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Minimum residency period prior to marriage: No minimum required (though valid wedding license required)
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Minimum age: 18
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Weddings take place: Monday – Thursday (unless specified)
Residency
You do not need to be a resident of Florida to apply for a marriage licence. No minimum residency applies to overseas couples. (I.e. you are not required to be in Florida for a minimum number of days.)
Age - You should be 18 years and older to apply for a marriage licence.
Prior Marriage - Persons who were previously married and divorced need to bring their decree absolute with them to the courthouse as they will need to supply the date their last marriage ended.
Application and Fee - As a couple you now have the choice of courthouses to apply for your marriage licence in person Orange County, Osceola and Lake Country. Applications are accepted between 8am – 4pm Monday to Friday, except for Bank Holidays. Applications can also be arranged vis mail prior to your arrival in Florida.
The current fee for a marriage licence is $93.50 Orange County, $103.50 Osceola County, payable by visa, MasterCard or cash $93.50 Lake Country payable by cash only.
Courthouse Locations
Orange County Courthouse (best for International Drive Area)
425 North Orange Avenue, Suite 355, (3rd floor) Orlando
Tel: 407 836 2067
Open Mon – Fri (except for Bank Holidays) 8.00am – 4pm
Distance is approximately 20 minutes form International Drive / 35 minutes from Lake Buena Vista.
Osceola/Kissimmee Courthouse (best for Lake Buena Vista, Kissimmee East 192 Areas)
2 Courthouse Square, Kissimmee, FL 34741
Tel: 407 742 3500
Open – Mon – Fri (except for Bank Holidays) 8am – 4pm
Distance is approximately 20 minutes from Disney area / 35 minutes from Highway 27 area.
Documentation required by the Courthouse
Couples will require the following necessary documents
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Passports
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Birth Certificates (either full one or short one - UK couples)
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Decree Absolute (if divorced)
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And any other relevant paperwork such as change documents (widower’s certificate, change of name etc.).
Failure to produce correct documentation may result in having to delay the wedding pending the correct documents being presented.
The Marriage Licence
The marriage licence is valid for 60 days from the day of issue. The Marriage licence has to be shown to the Notary or Minister prior to the ceremony, to ensure all legal requirements have been fulfilled. The Notary or Minister will then be responsible for posting the Marriage licence back to the courthouse to have it validated. This will become the official Marriage Certificate. This process should take between 4 – 6 weeks and will be posted directly back to the couple’s home address.
ALL ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS MUST BE TAKEN WITH YOU WHEN YOU TRAVEL
