How to Get a Certified Florida Divorce Decree When You No Longer Live in Florida

You can request the document without being physically present in Florida

Many people mistakenly assume they need to travel to Florida, or hire someone to go in person, to get a certified copy of an old divorce. That's not the case. Both the Bureau of Vital Statistics and each county's clerk of court accept requests by mail, and neither requires the requester to currently reside in Florida or even in the United States. This applies whether you moved to another state or live abroad.

How to request the summary certificate by mail (Bureau of Vital Statistics)

The Dissolution of Marriage Certificate is requested from the Bureau of Vital Statistics at the Florida Department of Health, available for divorces recorded from June 6, 1927 to the present. The request is sent by mail with the case's basic information: the full names of both parties, the county where the divorce was filed, and the approximate date. The Bureau processes requests from across the country and abroad the same way; there's no Florida-residency requirement to request one.

How to request the Final Judgment from the correct clerk of court

If what you need is the full court order, you need to go specifically to the clerk of court in the Florida county where your divorce case was filed, not a different county and not the Bureau of Vital Statistics. Just like the summary certificate, this can be started by mail from anywhere; physical presence in the county or the state isn't required. If you're not certain which county the case was filed in, check any document you still have from the original process, it usually states it.

What happens after you get the document: the apostille

Once you receive the certified copy, whether the summary certificate or the Final Judgment, the next step is processing the apostille through the Florida Department of State, which also doesn't require physical presence in the state; the process can be coordinated entirely by mail. Our guide on how to apostille a Florida divorce decree covers that process step by step.

Common mistakes when requesting from outside the state or country

Requesting a document while living outside Florida adds a few extra logistics steps worth anticipating.

• Not confirming the exact county where the case was filed before writing to the wrong clerk of court.
• Assuming travel or a local in-person agent is required when mail-in requests are a valid option.
• Not including all the information the office asks for to locate the file, which delays the response.
• Leaving the request until the last minute when the apostilled document is already needed by a close deadline abroad.

What information the office typically needs to locate your file

Both the Bureau of Vital Statistics and the clerk of court need specific details to locate the correct case in their records. Gathering this information before writing speeds up the response.

• The full names of both parties as they appear on the case, including maiden names where applicable.
• The Florida county where the divorce was filed and the approximate date, even if you don't remember it exactly.
• A copy of valid identification for the requester, since this involves a record containing personal information.
• A payment method accepted by the corresponding office and a mailing address, even if it's outside the United States.