How to Get a Marriage License in Miami: Step by Step
Published October 17, 2026
If you want your nikah to be a legal marriage in Florida as well, you need a marriage license first. Here is how it works in Miami, from applying to collecting the license, in plain steps.
At a glance
- Where
- Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, Central Marriage License Bureau, Central Marriage License Bureau: 601 NW 1st Court, Room 1900, Miami, FL 33136. Licenses are also handled at six Clerk district court locations (addresses on the Clerk's district courts page). Clerk's main office: 20 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 33128
- Booking
- Walk-ins are accepted but waits may be longer. Application appointments and ceremony appointments can be scheduled online. Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 AM-4 PM, excluding legal holidays.
- Fee
- $86 $61 with a premarital course certificate (course of at least 4 hours from a Miami-Dade registered provider, completed within one year before applying). Ceremony $30. Duplicate, correction or amended license $30. Certified copy $7 on one part of the page, though the ceremony section says $9 for additional copies, so confirm with the Clerk.
- Payment
- Cash, cashier's check, money orders, Visa, Discover, MasterCard, American Express
- Who attends
- Both people, in person. Under 17 cannot be licensed; a 17-year-old needs both parents or the legal guardian present with photo ID and the other party no more than two years older (processed at the Central Bureau).
- Valid for
- 60 days from issuance, and valid only for a ceremony held in Florida.
- Same day?
- Non-Florida residents have no waiting period. Florida residents wait three days unless they present a premarital course certificate.
Step by step
- Apply. Complete the online marriage license pre-application before visiting, then both people appear in person with ID. Both must read the Family Law Handbook before the license is issued.
- Book or plan your visit. Walk-ins are accepted but waits may be longer. Application appointments and ceremony appointments can be scheduled online. Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 AM-4 PM, excluding legal holidays.
- Gather your ID and documents. See the list below. Bring originals.
- Attend and pay. Both people, in person. Under 17 cannot be licensed; a 17-year-old needs both parents or the legal guardian present with photo ID and the other party no more than two years older (processed at the Central Bureau). Cash, cashier's check, money orders, Visa, Discover, MasterCard, American Express
- Give the license to your officiant. Your imam needs it at the ceremony, and must be authorized to solemnize marriages in Florida. 60 days from issuance, and valid only for a ceremony held in Florida.
What to bring
- Original, valid photo ID showing legal name, date of birth and signature: U.S. driver's license, federal or state ID, passport, U.S. military ID, alien registration card or naturalization certificate
- Social Security number for U.S. citizens; non-citizens may use an alien registration card, a U.S. driver's license or ID, or a passport number if no SSN was issued
- Exact date of the most recent divorce, death or annulment of any prior marriage
- Foreign documents are not addressed on the page
Good to know
- Ordained ministers, clergy, priests, rabbis, Florida judges, clerks and deputies, and Florida notaries may officiate
- If a deputy clerk did not perform the ceremony, the original license must be returned to the Central Marriage License Bureau within 10 days
- Electronically issued licenses cannot be used for a ceremony at the Clerk's office; out-of-county licenses for Clerk ceremonies are walk-in only and must be the original issued in person
- Certified copy requests are on a separate Clerk page
Your nikah and the license
The license is what makes your marriage legal. Your nikah is the religious ceremony. If your imam is authorized to solemnize marriages in Florida, one ceremony can be both. See imams serving Miami and our Florida nikah guide for who may officiate and how the marriage is recorded.
A few common questions
How much is a marriage license in Miami?
The issuing office lists the license fee as $86. $61 with a premarital course certificate (course of at least 4 hours from a Miami-Dade registered provider, completed within one year before applying). Ceremony $30. Duplicate, correction or amended license $30. Certified copy $7 on one part of the page, though the ceremony section says $9 for additional copies, so confirm with the Clerk. Fees change, so check the Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, Central Marriage License Bureau page before you go.
Do I need an appointment in Miami?
Walk-ins are accepted but waits may be longer. Application appointments and ceremony appointments can be scheduled online. Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 AM-4 PM, excluding legal holidays.
Can I get my license in one place and marry in another?
It depends on the state. 60 days from issuance, and valid only for a ceremony held in Florida. Confirm with Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, Central Marriage License Bureau whether your license can be used outside this county or state before you plan your ceremony.
Do I need a marriage license for a nikah?
Only if you want the marriage to be legally recognized in Florida. A nikah on its own is religiously valid but is not a legal marriage. If you want both, you need a license and an authorized officiant, and one ceremony can cover both.
Planning a nikah in Miami?
Tell us your date and we will help you find an imam, including one who can register the marriage if you want the legal side done the same day.
Details come from the Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, Central Marriage License Bureau website, checked in October 2026. Fees, hours and booking rules change, so confirm before you go. Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, Central Marriage License Bureau: marriage license page. Contact: Marriage License Bureau 786-469-2400; Clerk main office 305-275-1155. This guide is general information, not legal advice.