Applicants must be eighteen (18) years old to obtain a marriage license and cannot be related by blood. Please contact our office for information on obtaining a marriage license if you are under 18 years of age or see Florida State Statute 741.04 for requirements.

Applicants must provide valid photo identification, showing date of birth (driver’s license, passport, student ID card, military ID, or alien registration card). There is no residency or citizenship requirement.

If any of the applicants have been previously married, the exact date of the last death, divorce or annulment must be provided.

Time Limit and Waiting Period:

The license must be used within sixty (60) days of the “effective date.”

The effective date criteria are detailed below:

If both parties are Florida residents, both parties may attend a premarital class and submit certification of attendance to the clerk at the time of application. There is no waiting period. If class is not attended, there is a three (3) day waiting period (from the date of issue) before the marriage ceremony can take place. This class must be taken through an authorized center listed in Monroe County. Original completion certificate required at time of application. The list of providers is available upon request.

If only one of the applicants is a Florida resident and the Florida resident takes the course, there is no waiting period. If both applicants are out-of-state residents, there is no waiting period.

Who is authorized to celebrate a marriage?

A marriage may be performed by an ordained clergyman, a judiciary, a notary of the state of Florida, the clerk of the circuit court, and deputy clerks.

The marriage license fee is $86.00. If both applicants are Florida residents and provide proof that they completed a premarital class, the fee will be $61.00.

After the marriage, the person who performed the ceremony must return the license, within ten (10) days, to the marriage license section, where it will then be recorded in the Official Records. Until that license is received, there will be no valid record of the marriage. After registration, a certified copy will be returned to the newlyweds by mail.

The process takes approximately 3 weeks.