Florida is considered as an open state in the US. The documentation of marriage in Florida is being managed by the state’s Vital Statistics office. Such document is among the most accessed file in the state.

With the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, residents of Florida have the freedom to request for a copy of any of their personal documents whenever they need it. With this, requesting for marriage records is becoming popular since it became a public document. The most common reason for requesting such document is to use it in updating the family history. The information that can be obtained form a marriage certificate is important in updating the family tree. Another important use of this document is when dealing with government transaction. This document is the proof of one’s marital status and identity. Those who are processing insurance and other financial matters in the government may be required to provide a copy of the said file. Another use of marriage records in the state of Florida is to conduct a background check. People would look into the marital records to make sure that the one’s they are dating is really single.

Back in the old days when the documentation of events is not that strict, a marriage certificate would contain only the complete names of the bride and the groom as well as information about when and where the marriage took place. Now that documentation has a standard process to follow, the marriage certificate would show the bride’s maiden name. The document would also detail the couple’s personal information such as their birth details, job and place of origin. One would know the names of the parents and the witnesses.

Requesting for a copy of the marriage certificate in the state of Florida can be done by personally visiting the office of the Department of Health at the Vital Statistics Section. A $5 processing fee has to be paid in order to conduct the search. Only marriages that have been registered since June 6, 1927 can be obtained from the state office. A request form has to be filled out with the basic details of the file that is being requested as well as the contact details of the one who filed the request.

The county clerk office also releases a copy of the marriage certificate. Records before June 1927 can be obtained in the county where the marriage was registered. Processing fee may vary per county. Another option is to send a mail order to the state office but the wait time can take several days. The Internet is now used to obtain marriage records.

By using the Internet to get a copy of Public Marriage Records, the need to go to any office has been eliminated and the results can be obtained in just seconds instead of waiting for several days. More and more residents of Florida are using the Internet to gain access to the marriage records even without putting much effort into it.