Broward County Marriage License Office
The Broward Clerk's Marriage Division issues marriage licenses for residents and nonresidents. Applicants do not need to live in Broward County or Florida to apply. The Marriage Division is at the Midrise Building, 540 SE 3rd Avenue, Room 02460, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. The phone is 954-831-7283. Public counter hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., excluding holidays.
The Marriage Division page above is the official source for license requirements, fees, and the premarital course process.
Broward Marriage License Fees
The Clerk publishes a short fee schedule for marriage services. The premarital course offers a fee discount and changes the effective date of the license. The table below lists the items on the current schedule.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard marriage license | $86.00 |
| Marriage license with premarital course certificate | $61.00 |
| Marriage record first copy | $5.00 |
| Each additional marriage record copy | $3.00 |
| Dissolution or annulment of marriage filing | $409.00 |
| Reopen fee requiring judicial action | $50.00 |
When a premarital course certificate is presented at application, the fee drops to $61.00 and the license is effective the same day. Without the course, Florida residents face the normal waiting period. Course providers must be registered with the Broward Clerk.
Online Pre-Application for a Broward Marriage License
The Clerk lets a couple complete and print a Marriage License Online Pre-Application before visiting a marriage office. The marriage license pre-application page captures the names, dates of birth, prior marriage status, and contact information. Applicants then bring the printed form to a Broward marriage office to complete the in-person steps.
The pre-application form is not the license itself but cuts down on counter time at the Marriage Division.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse 1 Legal Name | Text | Yes | Legal name at the time of application. |
| Spouse 2 Legal Name | Text | Yes | Legal name at the time of application. |
| Date of Birth / Age | Date | Yes | Used for eligibility. |
| Address and Contact | Text | Yes | Email is a public record under Florida law. |
| Prior Marriage Status | Yes/No plus date fields | Conditional | Exact date of death, divorce, or annulment of the last marriage. |
| Premarital Course Certificate | Checkbox / upload / presentation | No | Reduces fee and changes effective date. |
| Identification | In-person document | Yes | Government ID required at the counter. |
How to Apply for a Broward Marriage License
The application process is short but has firm rules. Read the Family Law Handbook before starting. If previously married, gather the exact date of death, divorce, or annulment. Government photo ID is required at the counter.
- Complete the Marriage License Online Pre-Application and print it.
- Read the Family Law Handbook before booking the visit.
- If you have a premarital course certificate, bring it for the reduced fee.
- Visit a Broward marriage office with both parties and valid government photo ID.
- Pay the standard $86.00 fee or $61.00 with an approved premarital course certificate.
- Receive the license at the counter.
- Hold the ceremony within the effective period set by Florida law.
- Return the signed license to the Clerk for recording.
- Order certified copies once the license is recorded.
Broward Marriage Record Copies
Marriage record copies are ordered through the Clerk's Records Division or the Marriage Division. Required information includes the names of both parties at the time of application and the date of marriage. The Marriage Division can only assist with marriage licenses filed in Broward County. Mail requests go to the Marriage Division at 540 SE 3rd Avenue, Room 02460, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. Payment is by law firm, personal, business, cashier's, or traveler's check, or money order payable to Clerk of Courts, drawn on a U.S. bank. Do not send cash. Include a self-addressed stamped business envelope. Allow at least two weeks.
Certified copies from 1915 to 1997 may only be purchased in person at the Marriage Central Courthouse location. Certified copies from 1998 to the present can be ordered from listed courthouse locations.
Filing for Divorce in Broward County
Divorce cases are family court matters in the Circuit Court's Unified Family division. The filing fee for dissolution or annulment of marriage is $409.00. The Clerk's Pro Se Self Help Unit at the Central Courthouse West Building, Domestic Violence Division, 201 SE 6th Street, 2nd Floor, Room 02140, sells local and Florida Supreme Court approved family law forms. Hours for purchasing forms are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Staff do not provide legal advice or tell users which forms to purchase. Free Florida Supreme Court family law forms are also available online.
The Clerk's Family Forms page is the official source for family law forms and Pro Se Self Help Unit information.
How to File a Broward Divorce
- Confirm Florida residency and venue in Broward County.
- Choose the correct dissolution packet: simplified, no children or property, with children, or with property.
- Complete Florida Supreme Court and local forms.
- File with the Broward Clerk in the Family Division or eFile if eligible.
- Pay the $409.00 filing fee or apply for civil indigent status under Florida Statute § 57.082.
- Serve the other party unless filing a joint simplified dissolution.
- Complete required parenting and financial disclosure steps if children or finances are involved.
- Attend mediation, case management, or final hearing as ordered.
Broward Divorce Record Copies
Copies of a final judgment of dissolution filed in Broward come from the Records Division. The Clerk's Family page states that images of divorce documents filed after 2002 are not available online under a Florida Supreme Court order. Public users can obtain official record book and page information through the Clerk's online Official Records Search, then order copies through the Records Division.
If the divorce was filed in another county or state, search that jurisdiction's clerk. The Broward Clerk only holds Broward filings. The case index is searchable, but the document image needs a registered account or an in-person trip for filings after 2002.
Note: Family electronic court records require an Attorney of Record or Registered User account to view document images on the Clerk's portal.
Family Pro Se and Legal Aid Resources
Self-represented Broward family litigants have several official help points. The Clerk's Pro Se Self Help Unit sells forms but does not give legal advice. Coast to Coast Legal Aid runs a Family Court Self-Advocacy Program at the Central Broward County Courthouse through the 17th Circuit Self-Help Center. Eligible users can apply online, meet at the courthouse, or call 954-736-2400. The program can advise pro se litigants but does not fill out forms.
For family forms preparation, the Broward Clerk Self Service Center at browardclerk.org/SelfService/filing.aspx walks users through Small Claims, Eviction, and Dissolution of Marriage forms. The page carries an old-browser warning and is not a substitute for legal advice.