Find Pasco County Marriage and Divorce Records

Getting a Pasco County Marriage License

Marriage licenses in Pasco County are issued by the Clerk and Comptroller, not by the court. Both parties must apply together in person. There is no mail or online-only path. The Clerk warns that license applications are not accepted after 4:00 p.m. because each one takes time to process, even though the office stays open until 5:00 p.m. So plan to arrive well before the cutoff. The fee can be paid by cash, check, or credit card.

Both applicants must be at least 18 to marry without parental or legal guardian consent. A 17-year-old may marry only with written consent from both parents or legal guardians, and the older partner can be no more than two years older. The Clerk provides an Affidavit of Parental Consent form for that case. One more point trips people up: the Pasco Clerk does not perform weddings. It does keep a list of authorized marriage ceremony officiants you can use.

The Pasco Clerk marriage license page lays out the in-person rule, the age rules, the consent form, and the 4:00 p.m. timing. The screenshot below shows those requirements as the Clerk presents them.

That page is the right place to confirm the current rules before you make the trip to a counter.

How to Apply for a Marriage License

A little prep saves a second trip. Both people have to show up together, so coordinate schedules first. Bring valid photo ID. If either applicant is 17, bring the signed parental consent. Florida residents who want the lower fee and no waiting period should finish a registered premarital course and bring the certificate. Here is the order of steps.

1. Confirm both applicants can appear together in person at a Clerk location.
2. Gather valid photo identification, and bring written parental or guardian consent if an applicant is 17.
3. If you are Florida residents and want the discount, complete a registered premarital course and bring the Certificate of Completion.
4. Arrive before 4:00 p.m. at the East Pasco Government Center or the West Pasco Government Center.
5. Pay the marriage license fee.
6. Have the ceremony performed by an authorized officiant from the Clerk's list or one of your own choosing.
7. Make sure the completed license is returned to the Clerk for recording.

The license is not the final record. Recording the signed license after the ceremony is what creates the official marriage record.

Marriage License Application Fields

The marriage license application asks both partners for the same core set of details. Most of it is identity and history. The Clerk uses it to confirm age, consent, and prior marital status before the license is issued. Have the facts ready so the counter visit moves fast.

Pasco County Marriage License Fees

The cost of a Pasco County marriage license depends on one thing: whether the couple completes a registered premarital course. The standard fee is $86. With a course certificate, it drops to $61 and the three-day resident waiting period is waived. Florida residents face that three-day wait unless the course waiver applies. If both applicants are not Florida residents, there is no waiting period at all.

The Pasco Clerk fees and costs page shows the marriage license amounts and the course discount. The screenshot below captures that fee listing.

The fee table below sums up the marriage license cost and the waiting-period rules side by side.

How to Find Pasco County Divorce Records

Divorce in Florida is a family matter, filed as a domestic relations case. In the Pasco court system it carries the DR court-type code. So a Pasco County divorce records search runs through the same online court tool used for other case types, the Online Court Records Search, or OCRS. You can search by party name or by a full case number. The Clerk's court records desk also fills copy requests for files that are not viewable online.

A divorce file can show the petitioner and respondent, filing date, the DR case number, docket entries, and the final judgment. Some content is held back. Financial affidavits, child details, and other sensitive material may be confidential by rule even when the case itself is public. The fields below help when running a divorce search in OCRS.

For the full walkthrough of the portal and other case types, see the Pasco County court records page.

Family Record Restrictions in Pasco County

Florida is an open-records state, but family files get extra protection. Even when a divorce case is open to inspection, the recorded official-record images tied to family-law and probate matters are not shown on the Clerk's public website. That limit comes from Florida Statutes 28.2221, which restricts which recorded images a clerk may display online. Death certificates and military discharges fall under the same online limit.

Other family records are confidential by statute. Adoption files are sealed under Florida Statutes 63.162. Social security and bank account numbers are stripped from public copies under Florida Statutes 119.071. The general public-records framework sits in Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. When an image is blocked online, you can still ask the Clerk for a copy, and the Clerk decides what may be released under the rules. More on access rules is on the public records page.

Getting Certified Copies

A copy printed from the public OCRS search is for information only. It is not certified and will not be accepted as proof by a bank, an agency, or another court. For anything official, order a certified copy. Marriage records and divorce judgments held by the Clerk can be requested through the Clerk's court records or official records desks at the relevant courthouse or government center.

Certification carries a separate charge on top of the per-page copy cost. Bring or send the names and dates that match the record so staff can find the right file. A card fee may apply when you pay by debit or credit card. For the Clerk's full role and copy procedures, see the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller page.

Pasco County Family Mediation

Many Pasco divorce and custody cases pass through mediation before a final hearing. Mediation is a meeting where a neutral mediator helps the parties try to settle issues like time-sharing, support, and property without a trial. The Sixth Judicial Circuit runs Alternative Dispute Resolution for Pasco out of both judicial centers, and the circuit publishes direct contacts for family mediation on each side of the county.

In Dade City, family mediation runs through the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center ADR office. In New Port Richey, it runs through the West Pasco Judicial Center ADR office. The Sixth Circuit contact page lists the ADR phone numbers for each location. Couples who reach a full agreement in mediation can move to a final judgment faster than a contested case.

Related Pasco County Records

Family files often connect to other case types. For estates, wills, and guardianship, see Pasco County probate records. For deeds, recorded documents, and open-records requests, see public records. To search any case type by name or number, start at the court records page, where the OCRS portal is explained step by step. The Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller page covers fees and copy orders. Common questions are answered on the FAQ page.