Weddings by Notary

Payment for:

Notary Service Weddings by Notary Tax Return Preparation

Florida Marriage License Requirements

Residency Requirement:

You do not have to be a resident of Florida.

ID Requirement:

Florida requires that you have picture ID such as a driver's license and your Social Security card or a valid passport number or I-94 card. You may be asked for a certified copy of your birth certificate.

Previous Marriages:

If you have been previously married, the date of your divorce or date of your spouse's death must be supplied. If the divorce or spouse's death occurred within the past 30 days, a certified copy of the divorce decree or death certificate is required.

Waiting Period:

There is no waiting period for Florida residents who have both completed a state sanctioned marriage preparation course within the last 12 months. There is a three-day waiting period for Florida residents who have not taken the course.

Fees:

$93.50 License fee  

Broward County, Florida Marriage License Information

Is a marriage ceremony performed by a notary public of the State of Florida "legal and binding"? Is a Florida notary public authorized to perform a marriage ceremony outside the state, or may a notary from another state perform a marriage ceremony in Florida?

Florida is one of only three states (the other two are South Carolina and Maine) who authorize their notaries public to "solemnize the rites of matrimony." §117.045, Florida Statutes. The Florida notary may perform a marriage ceremony providing the couple first obtain a marriage license from an authorized Florida official and may only perform such ceremony within the geographical boundaries of Florida.

What officials are authorized in Florida to perform a marriage ceremony?

Section 741.07, Florida Statutes, provides that the following persons are authorized to solemnize matrimony:

• State judicial officers (judges)
• Retired state judicial officers
• Federal judges serving in a court with jurisdiction over a part of this state (per Attorney General informal opinion, May 14, 1996)
• Clerks of the Circuit Court. Note: Section 28.06 authorizes Clerks to appoint deputy clerks who have all the same powers of the Clerk.
• Regularly ordained ministers of the Gospel, elders, or other ordained clergy, if in good standing with his or her affiliate church or denomination
• Notaries Public
• Designated members of the Society of Friends (Quakers)

Is a notary public permitted to perform a marriage ceremony for two persons of the same sex?

No. Florida law prohibits same-sex marriages.

When "solemnizing the rites of matrimony," is it acceptable for the notary public to complete the marriage certificate without actually performing a marriage ceremony?

No. Completing the marriage certificate portion of the marriage record is not the same act as performing the marriage ceremony. Actually, the certificate is the notary's way of certifying that he or she performed the ceremony.

The ceremony does not have to be in any particular form. Any form of ceremony to solemnize a marriage that the parties choose ordinarily suffices, so long as there is an agreement by words of present assent.