The Marriage Licence
Both parties must be over the age of 18. When obtaining your licence you must present a valid driver's licence, certified copy of birth certificate or passport as proof of identification. If either party has been divorced or widowed within the past year, a certified copy of the divorce papers or death certificate must be presented at time of application. The current fee for a marriage licence in both Orange County and Osceola County is $103.50. This is payable by cash, Visa or MasterCard. No cheques will be accepted. The licence is valid for 60 days. A blood test is not required in the state of Florida.
Documentation
You will require the following documentation:
• Passport
• Birth Certificate
• Decree Absolute (if divorced)
Residency
No minimum residency applies to overseas couples. (You are not required to be in the state of Florida for a minimum number of days before your ceremony). We advise that you have one free day to organise your paperwork.
Divorcees
You will need to bring your Decree Absolute with you to the Courthouse, as you will need to supply the date your marriage ended.
Application for Marriage Licence
Marriage Licences must be applied for in person at the County Courthouse. Applications are accepted between 8am - 4pm Mon - Fri, closed on Bank Holidays. You will be given directions to the nearest Courthouse from your accommodation.
The Marriage Licence
The Marriage Licence is valid for 60 days from the day of issue. This must be shown to the Notary or Minister before the ceremony; this will ensure all legal requirements have been fulfilled. The Notary or Minister will be responsible for posting the Marriage Licence back to the Courthouse to have it validated. This then becomes the official Marriage Certificate. This process should take between 4 - 6 weeks and will be posted directly back to your home address.
We advise couples to have additional certified copies of the Marriage Certificate, at the cost of $2.00 per copy. |
