Marriage Applications in California
Marriage Requirements in California
Both parties must be at least 18 years of age.
Parties may not already be married to each other or other individuals.
You do NOT need to be a resident of California or US Citizen.
Both of you must be present when obtaining your marriage license application.
You must present a valid government issued photo ID.
You must have at least one signatory witness present at your ceremony, and may not have more than two. (For a public marriage license.)
Getting a Marriage License in California
(1) Apply for a marriage license application, ideally in the county where you plan to wed or a neighboring county. (See links for County Clerk offices below.)
Most applications can be filled out online.
Choose either a public or confidential license. (See below for clarification.)
You will have the option to change your last or middle name, including the option to create a hyphenated last name.
Both parties will need to provide the name and birthplace of both parents.
A fee of about $100 will be required, depending on the County and license type.
(2) Once you’ve applied for your license, both parties must appear in person at the designated County Clerk’s office for the application to be processed with the necessary documents and proof of identification in hand. Appointments are recommended and sometimes required at the Clerk’s office, so check in advance. I recommend that you call the Clerk’s Office to confirm that your application is on file before going, just to be safe.
(3) Marriage licenses are valid for 90 days from the date of issuance. If you do not get married within 90 days, you must purchase a new license.
(4) The marriage license is to be signed after the ceremony (to do so prior is technically fraud).
(5) Within 10 days of the ceremony, the person who solemnized the marriage must return the original marriage license to the County Recorder's Office in the county where the license was purchased. It usually takes 2-3 weeks for licenses to be processed.
(6) You will not receive a copy of your marriage license unless you request and pay for a certified copy from the County Clerk or County Recorder as applicable.
Public vs Confidential Marriage License
The key difference between a public marriage license and a confidential license is that confidential licenses don’t become part of the public record and can only be accessed by the couple or by court order.
Nowadays, confidential licenses are intended primarily for people in the public eye, such as celebrities and political figures, who need to keep their personal details and marriages private. Couples applying for a confidential marriage license must be living together when they apply. This information is provided by the couple with a sworn affidavit. Minors are not eligible to apply for this type of license, even with permission from a guardian.
Required U.S. Document
Valid picture identification containing...
· A photograph
· Date of birth
· An issue and expiration date
· Examples: Driver’s License, Passport, Military Identification, etc.
If you were previously married or in a State Registered Domestic Partnership (SRDP), you must provide the exact date (month, day, and year) the previous marriage or SRDP ended and how it ended (death, dissolution, divorce, or nullity).
A copy of your birth certificate may be required in some counties.
Links to Marriage License Applications, per County
Ventura County (residents only)
Getting Married Outside of Southern California?
No worries! Contact me and we’ll discuss the particulars of your ceremony and how to acquire a marriage license in your area.
“I'd only give one piece of advice to anyone marrying. We're all quite similar in the end. We all get old and tell the same tales too many times. But try and marry someone kind.”
— About Time