Access Bonita Springs Marriage Records

Marriage records in Bonita Springs fall under the Lee County Clerk of Courts. The clerk office in Fort Myers processes all license applications and keeps recorded marriage documents for every part of Lee County.

Marriage License Office for Bonita Springs

Bonita Springs is part of Lee County. The city does not have a local clerk office for marriage licenses. You need to visit the Lee County Clerk of Courts at 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33901. Phone: (239) 533-5007. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bonita Springs sits in the southern part of Lee County, close to the Collier County line. The drive north to the Fort Myers courthouse takes about 30 to 40 minutes on I-75 or US-41. Plan your trip for a weekday morning when the office tends to be less busy. Both people getting married must go together. No exceptions to this rule.

Bring valid photo identification. Acceptable forms include a driver license from any state, a U.S. passport, military ID, or state ID card. Your Social Security number is required too. If you or your partner was previously married, bring the date the earlier marriage ended. The clerk needs this for the application.

License Fees and Costs

A marriage license in Lee County is $86. Take a premarital preparation course and you pay $61 instead. That is a $25 savings. The course has to be done within one year before your application date. Only providers approved under Florida Statute Chapter 741 qualify.

The clerk takes cash and cards. No personal checks are allowed. If you want the clerk to perform the wedding ceremony, add $30 for that service. Many couples from Bonita Springs take care of the license and ceremony in one trip to save time. Once the waiting period is up (or waived), the clerk can marry you right then.

Certified copies of recorded marriage documents cost $7 for the first copy. Each extra copy ordered at the same time is $5. These certified copies carry the clerk's seal and are accepted for legal purposes like name changes, insurance updates, and passport applications.

How to Search Bonita Springs Marriage Records

The Lee County Clerk runs an online records search portal. Visit the clerk website and use the search tool to find marriage records by name or date. Basic search results are free. Certified copies require payment but can be ordered directly through the site.

At the state level, the Florida Department of Health has records going back to June 1927. The cost is $5 for a search with one certified copy. Additional copies are $4 each. State requests go through the office in Jacksonville and processing takes several weeks in most cases.

You can also use VitalChek to order copies online. Their fee is $15 plus a processing charge. VitalChek is handy if you cannot visit the clerk office and prefer to order everything with a credit card. However, for Bonita Springs records, the county clerk tends to be faster than either the state or VitalChek.

Marriage License Application Process

Bonita Springs couples should follow these steps:

• Both parties go to the Lee County Clerk in Fort Myers together
• Present valid photo ID and Social Security numbers
• Give the date any prior marriage ended (if applicable)
• Pay the $86 fee or $61 with a premarital course certificate
• Wait three days if you are a Florida resident without a course
• Use the license anywhere in Florida within 60 days

Florida law under Statute 741.04 imposes a three-day waiting period on Florida residents. Non-residents skip this entirely. Completing a premarital course waives the wait for all applicants. The license is good for 60 days after it is issued and valid in every Florida county.

Florida Statute 741.07 spells out who may perform wedding ceremonies. The list includes ordained ministers, judges, court clerks, deputy clerks, and Florida notary publics. Witnesses are not legally required, though most couples have at least one or two. The person who performs the ceremony must sign the license and return it to the clerk within 10 days. Then the clerk records it and reports it to the state Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Getting Copies of Bonita Springs Marriage Records

Marriage records are public in Florida under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. Any member of the public can request copies. You do not need to be one of the spouses or a family member. Sensitive data like Social Security numbers is blacked out on copies given to the public.

There are three ways to get copies from Lee County. In person at the Fort Myers clerk office is fastest. Online through the clerk website works if you have a credit card. By mail to 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33901 with a check or money order also works. Include the names of both spouses and the wedding date when making a request.

Brand new marriages may not appear in the state system for about 60 days. The county will have the record much sooner. If you just got married in Bonita Springs or elsewhere in Lee County, go to the county clerk for a copy instead of waiting for the state to process it.

Other Cities in Lee County

All Lee County communities use the same clerk office for marriage licenses and records. Click a city for more details.