Marriage license at the Pinellas County courthouse in Clearwater, FL

 

 

In Pinellas there are the following courthouse locations where you can obtain the marriage license:

Recording Services Department

315 Court Street, Room 150
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 464-7000
Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

North County Branch
29582 U.S. 19 North
Clearwater, FL 33761
(727) 464-7000
Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

St. Petersburg Branch
545 First Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 464-7000
Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

Marriage Licenses

The Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller acts as an Agent for the State of Florida to issue Marriage Licenses within Pinellas County, Florida; pursuant to Florida Statute 741.01. Clerk’s Recording Services offers Marriage License, Marriage Ceremony and Marriage Photo services. For Marriage Licenses and Ceremonies, you may visit Recording Services, Room 150 of the Clearwater Courthouse, the St. Petersburg Branch, or the North County Branch of the Clerk’s office.

MARRIAGE LICENSE EFFECTIVE DATE

When at least one party is a Florida Resident, Florida Statute 741.04(5) requires a 3 day waiting period between the day the License is purchased and the day the License will become Effective for the couple to marry. For a Marriage to be valid, the ceremony must take place between the Effective date and Expiration date listed on the License.

Completing a Premarital Preparation Course and presenting the Certificate of Completion to the Clerk will waive the three day waiting period, when at least one of the applicants is a Florida Resident. This will allow the couple to marry the day they purchase the License.

When both parties are non-Florida Residents, the waiting period does not apply.

A MARRIAGE LICENSE IS ONLY VALID FOR A 60 DAY PERIOD

The 60 days period begins on the issue date written on the license and ends on the expiration date written on the license. If a marriage ceremony is performed before the effective date or after the expiration date, the marriage license is not valid. If a couple allows a marriage license to expire and they wish to be married, then they will need to apply for a new marriage license.

 

OBTAINING A MARRIAGE LICENSE

1. Complete & Submit the online EMarriage Application

The EMarriage Application is a required form that must be filled out prior to obtaining a Marriage License from the Clerk’s office. The application is an online form that can be completed at the couple’s convenience prior to coming into the Clerk’s office, or on a public terminal within one of the Clerk’s office locations offering Marriage services.

EMarriage Application

• Read the Disclaimer: After filling out the EMarriage application, the couple must appear before the Clerk and meet the State of Florida’s requirements to be issued the Marriage License. Completing the EMarriage application is a prerequisite to obtaining a Marriage License.
• Fill out all required fields & select Submit.
  • If either party was previously married, it is required to enter how and when the previous marriage ended.
• An on-screen confirmation will acknowledge that the online Application was successfully completed.
• The Application has been sent to the Clerk’s Marriage Application Queue. It will only remain there for 30 days. To obtain a Marriage License, both parties must appear in person at one of the Clerk’s Office locations that offer Marriage Services within 30 days of submitting the Application.

2. The couple applies in person at the Clerk’s office with proper identification

Both applicants are required to appear in person and provide the Clerk with proof of the following:

• Identification:Driver’s License, State ID, Military ID or Passport
• Age: both parties are at least 18 years old
• Social Security Number: U.S. Citizens must provide their Social Security Number
  • Non U.S. Citizens may provide a Social Security Number or an Alien Registration Number issued by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service.
  • A Passport is an acceptable form of ID for Non U.S. Citizens

Biological Child in common
Applicants who are both the biological parent of a minor child/children, born within the State of Florida should complete the Affirmation of Common Children form and present it to the Clerk at this time.

3. Premarital Preparation Course

If a Premarital Preparation Course was completed, the Certificate should be presented to the Clerk while the couple applies for the Marriage License in order to receive the discounted fee and to waive the three day waiting period that applies to Florida residents.

• A Certificate of Completion of a Premarital Counseling must state:
  • The course was a minimum of Four hours
  • The course was completed within the past year
  • State whether it was given by personal instruction or other means.

Per F.S. 741.0305
(3)(b) The cost of such premarital preparation course shall be paid by the applicant.
(4) Each premarital preparation course provider shall furnish each participant who completes the course with a certificate of completion specifying the name of the participant and the date of completion and whether the course was conducted by personal instruction, videotape instruction, or instruction via other electronic medium, or by a combination of these methods.

Premarital Preparation Courses are not provided by the Clerk. The Clerk can provide a list of qualified, registered providers in Pinellas County. Providers set their own fees and terms. For example, some ministers will only provide the course for members of their congregation.

List of Providers

Per F.S. 741.0305
(3)(a) All individuals electing to participate in a premarital preparation course shall choose from the following list of qualified instructors.

1. A psychologist licensed under chapter 490.
2. A clinical social worker licensed under chapter 491.
3. A marriage and family therapist licensed under chapter 491.
4. A mental health counselor licensed under chapter 491.
5. An official representative of a religious institution which is recognized under s. 496.404(23), if the representative has relevant training.

Qualified, registered providers interested in being included on the Clerk’s list:
Request for inclusion on Pinellas Clerk’s Premarital Preparation Course Provider List
Please Note: A Premarital Preparation Course is not required, but it can have a positive effect on the Fee and Effective date of a Marriage License for Florida Residents.

Marriage License Fee

The fee for obtaining a Marriage License is $86.00.

When both applicants complete a Premarital Preparation Course and present the Certificate to the Clerk, the fee is reduced to $61.00.

Marriage License Fee – 3 Day Waiting Period for Marriage License Effective Date
Premarital Preparation Course	Both Florida Residents	1 Florida Resident 1 Non Florida Resident	Both Non Florida Residents	Cost
Course Taken	3 Day Waiting Period Waived	3 Day Waiting Period Waived	No Waiting Period for Out of State Residents	$61.00
Course Not Taken	3 Day Waiting Period Mandatory	3 Day Waiting Period Mandatory	No Waiting Period for Out of State Residents	$86.00

4. Family Law Handbook Requirement

While applying for a Marriage License, the couple will be presented with the Family Law Handbook which outlines the Rights and Responsibilities of parties to a Marriage.

Both Parties are required to sign the Statement of Family Law Handbook, which acknowledges that each party has obtained and read/accessed the information contained within the Handbook. Each party will also mark whether or not a Premarital Preparation Course was completed. The Statement is required in order for a Florida Marriage License to be issued, pursuant to Florida Statute 741.04(4).
Family Law Handbook
Family Law Handbook – Spanish version

5. Oath and Signature

Once the Marriage License is prepared, the couple will review the License for accurate information. The couple will then be instructed to take an oath attesting to the truthfulness of the information they have provided, and to sign the Marriage License.

6. Payment

A single payment (Cash, Card, Check, etc.) made payable to the Clerk of Court.

Marriage Ceremony Fee

For your convenience, Deputy Clerks are authorized and available during normal working hours, Monday through Friday, to perform Marriage Ceremonies. No Appointment is necessary, and the Ceremony can take place as soon as the License is purchased, as long as the Effective Date is valid. The fee for this service is $30.00.

Marriage Photo & Certificate

The Clerk’s Office offers a Wedding Photo service for a $10.00 fee. The Clerk’s Office also offers a Wedding Certificate for a $5.00 fee.

A Marriage License is Only Valid for a 60 day period

The 60 days period begins on the Issue Date written on the License and ends on the Expiration Date written on the License. If a Marriage Ceremony is performed before the Effective Date or after the Expiration Date, the Marriage License is not valid. If a couple allows a Marriage License to expire and they wish to be Married, then they will need to apply for a new Marriage License.

Marriage Ceremony

A Florida Marriage License allows a couple to get Married anywhere in Florida, regardless of the County the License was purchased from.
For your convenience, Pinellas County Deputy Clerks are authorized to perform Marriage Ceremonies for a $30.00 fee. No Appointment is necessary, and the Ceremony can take place as soon as the License is purchased, as long as the Effective Date is valid. Additional services provided include a Marriage Photo for a $10.00 fee and a Marriage Certificate for a $5.00 fee.

Recording the License after the Marriage Ceremony

Once the Marriage Ceremony has been performed, a Pinellas County Marriage License is to be returned to the Pinellas County Clerk to Record into the Official Records. A Marriage License obtained in Pinellas County is valid for the Marriage to be performed anywhere in Florida, but a Pinellas County Marriage License must be Recorded in Pinellas County.

Once the Completed Marriage License is recorded, the Clerk will provide one Certified Copy to the couple without charge. Additional Certified Copies will cost $3.00 each.
To have a completed Marriage Licenses recorded, visit Recording Services, Room 150 of the Clearwater Courthouse, or the St. Petersburg or North County Branches of the Clerk’s Office.

Viewing Marriage Licenses

Pinellas County Marriage Licenses from May of 1972 through the present date are available to view on the Clerk’s Official Records site.

Copies of Pinellas County Marriage Licenses are available for purchase through the Clerk’s Online Copy Request and Payment Center.

Marriage Licenses may also be viewed and purchased in Official Records, Room 163, at the Clearwater Courthouse.

Amending a Marriage License

In the event an Amendment to a Recorded Marriage License is necessary, complete the Affidavit Amendment to Marriage License form and visit Recording Services, Room 150 of the Clearwater Courthouse, or the St. Petersburg, or North County Branches of the Clerk’s office.