Find Marriage Records in Plantation

Plantation marriage records are processed by the Broward County Clerk of Courts. All marriage license services and record requests for Plantation go through the county clerk office in Fort Lauderdale.

Plantation Marriage License Office Location

Plantation is in Broward County. The city does not have a marriage license office. The Broward County Clerk of Courts handles everything at the Central Courthouse, Midrise Building, 540 SE 3rd Avenue, Room 02460, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. Plantation is centrally located in the county, so the drive to the courthouse is about 15 to 20 minutes.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Phone: (954) 831-7283. The clerk only takes walk-ins. Both partners must appear together with valid photo ID. Accepted IDs include a driver license, passport, state ID card, military ID, or alien registration card.

U.S. citizens need to give a Social Security number when applying. If either person was married before, bring the exact date that prior marriage ended and how it ended. The clerk checks all of this before issuing a new marriage license.

What a Marriage License Costs in Plantation

The license fee is $86. A premarital course brings that down to $61. Under Florida Statutes Chapter 741, the course must come from a registered provider and be completed within one year of applying. Taking the course also eliminates the three-day waiting period for Florida residents.

Ceremonies performed by the clerk cost $30. Cash and major credit cards are accepted. The clerk does not take personal checks. Certified copies of Plantation marriage records are $3 per copy.

All Broward County cities pay the same fees. There are no additional city charges for Plantation residents. The only decision affecting cost is whether to take the premarital course.

Searching for Plantation Marriage Records

Visit the Broward County Clerk records request page to search. The county holds records from 1915 to the present. Enter a name and browse the results. Searching is free.

If you need a record that is not online, go to the Fort Lauderdale clerk office in person. They keep paper archives going back over a century. Staff there can help locate Plantation marriage records that have not been digitized.

You can also try state records. The Florida Department of Health stores marriage records from 1927 on. A search and one copy costs $5 from the state, with extra copies at $4 each. VitalChek offers online ordering with processing fees. For Plantation residents, the county clerk is usually the quicker option.

How Plantation Residents Get a Marriage License

Here is the step-by-step process:

• Visit the Broward County Clerk at 540 SE 3rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
• Both people appear in person with valid ID and Social Security number
• Bring dissolution date of any prior marriage
• Pay $86 (or $61 with premarital course certificate)
• Florida residents wait three days unless a course removes the wait
• The license is valid for 60 days throughout Florida

Visitors from outside Florida do not wait at all. The three-day waiting period is a state law that only applies to Florida residents. Completing a premarital course is the simplest way to skip it. Many Plantation couples take the course for the combined savings in cost and time.

Pick any authorized officiant for your ceremony. Under Florida law, judges, ordained ministers, clerks, their deputies, and Florida notaries public can all perform weddings. Witnesses are not legally required but are a good idea. After the ceremony, the officiant has 10 days to return the signed license to the Broward County Clerk for recording.

Requesting Certified Copies

Get certified copies of a Plantation marriage record from the Broward County Clerk at 540 SE 3rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Each copy is $3. You can pick them up in person or send a mail request with both names, the approximate marriage date, and your payment.

Marriage records in Florida are public under Florida Statutes Chapter 119. Anyone can request a copy. The clerk redacts Social Security numbers and other protected information. Certified copies serve as legal proof for name changes, immigration, and insurance purposes.

If you just got married in Plantation, the county clerk will have the record sooner than the state. It takes about 60 days for the Florida Department of Health to process new records. Going to the Broward County Clerk first saves you that wait.

Other Cities in Broward County

All cities in Broward County use the same clerk office for marriage records. Select a city below for more local details.