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Romantic Adventure

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Florida Free Marriage Records

By Ben Kingsley


If one were married in Florida, some documents would require the presentation of Florida marriage records for verification or as an added requirement. To obtain the marriage record, one can request for it from the Bureau of Statistics through e-mail, phone or mail. As email addresses are public records, the Office advises those that do not want their e-mail to be released together with their request to avail of other methods such as calling the office or sending the request by mail. The Bureau collaborated with a service provider called VitalChek to ensure that all requests will be processed.

The Florida Bureau of Statistics repository includes marriage records that date back to June 6, 1927. For marriages before the said date, information or records might be available to the county clerk where the marriage license was issued. One can call the particular county clerk office to ask for assistance with regards their marriage record that they want to obtain.

To order by mail, one can send in a signed letter requesting the marriage certificate. One can also download a form from the website. Each record that one requests from the Office costs about $5. If one requires additional copies, they may also include the request in their letter. Each additional record costs about $4. Take note that the cost refers to the copy of the same request and that it should be purchased at the same time as that of the original request. The state does not impose restrictions so one can order as many as one wants.

During processing, if the Bureau finds no records pertaining to the marriage requested, the office will issue a "not found" statement to the applicant. The fee for the request is not refundable; however, one can request for refund of the additional request made. Applicants should address their request for refund to the Bureau's office.

For applicants, answer the questions truthfully to ensure that the record will be easily retrieved by the office. One should fill in the groom or bride's full name, the exact date that the marriage ceremony was performed as well as the county where the license was issued. The applicant should also provide their contact details so that the Office can reach them if there are problems or issues with their request. After the form is completed, one can then send in the form and the cheque to the Office to be processed.

For those applicants who are unaware of the exact marriage date, they can provide the office a range or period when the marriage is supposed to have taken place. Each additional year costs $2. The processing time varies depending on the time the request is received. Normally, processing takes about 2-5 business days. For applicants who urgently need their records of marriage, they can opt to avail of the "rush" service which shortens the processing time to 3 days. For those who want express or overnight delivery, they can pay the "rush hour service", include a self-addressed stamp envelope together with their request, and send it to the Bureau of Statistics office. Online request is also available and can help one to obtain their marriage certificates conveniently.




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