Florida Notary Public Updates
Wedding Season as a Notary Public
Wedding season is coming up! Do you have plans to participate in a few weddings?
As a Florida notary public, you have the right to officiate a wedding. You can even perform a wedding ceremony for family. Since, you are not notarizing their signatures, but rather notarizing that you performed the wedding ceremony, you can be related to any of the participants.
Of course, there are some stipulations to your jurisdiction. The wedding must take place in Florida, and the marriage license must be obtained from Florida (from a Florida Circuit Court or Court of Judge). Also, the couple must obtain their marriage license before the ceremony. Your jurisdiction does not extend outside of the state, so even if it is a Florida couple, with a Florida marriage license, you cannot perform the ceremony if they are being married in Maine. Likewise, you cannot officiate a wedding for a Florida couple in Florida with a Maine marriage certificate.
Don’t forget to discuss all the details of the Big Day. That day, you will not only be a notary public, but you will be a part of someone’s life memories! Be sure you know where they want you to stand, if they prefer a religious ceremony or not, the wording they prefer, how long they wish you to speak for. We suggest going over the speech or even at the rehearsal going through the ensure ceremony to ensure everyone is on the same page. (Remind them their vows must reflect their intent to enter into a legally binding commitment.)
Our marriage kit can provide you with guidance on wording and completing the certificate. The kit comes with 10 certificates, gold foil seals, sample ceremony scripts and informative literature. Best yet is the certificate does not specify gender, so it is ideal for any wedding you are officiating.
After the ceremony, you are responsible for completing the Marriage Record portion of the marriage license and returning the license. You have up to ten days to submit their license back to the county court judge or the circuit court from which it was issued.
Florida has created a page for you outlining the procedures. Remember you can always contact us for any specific questions you have along the way as well. The Florida Wedding Handbook, which outlines how to complete the Marriage Record portion of the license, the rules for performing a wedding ceremony and any other details surrounding the process is available through the Florida Governor’s Office website. Be careful though, they have not updated the record book and it states Florida notaries cannot marry same-sex couples. As of January 2015, same sex marriage is legal in the state of Florida.