HB 557 2025
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hb557-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to persons authorized to solemnize 2
matrimony; amending s. 741.07, F.S.; authorizing 3
members of the Legislature to solemnize the rights of 4
matrimonial contract; reenacting ss. 741.08 and 5
741.10, F.S., relating to marriage not being 6
solemnized without a license and proof of marriage 7
where no certificate is available, respectively, to 8
incorporate the amendment made to s. 741.07, F.S., in 9
references thereto; providing an effective date. 10
11
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
13
Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 741.07, Florida 14
Statutes, is amended to read: 15
741.07 Persons authorized to solemnize matrimony. — 16
(1) All regularly ordained ministers of the gospel or 17
elders in communion with a some church, or other ordained 18
clergy; members of the Legislature; , and all judicial officers, 19
including retired judicial officers ;, clerks of the circuit 20
courts;, and notaries public of this state may solemnize the 21
rights of matrimonial contract, under the regulations prescribed 22
by law. Nothing in This section does not invalidate shall make 23
invalid a marriage which was solemnized by any member of the 24
clergy, or as otherwise provide d by law before prior to July 1, 25
HB 557 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
1978. 26
Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 27
made by this act to section 741.07, Florida Statutes, in a 28
reference thereto, section 741.08, Florida Statutes, is 29
reenacted to read: 30
741.08 Marriage not to be solemnized without a license. —31
Before any of the persons named in s. 741.07 shall solemnize any 32
marriage, he or she shall require of the parties a marriage 33
license issued according to the requirements of s. 741.01, and 34
within 10 days after solemnizin g the marriage he or she shall 35
make a certificate thereof on the license, and shall transmit 36
the same to the office of the county court judge or clerk of the 37
circuit court from which it issued. 38
Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 39
made by this act to section 741.07, Florida Statutes, in a 40
reference thereto, section 741.10, Florida Statutes, is 41
reenacted to read: 42
741.10 Proof of marriage where no certificate available. —43
When any marriage is or has been solemnized by any of the 44
persons named in s. 741.07, and such person has not made a 45
certificate thereof on the marriage license as required by s. 46
741.08, or when the marriage license has been lost, or when by 47
reason of death or other cause the proper certificate cannot be 48
obtained, the marriage may be proved by affidavit before any 49
officer authorized to administer oaths made by two competent 50
HB 557 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
witnesses who were present and saw the marriage ceremony 51
performed, which affidavit may be filed and recorded in the 52
office of the county court jud ge or clerk of the circuit court 53
from which the marriage license issued, with the same force and 54
effect as in cases in which the proper certificate has been 55
made, returned and recorded. 56
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 57