Florida divorce records: how to get your decree or certificate

Florida divorce records: two different documents

When people search for divorce records in Florida, they usually need one of two documents. They come from different offices and prove different things:

If you are not sure which one you need, ask the office that requested it. When in doubt, a certified copy of the final judgment is the safer choice, because it contains everything the certificate does and more.

The state of Florida divorce decree (final judgment)

In Florida the court order that ends a marriage is called the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage. Most people, and most agencies, call it the divorce decree. There is no single statewide state of Florida divorce decree: each decree stays in the court file of the county where the divorce was granted. If you settled, the judgment usually attaches or incorporates your marital settlement agreement and, with children, the parenting plan.

How to get a copy of a divorce decree in Florida

1. Identify the county. You need the county where the divorce was granted, not where you live now. If you don't remember, the Vital Statistics certificate shows the county.
2. Find the case. Have the full names of both spouses, the approximate year and, if you have it, the case number. Most clerks have an online records search where you can look up the case by name.
3. Ask for a certified copy. Request a certified copy of the final judgment (and of the settlement agreement or parenting plan if they are separate documents). A plain copy is usually not accepted by agencies or courts.
4. Request it in person, by mail or online. Clerks generally accept requests in person and by mail, and many also take requests online. Each clerk sets its own steps.
5. Pay the clerk's fee. Clerks charge per page plus a certification fee. Check the current fee and processing time with the clerk before you order.

We handle family cases in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Polk, Volusia, Brevard, Marion and Sumter counties; if your divorce was granted in one of them, the records department of that county's clerk handles these requests.

Florida dissolution of marriage certificate

The Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics, part of the Florida Department of Health in Jacksonville, issues the Florida dissolution of marriage certificate, often called a divorce certificate. Clerks report each divorce to the state, and Vital Statistics keeps the statewide index.

How to order a divorce certificate in Florida

• Online, through the ordering service linked from the Florida Department of Health website.
• By mail, with the Department of Health's application form for a dissolution of marriage record.
• In person, at the Bureau of Vital Statistics office in Jacksonville. County health department offices issue birth and death certificates but generally do not issue divorce certificates.

You will need both spouses' names and the approximate date and county of the divorce. Vital Statistics charges its own fees and sets its own processing times; check both with the Bureau of Vital Statistics before you order.

The certificate does not include the terms of the divorce. If you need to show who got the house, the alimony or the parenting plan, you need the final judgment from the clerk.

Florida divorce records online

You can search a lot of Florida divorce records online, but what you find depends on where you look:

• County clerk websites. Most clerks offer a free online search of court cases. You can usually see the case number, the parties, the docket and the date of the final judgment. Some documents may be viewable online; others require a request.
• Florida Department of Health. You can order a dissolution of marriage certificate online, but there is no free public database of certificates.
• Third-party "divorce record" websites. They charge for information that is often incomplete or out of date, and what they sell is not a certified record. No agency will accept it.

To get a document an agency will accept, order it from the clerk or from Vital Statistics.

Are divorce records public in Florida?

Florida divorce records are generally public records: the case file and the final judgment can usually be searched and copied. But not everything in the file is open:

• Social Security numbers, bank and account numbers and similar information are confidential and must be protected or redacted.
• Some documents, such as certain records about children, may be confidential or restricted.
• A judge can seal or limit access to all or part of a file for good reason.

If a document you need is confidential or sealed, the clerk may only release it to the parties, their lawyers or someone with a court order.

Who needs a copy and why

Common reasons to ask for a copy of a divorce decree or certificate in Florida:

• Remarrying. The clerk issuing your new marriage license will ask when your last marriage ended.
• Immigration. USCIS and the immigration court normally ask for proof that every prior marriage legally ended, usually a certified copy of the final divorce judgment. See our immigration services.
• Changing your name. If the judgment restored your former last name, a certified copy is what you show at the DMV, Social Security and your bank.
• Real estate, retirement accounts and benefits. Title companies, plan administrators and benefit offices often need the full judgment.
• Changing or enforcing the divorce. To modify custody or support, or to enforce the judgment, you need the exact terms. Read about child custody and child support.

If your divorce was not granted in Florida

Florida's clerks and Vital Statistics only have divorces granted in Florida. If you divorced in another state, Puerto Rico or another country, request the record from the court or agency where the divorce was granted. If you now live in Florida and need a foreign divorce or custody judgment recognized or enforced here, it can be registered with a Florida court. We handle that for $2,000.

When to call a lawyer

Getting a copy of your own divorce decree is usually something you can do yourself with the clerk. Talk to a lawyer if:

• you can't find any record of a divorce you were told happened,
• the judgment has an error, or your former spouse is not following it,
• you need the divorce recognized for an immigration case, or
• you are not yet divorced and need to start the case. Read our Florida divorce guide and the list of Florida divorce forms, or see our divorce services.

Luis A. Morales has been a lawyer since 2001 and is admitted to practice in Florida and Puerto Rico. He is a U.S. Army veteran who served as a military legal officer. He handles each case personally, in English or Spanish, from 390 N Orange Ave, Suite 2300, in downtown Orlando. Start with a free 15-minute phone call; a longer or in-person consultation costs $150.

Frequently asked questions