weddingAn $86 license from the Clerk of the Circuit Court, a 3 day wait for some couples, and 60 days to use it. Here is every step, what a courthouse wedding costs, and how a $33,000 Florida wedding compares.
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The average Florida wedding costs about 384 times the license. Bars use a log scale so the small fees stay visible.
License fee from Florida official sources, see our Florida requirements page. State and US averages: The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
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From the Clerk of the Circuit Court counter to a recorded marriage, in the order you do it.
Both of you must be at least 18 (17 with parental consent). You do not need to live in Florida. No blood test.
Bring valid photo ID. If either of you was married before, have the date the last marriage ended. Your county may ask for more, so check its list before you go.
IllustrativeApply together at the Clerk of the Circuit Court and pay the license fee ($86).
Florida has a waiting period: 3 days for Florida residents, none for non-residents.
IllustrativeOrdained ministers, elders, and other clergy in communion with a church. Witnesses: None. The license is valid for 60 days.
The signed license goes back to the issuing office to be recorded. Order certified copies for name changes, insurance and benefits.
Need the document list and county fees? See Florida marriage license requirements or the national how to get a marriage license guide.
Fine print: 3 days for Florida residents, none for non-residents
Apply no more than 60 days before, at least 3 days before.
| Rule | Florida (2026) |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Clerk of the Circuit Court |
| License fee | $86 (reduced to $61 with a state-approved premarital preparation course of at least 4 hours) |
| Waiting period | 3 days for Florida residents, none for non-residents |
| License valid for | 60 days |
| Minimum age | 18 (17 with parental consent) |
| Witnesses | None |
| Officiant | Ordained ministers, elders, and other clergy in communion with a church. Judicial officers, including retired judges, and clerks of the circuit court. Notaries public with active commissions can also officiate weddings in Florida. |
| Common-law marriage | Not recognized |
Clerk of the Circuit Court
$86 (reduced to $61 with a state-approved premarital preparation course of at least 4 hours)
3 days for Florida residents, none for non-residents
60 days
18 (17 with parental consent)
None
Ordained ministers, elders, and other clergy in communion with a church. Judicial officers, including retired judges, and clerks of the circuit court. Notaries public with active commissions can also officiate weddings in Florida.
Not recognized
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What one Florida county charges, how booking works and how far ahead to plan, checked against the official page.
Source: Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court, checked October 2026. Other counties set their own rules and fees.
Courthouse column from the county source above. Wedding cost from The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study; venue and officiant lead times from Zola, 2026 wedding planning checklist. See courthouse wedding costs explained.
A short news report on couples choosing courthouse ceremonies as wedding costs rise. Worth two minutes before you weigh a civil ceremony against a $33,000 Florida wedding.
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$86
is the license fee to marry in Florida. The average wedding there runs $33,000.
Illustrative image, not a specific Florida venue.Florida comes in $1,200 under the US average. Rank 1 is the most expensive state.
State averages are the same figures as our wedding cost calculator. US average $34,200, per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
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The license is the easy part. It only fits a short window before the day, while venues and photographers book many months out. Here is the national advice next to the Florida license window.
Average engagement for couples who married in 2024
The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study (via The Plumb Club)Of couples began planning about 12 months ahead
The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study (via The Plumb Club)Bars show the advice range from Zola, 2026 wedding planning checklist (updated May 2026), dots the single figure from WeddingWire, vendor booking timeline (2018). These are planning advice, not survey data, and Zola gives two figures for some vendors (venue 11 months in its timeline, 12 to 18 in its FAQ). The license bar comes from Florida rules.
Apply no more than 60 days before, at least 3 days before. The 3 days wait runs from when the license is issued.
Florida license rules
IllustrativeNo booking window is published. You can request a ceremony appointment once you hold the issued license, and walk-ins are accepted with possible longer waits.
Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court, Marriage Licenses
IllustrativeZola puts the venue 12 to 18 months out, photographers and caterers 9 to 12, and save the dates 6 to 8. The license comes last, inside the Florida window above. Zola's 2026 report also found a few couples now book a venue before they are even engaged (7%, up from 6%).
Zola First Look Report 2026
Illustrative photos: courthouse steps, regional settings and the guest shots couples collect afterwards.
of couples in The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study married in October, the most popular month in the US. Your own state's peak can sit elsewhere, so check the strip.
The Knot Worldwide, 2025 Real Weddings Study releaseFlorida's wedding peak runs November through April, when humidity drops and afternoon thunderstorms are rare. May and October are strong shoulder months. June through September brings daily afternoon storms, and hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, so many coastal venues require an indoor backup plan.
Best month to get marriedWaterfront ceremonies are a big part of the wedding scene here.
Illustrative image, not a specific Florida venue.
IllustrativeMiami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach offer glamorous waterfront venues, Art Deco architecture, and vibrant nightlife.
IllustrativeNaples, Sarasota, and Tampa feature white-sand beaches, botanical gardens, and laid-back coastal elegance.
IllustrativeOrlando and the surrounding area are home to Disney weddings, lakefront resorts, and themed venues.
IllustrativeSt. Augustine and Jacksonville offer historic charm, Spanish colonial architecture, and Atlantic Ocean views.
Florida's 3-day waiting period does not apply when neither applicant is a Florida resident. Both applicants appear in person, show ID and pay the county's fee ($86 in Miami-Dade, or $61 with a premarital course certificate). The license is valid for 60 days. Florida residents can skip the wait only by completing the course.
It depends on the beach. Rules and fees vary by county, city and park, and some beaches need no permit for a small ceremony. Check with the managing agency (county, city or Florida State Parks) early for peak weekends, and ask the agency for its lead time.
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and the busiest stretch is usually late August through early October. Ask your venue and hotels what their storm policy covers before you pay a deposit, and read the named-storm terms in any wedding insurance.
The course must run at least 4 hours and be taken within the year before you apply. It cuts the license fee by $25 for any couple, and for Florida residents it also removes the 3-day wait. Course prices vary by provider, so compare the cost to the $25 discount.
IllustrativeFlorida's 3-day waiting period applies only to Florida residents, and residents can skip it by completing a premarital preparation course of at least 4 hours taken within the past year. The same course cuts the license fee by $25 for any couple (Miami-Dade charges $86, or $61 with the course). The license is valid for 60 days. Notaries public, clergy, judicial officers and clerks of the circuit court can all officiate. In Miami-Dade, deputy clerks perform ceremonies at the Central Marriage License Bureau and six district court locations for $30. Many clerk offices can issue a license in one visit; start with the online pre-application where available (Miami-Dade does this). Beach permits are separate from the license.
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Every document, fee and county rule in one place.
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Short answers on cost, license, waiting period, courthouse and witnesses in Florida.
The legal minimum is the marriage license: $86 in Florida. A courthouse ceremony adds $30 in Miami-Dade County. The average Florida wedding runs about $33,000 per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, against a US average of $34,200. That ranks Florida #17 of 50 states by average cost.
1. Check you can marry. 2. Gather your documents. 3. Apply at the Clerk of the Circuit Court. 4. Wait 3 days. 5. Hold the ceremony. 6. Return the license, order copies. The full step list is above.
A Florida marriage license costs $86 (reduced to $61 with a state-approved premarital preparation course of at least 4 hours). You apply at the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Yes: 3 days for Florida residents, none for non-residents. The license is valid for 60 days.
Yes. In Miami-Dade County, deputy clerks perform ceremonies at the Central Marriage License Bureau and six district court locations for $30. Monday to Friday, 9 to 4, except holidays. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are recommended. Rules differ by county, so call the office where you plan to marry.
No witnesses are required by Florida law. Ordained ministers, elders, and other clergy in communion with a church.
