $2-per-year fee climbs toward the $50 cap fast.5Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R. 64V-1.014 – Fees for Vital Statistics Services Provided by State Registrar Knowing the county where the license was issued narrows the search. For genealogical work with sparse details, the county clerk’s office in the area where the couple lived can sometimes surface index records that help you refine a later state-level request.
License vs. Certificate: Order the Right Document
The two terms get used interchangeably, but they’re different documents. The marriage license is the pre-ceremony permission issued by the county clerk. The marriage certificate is the recorded proof that the ceremony happened, created after the officiant signs and returns the license.6The Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 741 – Marriage When people order a “marriage record” from the state, they almost always mean the certificate. That’s the document you’d use for a name change, insurance claim, immigration petition, or estate matter.
Apostilles for International Use
If you need the certificate recognized in another country that signed the Hague Convention of 1961, you’ll need an apostille from the Florida Department of State. The Bureau of Vital Statistics does not issue them. Order the certified copy from the Bureau first, then submit that certified copy to the Florida Department of State’s Division of Corporations for authentication by mail or in person. The apostille fee is separate from the vital records fee.
Who Can Request, and What’s Redacted
Florida’s Public Records Law opens state, county, and municipal records to any person for inspection or copying.7The Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 119 – Public Records Marriage certificates fall inside that framework, so unlike states that limit access to the parties or close relatives, Florida lets anyone order a copy.
One privacy limit: Social Security numbers are collected on the license application under a federal child support enforcement mandate, but state law keeps them off the certified copies released to the public.8My Florida Legal. Official Records – Recording Marriage Record Names, dates, the officiant, and the county of issuance all appear on the copy you receive.