Retrieve Free Broward County Marriage Records (License Search)

Search and request free Broward County marriage records today.

The Florida Public Records Law has given citizens the authority to inspect and copy many government documents, such as marriage records.

These marital documents can be used for many reasons, such as resolving a legal or business obligation or performing genealogy searches to learn more about your family history. You can search the marriage records of anyone for any reason you want, as long as it is not used for illegal reasons.

To search these records, it’s important to understand what marriage documents are available and how to find them. This resource will provide step-by-step guidance for accessing and requesting copies of all available marriage records in Broward County.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

How To Find Broward County Marriage Records: Look Up Anybody

If you want to access local marriage records in Broward County, you can search online with the Clerk of Circuit Courts.¹

Use this search tool to find any marriage records from this county by either the license number or the party’s name.

When performing a name-based search, you have the option to search by either party’s last or first name to the marriage. If you want to narrow down your results, you can also include a party’s date of birth and a range for when the marriage occurred. This may make the search results more manageable if you are looking for a common name.

Once you complete your search, the results will provide you with summary information, including the license number, status, marriage date and the spouse’s name.

If you have a lot of results, you can filter your search results by any of these categories. You can also perform an additional text search within the results which is another helpful option for tracking down the correct marriage record.

A record seeker can click on the license number to view additional information. Here, you can view the marriage location and some additional identifying information about the parties. This identifying information includes their birthplace and the city and county where they reside.

If you would like to request a marriage record, you can do so by mailing in your request or in person. With the information provided in your online search, you can provide the Clerk’s Office with the names of both parties at the time they submitted their application and the date they were married.

To request a marriage record by mail, you can submit the necessary information to the address below:

Marriage Division
540 SE Third Ave., Rm 02460
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301

Your request must also include a check or money order made out to the Clerk of Courts in the appropriate amount and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Processing time for a copy of a marriage record is approximately two weeks but it may vary depending on the record requested.

You can also request marriage records in person. If the marriage record is from 1998 to now, you can submit an in-person request at any of the Broward County Clerk’s Office locations.² However, for a copy of a marriage record from 1915 to 1997, your only option is to make a request at the Marriage Central Courthouse at the location below:

Marriage Central – Central Courthouse
540 SE Third Ave. Second Fl., Rm 02460, Midrise Bldg.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 02460

All Broward County Clerk’s Office locations are open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. A marriage license costs $5.00 for the original copy and $3.00 for every extra copy. For more questions, you can contact the Clerk of Courts Marriage Division at 954-831-7283.

Next is information on how to access archived marriage records. Archived records are simply older records, although there is no standard timeframe for when a record is considered to have reached this status.

How Do You Access Historical Marriage Records in Broward County for Genealogical Purposes?

If you are in the process of performing a genealogy search, you will eventually need to gather information from archived marriage records. You can check with the Clerk of Courts Archives Division to view archived Broward County marital records.³ The Archives Division has marriage records available from 1922 to 1972.

To request an archived marriage record, you must know the year the individuals were married and their full name when they submitted their marriage license application.

The Clerk of Courts Archives Division is available from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM Monday through Friday. They can be contacted by phone at 954-831-6565 (option 3) or at the following address:

Clerk of Courts Archives Division
Central Courthouse
201 SE Sixth St. Judicial Complex, E. Building
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301

A record seeker may also want to check with churches, public libraries and historical societies for archived marriage records. Information may be found in unexpected places, including old newspapers.

Other types of related marital records that people sometimes want to search include common law marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships. None of these types of relationships are recognized by law in Florida so there are no records to access.

Lastly, you may want to contact the State Archives of Florida to see if they have any available marriage records.⁴ You can email them at [email protected] or call them at 850-245-6700. You can also go to the location listed below:

State Archives of Florida
500 S. Bronough Street, R.A. Gray Bldg.
Tallahassee, Florida 32399

How To Locate Florida Marriage Records Outside of Broward County

If you have not found what you are looking for after searching marriage records within Broward County, you may have to consider looking elsewhere. One option is to search with the government record custodian in the county where you believe the marriage occurred.

Another option is to access any marriage records in the state through the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics.⁵

Any marriage record from June 6, 1927, to the present can be requested from this office by mail or in person. To do so, you must complete the Bureau of Vital Statistics Application for Florida Marriage Record.⁶

To fill out this application, you will need to have the following information available:

• Date the parties were married
• Location of marriage (city and county)
• The county responsible for issuing the marriage license
• Name and date of birth for both parties to the marriage
• Requester’s relationship to the parties
• The requester’s complete contact information

Once you complete the application, you can bring it, along with your fee, to the location below:

Florida Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
1217 N. Pearl St.
Jacksonville, Florida 32202

A citizen can also mail the application and fee using the contact information below:

Florida Department of Health – Bureau of Vital Statistics
Attn: Vital Records Section
Post Office Box 210
Jacksonville, Florida 32231

There is a non-refundable charge of $5.00 for any marriage record request (even if they never find the record) and $4.00 for each additional copy. Searches can be expanded to multiple years; however, each additional year is going to cost you another $2.00 ($50.00 maximum).

There is also a $1.00 shipping and handling fee and a $10.00 charge if you need the marriage record expedited. The total fee should be made payable to “Vital Statistics” with either a check or money order.

If you need to contact the Bureau of Vital Statistics for any reason, you can call them at 909-359-6900 or email them at [email protected]. Their office is open from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

As an alternative to making a request with the Bureau of Vital Statistics, a citizen can obtain marriage records through VitalChek. However, if you want to use this approved third-party vendor, you will have to pay additional processing and shipping fees.

How To Obtain a Marriage License in Broward County

If you are looking to obtain a marriage license in Broward County, there is some basic information you should know. First, marriage licenses are issued by the Broward County Clerk of Circuit Court.

To be eligible for a marriage license, both parties need to be present at the Clerk’s Office when applying and both must submit proof that demonstrates they are at least eighteen years old. You can provide proof of identification through a variety of options, including a driver’s license, passport and other forms of government-issued identification.

You will also have to provide your Social Security Number or Alien Registration Number. If you have any children together who were born in this state, you will also want to complete the Affirmation of Common Children Born in Florida Form.⁷ Lastly, you will have to sign an affidavit affirming that you have reviewed the Florida Family Law Handbook.⁸

In Broward County, you have two options for applying for a marriage license. If you want to do everything from home, you can complete the marriage license application online, upload the necessary documents and follow the email instructions for scheduling an appointment via video conference.⁹ Otherwise, you can complete the process in person at any of the Broward County Clerk’s Office locations.¹⁰

When you receive a marriage license from the Broward County Clerk of the Circuit Court, this gives you the authority to get married anywhere in Florida. However, the license expires in sixty days, so it’s important to make sure you have your wedding ceremony performed within that time before the license expires.

The effective date for your marriage license depends on a couple of factors. If you are a non-resident, your marriage license is effective immediately.

For Florida residents, their marriage license is effective immediately if they submit a completion certificate for an approved premarital course.¹² Otherwise, there is a three-day waiting period before the marriage license becomes effective.

The standard marriage fee is $86.00, which is reduced to $61.00 if a premarital course completion certificate is provided. If you need the Clerk’s Office to perform the marriage ceremony, there is an additional $30.00 fee.

For additional questions, you can visit their Frequently Asked Questions Page or contact any of the Broward County Clerk’s Office locations.¹³ All offices are open from Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

You should now be prepared to apply for a marriage license in Broward County. If you need to perform a search of Broward County marriage records, you can do so with the tools and resources provided in this article.