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At least once a day, the courthouse and its two branch
offices double as a wedding chapel or a passport office.
Here in the courthouse, the Marriage License and Passport
Office is located on the fourth floor, just off the elevator, and is open from
8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday.
The West Branch Office (Branches), located in the Oak
Grove Shoppes in Altamonte Springs, and the East Branch Office (Branches), located in the Wilshire Plaza in Casselberry, are open from 8:30am
to 5:00pm.
The cost of a marriage license is $93.50; for $30.00
more, a
deputy clerk will perform the marriage here at the courthouse. The cost of a marriage license is reduced to
$61.00 when counseling is taken through a premarital course. In 2005, we issued 3,205 marriage
licenses and performed 957 marriages.
The rules are simple:
To apply for a marriage license, you must be 18 years old or
older; you and your fiancée must apply together in person, and you must both
present either a valid driver’s license or a certified copy of your birth
certificate. You must pay in cash or
money order.
·
Any male or female age 18 or over;
·
A minor whose parents are deceased and no guardian is
appointed;
·
Minors who, under oath, swear that they are parents or
expectant parents of a child. In
addition, the pregnancy must be verified by a written statement by a licensed
physician. When the fact of pregnancy
is verified by the written statement of a licensed physician, a county court
judge may, in his or her discretion, issue a license to marry;
·
A previously married minor; and,
·
A person age 16 or 17 with parental or guardian consent
Unless the parents are divorced and the custody and control
of the minor is assigned to one parent.
Written consent of an incompetent parent is not required (Attorney
General Opinion 49-122). All written
consent must be notarized or signed before a deputy clerk.
No. Residency and citizenship are not required.
No. The law
requiring these tests was abolished October 1, 1986.
No, a marriage license may be applied for and solemnized in
any Florida county. However, the
marriage license must be recorded in the county where it was obtained.
A marriage license may be obtained Monday through Friday in
the courthouse or any one of our branch offices (Branches).
Sixty days from the date the license is issued.
·
A regularly ordained minister or other ordained clergy;
·
Elders in communion with some church;
·
All judicial officers (judges) of the State of Florida;
·
Clerks of Circuit Court and their deputies of the State
of Florida;
·
Notaries Public of the State of Florida; and,
·
The law provides that marriages may be performed among
“Quakers” or “Friends,” in a manner and form used or practiced in their
societies.
He/she is a minister who has been recognized in the manner
required by the regulations of the respective denomination to perform marriage
ceremonies.
No. Section 741.08
F.S. states that the party solemnizing the marriage shall require a properly
issued license before performing the ceremony.
A marriage cannot be officially recorded until the license
is returned to the clerk. It should be
returned within 10 days after the wedding.
The party who performed the marriage is responsible for returning the
completed license.
Yes, the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court performs
wedding ceremonies between 8:00am and 4:00pm, Monday through Friday. Branch offices perform wedding ceremonies
between 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. The fee is $30.00 (payments must be made in cash).
Checks are not accepted for payment of a marriage license
fee.
Once you apply, we will issue you an original marriage
license immediately. The license
includes a marriage certificate to be completed the day of your wedding. That certificate, and your marriage license,
is recorded automatically in the Official Records of the Court. One certified is supplied by the Clerk's office free of charge; however, you can obtain additional certified copies from the
Land Records Department; the cost is $2.50.
Where to write for a copy of your marriage license:
Department of HRS
Division of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042
(904) 359-6955
or
If you were issued your marriage
license in Seminole County, contact:
Land Records
Clerk of the Circuit Court
P.O. Box 8099
Sanford, FL 32772-8099
(407) 665-4409
You should contact an attorney.
The fee you pay helps fund a number of worthwhile programs
around the state:
Twenty-five dollars of the $93.50 goes to pay for
domestic
violence centers; $7.50 to the Displaced Homemakers Trust; $4.00 to the Bureau
of Vital Statistics; $25.00 to the Family Court Trust Fund. We keep $32.00.
If your marriage means a change in name and/or address,
remember to make the following important notifications:
·
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor
Vehicles, Division of Drivers License;
·
Your nearest Social Security office;
·
Your voter’s registration office;
·
Military Reserve commanding officer; and,
·
Beneficiaries:
Members of your family are probably named as beneficiaries or joint
owners on many of these documents and you may wish to list your spouse as the
new beneficiary or joint owner.
Passports
Effective March 8, 2005,
the cost of a passport is $67.00
plus postage ($52.00 if you are under the age of 16).
To apply for a passport, you must be an American citizen
(you do not have to be a Florida resident).
You must present either a previous passport or a certified copy of your
birth certificate. You must provide two
identical, two-inch by two-inch, professional passport photos (color or black
and white) taken within the last six months.
You must also present a valid photo identification.
Separate passports are required for all adults and children
traveling abroad. Adults and children
14 years old or older must apply in person.
(Parents or legal guardians may obtain passports for children under the
age of 14). Effective July 2001, both parents must sign for children
under the age of 14.
You will make two payments in applying for a passport: One, a $67.00 passport fee ($52.00 if
under
the age of 16) paid to U.S. Department of State; two, a $30.00 handling
fee, plus
postage, to the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Payment to U.S. Department of State must be made by check or money
order;
payment to the Clerk must be made in cash, check, or money order.
Generally, within eight to ten weeks, unless you expedite the process.
Most commercial photographers and major department stores
provide passport photos, some immediately.
Ten years, if you are 16 years old or older at the time you
apply; five years if you’re not.
Most states provide certified copies of birth certificates
through their Bureau of Vital Statistics.
In Florida, the Bureau can be contacted by calling (904) 359-6900, or
writing:
State of
Florida
Department
of Health and Rehabilitative Services
Vital
Statistics
Post Office
Box 210
Jacksonville,
Florida 32231
If you were born in Florida,
you can now obtain a certified copy of your birth certificate at the Seminole
County Health Department, 400 West Airport Boulevard, Sanford,
Florida 32773.
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