We are not there yet, I haven't had my K1 interview yet, but thinking ahead of time.
In Florida, what is the shortest time possible to get married and get your marriage certificate to be able to file for AOS?
We will have a wedding ceremony later, so first it will just be about paperwork and fees and filing... The reason I am asking is because my interview is on the 12th of July, and the fees for AOS filing increase on the 30th of July.... I have a son, so the fees for us will not be double, but double-double.

There is a 3 day waiting period, unless you take the marriage preperation course. It may take about 10 days to get a copy of your marriage certificate. Provided you are ready to file when you receive the certificate, you should be able to make it by the 30th. It doesnt look like an SSN is required, so you can get married and file for that later.

You do NOT need your SSN, just bring your passport and they will use you Alien number in the documents. We got married in Tallahassee and the lady didn't ask what kind of visa I was on or any of that stuff.

It is true that you have to have the 3 day wait, but after that you can have any public notary notarize the document and you are married. I'm guessing that is what it would take for you guys to get the marriage certificate with a few days difference, by the time you deliver it back to them and then the time it takes them to process and so on.
We went to a notary at our bank and she actually recommended that we just go back to the office that issued the certificate and to do it there. We did that, and got the marriage certificate right away with no wait.

There is no 10 day wait for the marriage certificate if you marry at the courthouse (and I'm not sure where that number came from, anyway), which if you want to do the civil ceremony first to beat the fees, I would recommend. We got two copies of our marriage certificate AT the wedding in Clearwater Beach.

You don't need an SSN, they just want some kind of identification showing the person standing in front of them in the one getting married. My husband used his expired passport - no I-94 or anything (not that it mattered, he'd accumulated about 4.5 years of illegal presence at that point).

You can get married right away if you've taken the marriage preparation course, but by the time you get to taking the course you could probably get married anyway, which is why we didn't do it. It's 93.50 for the marriage license, and an extra 30.00 if the courthouse performs the ceremony.

As soon as you get here, go to the county clerk and get your marriage license. You have to wait 3 days then you get married.
As soon as you get married - go back to the clerk's office and get a certified copy of your marriage certificate.
Do not mail it - that is what takes long.

We got married on a Sunday - by Tuesday (2 days later) our AOS paperwork was in the mail.
Good luck...work on the AOS paperwork now.

We also had a civil ceremony. Like everyone said, you have to wait three days before marrying after getting the license. Also, my husband and I were married by a county clerk (I think that's what they're called) and she made two notarized copies of our marriage certificate for us while we were there (she gave us two because Bruce is in the military and needed one for work- something she knew and just handed to us). There was no waiting for us to receive our certificate, we got them just before she performed our "ceremony".

I thought 2 was standard. They told us that we get two included in the fee, anything past that is like 2.00 a copy.

Oh, maybe it is. I remember her asking Bruce is he was in the military, he said yes and she told him we'll need two copies of the certificate, so I figured it had something to do with the military. Maybe not...

We were married at a friend's house by my co-worker. She is a notary and notarized the license there. The next day we took the notarized license to the county clerk where we received the actual certificate. This is the same paper - only that it is recorded with the state - legalized I guess.
We received one copy for free and every additional copy is $2.50. We got a couple - one for AOS, SSA (for me, the USC to change my name), etc.

In order to be able to mail out the AOS paperwork ASAP - the rest of the documents need to be ready, so as soon as you're married you can send out the papers.

Hello
I applied for the marriage license and married the same day at the courthouse (02/14/2007).....did not have to wait any days...and then we went to apply for the SSN card the same day...no problems.

I know that if you take the marriage counseling before you get married....the licence is cheaper, but I did not take it and got married the same day that I applied for the license....thru Seminole County Courthouse

Thank you very much for your stories! My fiance lives in St. Petersburg, so we will get married there.
Do we have to schedule an appointment at a county clerk's or at a couthouse or can we just show up?

We scheduled an appointment, so I'm assuming you're supposed to, but I'm not 100% sure.

TO the OP:

I live in St Pete! Unfortunately.

We got our license at the one on 66th St N (near Tyrone Mall, which I'm sure you'll know once you get here), and got married in Clearwater Beach, because the one on 66th St N was kind of skanky - you do NOT need an appointment. We walked in on a Friday and were married in 20 minutes.

Clearwater Beach is a bit of a haul, but I'm happy we got married at that courthouse - got some great pictures in front of the tree mural there.

I got married in florida on the 1st June.. If you don't live in Florida, you don't need to wait 3 days for the marriage licence, you can pick it up the same day so that there is no wait.
We went early just in case, but there were no problems. We were married on Friday on the beach, got it notarised by the court house on Monday and sent off AOS forms the same day.. Good luck to you!!
I'm sure you can get it all done in one day if you're not having the official wedding ceremony on that day..

WHAT IS NEEDED TO GET A MARRIAGE LICENSE?
Both parties must provide proof of the following:



Age: both parties must be at least 18 years of age
Identification: in the form of a driver’s license, state ID or passport
U.S. citizens must provide their Social Security Number. Non-citizens may provide a Social Security Number or an Alien Registration Number issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
An application form must be completed. If either party has been previously married, you must note on the application how and when the marriage ended.

> The fee for the marriage license is $93.50. This fee is reduced to $61.00 and the three (3) day waiting period is waived for Florida residents who have completed a premarital preparation course and can provide completion certificates from a registered provider.

CYA: ask your fiance to call and make an appt to get married.
We did not get married in the courthouse, so I can't tell you about that...
I do know that is is feasible to mail off your AOS paperwork immediately. The 3 day rules applies to getting your license before you get married.

The 3 day waiting period is only valid for FL residents and Court Clerks are allowed by law to "waive" the 3 day waiting period in the event of a "hardship" case. Here is some valid information:

Getting Married in Florida
The Marriage License

Where do you get one?
A couple who intends to be married in Florida may obtain a marriage license from Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8am to 5:30pm at any Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Hours may vary so be sure to call ahead. The license does not need to be issued in the county that the ceremony will take place in. The ceremony must take place in the State of Florida to be considered valid.

Is there a waiting period?
There is no waiting period for Florida residents that have both completed a state sanctioned marriage preparation course within the last year. There is a 3 day waiting period for Florida residents who have not taken the course. In addition prospective brides and grooms are now required to read a 16-page booklet which describes situations such as how a court would divide their assets and information about child support payments. Court Clerks are allowed by law to waive the three-day waiting period in the event of a "hardship" case. Also, the waiting period does not apply to non-Florida residents.

How long is the license valid?
A marriage license is valid for 60 days.

How much does it cost?
The fee is $88.50, payable in cash only. Couples who have completed the state-sanctioned marriage preparation course within the past 12 months are only charged $56.00. (Note: Fees for marriage licenses are set by the Florida Legislature, and are subject to change)

Is a premarital physical exam required?
No premarital examination or blood test is required to obtain a marriage license in Florida.

What are the age and consent requirements for minors?
Both applicants must be at least 18 years of age to apply for a marriage license in the State of Florida. If an individual is under 18 years of age but older than 16 years of age, a marriage license can be obtained with parental consent. If a parent has sole custody or the other parent is deceased, the permission of one parent is sufficient. If a person is under the age of 16, the marriage license has to be issued by a county judge, with or without parental permission. If a minor's parents are both deceased and there is not an appointed guardian, he/she may apply for a marriage license. A minor who has been previously married may also apply for a license. A minor who swears that they have a child or are expecting a baby, can apply for a license if the pregnancy has been verified by a written statement from a licensed physician. A county court judge may at his/her discretion issue or not issue a license for them to marry.

Proof of Age and Identity
Both parties for the intended marriage must provide the Clerk's Office a valid photo ID. Accepted forms of ID's are driver's license, State Identification Card, Valid Passport, a I-94 card, Government or Military Identification Card along with a valid Social Security Card.

Previous Marriages
If either party has ever been married and divorced, or widowed, the date of the divorce or date of the spouse's death must be supplied. If the divorce or spouse's death occurred within the past 30 days, a certified copy of the divorce decree or death certificate is required.

?

Expect to pay $93.50 - that information may be outdated.

If you want to know how much the fees are in your county, go HERE (link), click on your county and search for the marriage license section then look for the fees.
We paid $93.50 in our county (as Bora Bora mentioned).

opps...yes the prices are wrong...and if you have your marriage at the court house, it is an extra $30-$35, best wishes on everything

Thanks guys Very useful information:) Just have to pass my interview first and get the paperwork ready for fast filing. There will be time when we won't need to spend time and money and attention for endless filing.

Good luck! I'm sorry you have to spend your first days/weeks with your fiance worrying about paperwork and fee increases instead of enjoying each others company.

If you end up going to the St. Pete (tyrone) clerk... go before lunch time. Anything I've ever done there after lunch time and towards the end of the day seems to be a bit of a wait time. Still moves somewhat quickly though. I've also just showed up for everything, never made appointments (tickets, tags, registrations, passport, etc)

Looks like there's a handful of us St. Peresburgionians around here .

- Tim