Search Duval County Marriage Records

Getting a Duval County Marriage License

Any couple planning to wed in Florida can apply for a license through the Duval County Clerk. The Clerk's marriage license page says applications are taken in person at the downtown Duval County Courthouse and at the Beaches Branch. There is no residency rule. A Florida resident or out-of-state couple may apply at either site, then wed in Florida within 60 days of the license date. Both people must come at the same time. Each must hand the Clerk a valid photo ID issued by a federal or state government office.

Acceptable ID includes a driver license, passport, U.S. military ID, state ID, or alien registration card. If an applicant has an SSN, the number is given on the form but the card is not asked for. Non-citizens without an SSN may give the alien registration number or another ID. Blood tests are not required. Florida does require both parties to read the Family Law Handbook before the license is issued. Past marriages must be disclosed with the exact end date of the last marriage, but the divorce or death paper is not handed in.

The Marriage License Department sits in Room 2403 of the Duval County Courthouse. Walk-ins are taken at the downtown site only by QR-code check-in in the lobby. The Beaches Branch takes both walk-ins and scheduled visits. Plan to arrive by 4:30 p.m. since the visit takes about 30 minutes and the Clerk office shuts at 5:00 p.m.

How to Apply for a Marriage License

Couples should plan one trip together with full ID and the right payment in hand. The QR-code check-in starts the queue at the downtown site. The Beaches Branch offers calendar slots through the Clerk's eMarriage pre-application. The pre-application fills in name, ID, and prior-marriage data ahead of the visit, which trims time at the counter.

1. Pick a site. Choose the Duval County Courthouse on West Adams Street or the Beaches Branch at Neptune Beach. Walk-ins go to downtown; appointments go to the beaches.
2. Start the eMarriage pre-application online if applying at Beaches Branch, or save time at either site.
3. Read the Florida Family Law Handbook before the visit. The handbook is required under Fla. Stat. § 741.04.
4. Both parties arrive together with a valid photo ID and SSN data. Aim to be at the counter by 4:30 p.m.
5. Pay the license fee in cash, money order, cashier's check, or credit card. A 3.5% surcharge applies to card payments.
6. Receive the license at the visit. The license is valid for 60 days for a Florida ceremony.
7. Florida residents wait three days before the ceremony unless a premarital course is shown.
8. Bring the signed license back to the Clerk after the ceremony for recording.

The full step set is straight from the Clerk page. Premarital course proof should be brought to the counter; the discount applies on the spot. Non-Florida couples skip the three-day wait by statute. The lead-in to the next section covers the fee table for the license and family-law filings.

Duval County Marriage and Divorce Fees

The Clerk lists fees on the official fee schedule. Marriage fees split between full price and the discounted rate that follows a registered Florida premarital course. Family-law filings carry their own line items. Card payments add a 3.5% service fee.

Cash, money order, and cashier's check payable to the Duval County Clerk of Courts work at both branches. Personal checks are not taken. The $25 discount only applies when the proof comes from a registered Florida premarital course provider.

Marriage License Application Fields

The eMarriage pre-application asks each applicant for the data the Clerk needs to issue a license under Florida law. The site does not show all back-end fields, but the Clerk's notes and statute point to a clear core set. The table below covers the main parts of the application.

Note: The full pre-application is held inside the Clerk portal and may add prompts at submit time, so save the confirmation page.

The Florida Three-Day Waiting Period

Florida residents face a three-day waiting period after a license is issued. The clock starts when both parties appear and the license is handed across the counter, not when the pre-application is filed. The waiver removes the wait for couples who finish a registered premarital course and show the certificate at the counter. Non-Florida residents have no waiting period at all and may wed the same day the license is issued.

The legal frame for the waiting rule is Fla. Stat. § 741.04. The frame for a valid Florida ceremony is Fla. Stat. § 741.08, which requires a license before solemnization. The statute screenshot is below.

The Florida Senate page for the marriage license statute is at flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/741.04. A view of that statute page is included for context.

The license issued by the Clerk lists the statutory authority on the face. Out-of-state couples often plan the ceremony for the same day the license is signed, so the waiver rule is mainly for Florida residents.

Who Can Solemnize a Florida Marriage

Florida law sets a short list of people who may perform the ceremony. The list comes from Fla. Stat. § 741.08 and the Clerk's marriage page. The license must be in hand before the ceremony, and the signed license must be sent back to the Clerk for recording. Without recording, the marriage record will not show in the Clerk's Official Records.

• Ordained ministers, priests, or rabbis.
• Elders in communion with a church.
• All judicial officers of Florida, including all sitting and retired Florida judges.
• Florida notaries public, who may solemnize statewide.
• Quaker or Friends meetings using their customary ceremony.

A Florida notary is the most common officiant for civil ceremonies. The Clerk does not perform ceremonies at the courthouse on a walk-in basis.

Look Up Duval County Marriage Records

Recorded marriage licenses sit in the Clerk's Official Records database. The Official Records Search covers all instruments recorded in Duval County since 1988. Marriage licenses recorded since February 1981 are also searchable. Uncertified copies can be printed for free from the portal. The lobby copy at Room 1253 costs $1 per page. Certified copies cost $2 per instrument.

The Clerk page for the marriage license counter shows the search and walk-in setup. A view of that page is shown for reference.

The Clerk marriage license page at duvalclerk.gov lists locations, fees, and ID rules in one place.

To pull a marriage record online, search the Official Records portal by party name and filter by document type. A name match brings up the recorded license image. The print option saves a free uncertified copy. For court use, order a certified copy from the Official Records and Research Department in Room 1253.

Find Duval County Divorce Records

Divorce cases in Duval County are filed in Circuit Court as family-law actions. The Clerk holds the court file. Online public access is narrower than for civil suits. The Florida Supreme Court access matrix blocks general public viewing of family-rule records. Registered users may see non-confidential family case data through CORE, subject to the matrix. Confidential items stay restricted by rule and statute.

To find a Duval County divorce record, start with the party names and the year of filing. A certified copy of a divorce decree is ordered from the Clerk department that handles the family file, not from the state vital statistics office. The Bureau of Vital Statistics keeps statistical data on divorces but does not issue certified judgments. For a copy of the court order, work with the Clerk. For broader background, see the court records page and the Clerk of Court page.

Note: Divorce records may show financial affidavits, parenting plans, and child support orders; sensitive items can be sealed by court order under Florida Rule 2.420.

Marriage License Office Locations

Both Clerk locations issue Florida marriage licenses. The downtown site holds the Marriage License Department in Room 2403. The Beaches Branch handles east-side residents and visitors near Neptune Beach.

Both offices accept the same forms of payment and follow the same Florida rules. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before close.

Florida Vital Records for Duval County

The state-level vital records office for Florida is the Bureau of Vital Statistics. The bureau holds copies of marriage licenses, divorce indexes, birth records, and death records from across Florida. The Jacksonville office is the bureau's main site.

For court-use certified divorce judgments, the Duval Clerk is the right source. For statistical indexes or out-of-county marriage records, the bureau can help. The bureau collects records from every county Clerk in Florida, so the Duval Clerk records also flow to Pearl Street.

Related Duval County Records

For wills, estates, and guardianships, see the Duval County probate records page. For complex open-records requests through the Public Records Department, see public records. For the office that handles the marriage license counter and all court files, see the Clerk of Court page. For the full Duval court file scope, see the court records page.