Miami-Dade County Marriage Records

Marriage records in Miami-Dade County are held by the Clerk of Court and Comptroller at the Central Marriage License Bureau in Miami. The clerk keeps records of all licenses issued in the county, with an online search portal that goes back to 1971. You can look up marriage licenses by name or license number through the clerk's website. Certified copies are available online, in person, or by mail. Miami-Dade County is the most populous county in Florida, and the clerk office processes a high volume of marriage license applications each year. Both walk-in and appointment options are available at the main office and six district court locations across the county.

Miami-Dade Marriage License Office

The Miami-Dade County Clerk of Court runs the Marriage License Bureau at Overtown Transit Village South, 601 NW 1 Court, Suite 1900, Miami, FL 33136. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can call (786) 469-2400 for questions. Both walk-ins and appointments are welcome. The clerk also has six district court locations spread through Miami-Dade County where you can apply for a marriage license. Appointments are now available at all locations for both license applications and ceremonies. Scheduling ahead helps cut your wait time, though walk-ins are still fine.

Couples must complete the online marriage license pre-application before visiting the office. This is a new step that the Miami-Dade clerk now requires. Both parties must appear in person at the same time. Valid photo ID is needed. The clerk accepts a driver license from any U.S. state, a passport, military ID, alien registration card, state ID card, or an original naturalization certificate. U.S. citizens and residents must provide a Social Security number. If either person was married before, the exact date of the last divorce, death, or annulment is required. For divorces that took place in Miami-Dade County, you can use the Family Online Case Search to find the final judgment date.

Under Florida Statutes Chapter 741, Section 741.04 requires both parties to sign an affidavit. They must also read the Family Law Handbook from the Florida Bar before applying. The handbook is available in English, Spanish, and Creole. There is no residency or citizenship requirement. A Miami-Dade County marriage license lets you get married anywhere in Florida.

Miami-Dade Marriage Record Fees

A marriage license in Miami-Dade County costs $86 without a premarital course. Couples who take an approved course pay $61 and skip the three-day waiting period. Under Florida Statute 741.0305, the course must be completed within one year of the application. The $30 ceremony fee is separate. Miami-Dade accepts cash, Visa, Discover, Mastercard, American Express, cashier's checks, and money orders in person. Online payments take Visa, Discover, Mastercard, and American Express. Personal checks are not accepted at any Miami-Dade County clerk location for marriage license services.

Certified copies of a Miami-Dade County marriage license cost $9 for the first copy and $7 for each additional copy. If you do not know the year of marriage, the clerk adds a $2 search fee per year. You can order copies online, by mail, or in person. Mail orders require a cashier's check or money order payable to Clerk of the Courts. The clerk can only help with marriage licenses filed in Miami-Dade County. For licenses from another county or state, contact the Florida Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics at (904) 359-6900. The state keeps marriage certificates from June 6, 1927 to the present.

Note: A duplicate marriage license costs $30, and amendments require a court order plus a $30 fee in Miami-Dade County.

Search Miami-Dade Marriage Records Online

The Miami-Dade Online Marriage License Bureau is one of the best county-level search tools in Florida. It holds marriage license records from 1971 to the present. You search by name or license number. Results show both parties and the marriage date. You can order certified copies right from the search results using a credit card. This makes it fast to get what you need without going to the office.

The Miami-Dade clerk's marriage license search page lets you look up records for free. The search portal is available around the clock, so you can check records at any time. Ordering a certified copy online has a fee, but viewing search results does not cost anything.

Under Florida Statutes Chapter 119, marriage records are public. Anyone can inspect or copy them. Section 119.07 says the custodian must let any person see and copy public records at any reasonable time. Certain details like Social Security numbers get redacted. Miami-Dade County has a Request for Confidentiality of Marriage Record form if you qualify for an exemption under Section 119.071.

Getting Certified Copies in Miami-Dade

You have three ways to get certified copies of Miami-Dade County marriage records. Online ordering through the clerk's certified copies page is the fastest option for most people. You pay with a credit card and the copies ship to your address. In person at the Marriage License Bureau is another route. The office at 601 NW 1 Court, Suite 1900 in Miami handles requests Monday through Friday. Mail requests go to the same address with a cashier's check or money order.

After a marriage ceremony takes place, the signed license must be returned to the Miami-Dade clerk within 10 days. The clerk records it into the official records and then sends the data to the state Bureau of Vital Statistics. This whole process takes about 60 days. If you just got married and need proof of your marriage right away, go to the Miami-Dade County clerk rather than the state office. Under Section 741.09, the clerk keeps a correct record of all marriage licenses issued in the county.

Historical marriage records from before 1971 are not in the online system. For older records, you need to contact the Miami-Dade clerk office directly or visit in person. Records before June 6, 1927 are only available at the county level since the state did not start collecting marriage data until that date.

Miami-Dade Marriage License Process

Getting a marriage license in Miami-Dade County follows a set process. Florida law requires it. Here is what you need to do:

• Complete the online pre-application on the Miami-Dade clerk website
• Bring valid photo ID and your Social Security number to the clerk office
• Both parties must show up together in person
• Pay the $86 fee (or $61 with premarital course proof)
• Wait three days if you are a Florida resident without a course certificate
• Use the license within 60 days anywhere in Florida

Florida residents face a three-day waiting period under Florida Statute 741.04. Non-residents do not wait. Taking a premarital course waives this for residents too. The course must come from an approved provider and be finished within one year of your application date.

The Miami-Dade County marriage license page explains that the license is valid in any Florida county for 60 days. Under Section 741.07, ordained ministers, judges, clerks and their deputies, and Florida notaries public can perform the ceremony. No witnesses are legally required, though they are recommended. After the ceremony, the officiant signs the license and it goes back to the clerk for recording.

Note: Couples who have children born in Florida together may need to fill out an additional form at the Miami-Dade clerk office.

Cities in Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade County has many cities and communities. All marriage licenses are issued through the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Court. Below are major cities with dedicated pages for more local information about marriage records.

Nearby Counties

If you need marriage records from a neighboring area, the counties below border Miami-Dade and have their own clerk offices.