How to Get a Wedding License in California
Before you can be legally married in California, you are required by law to obtain a marriage license.
Marriage licenses can be obtained from the county clerk registrar’s office from any county in California.
When you go to pickup your wedding license the bride and groom must bring a current government issued (unexpired) photo ID. For example: a Drivers License, State I.D. card, Green Card or a Passport. If within the last two years you have been divorced, you will need a copy of your divorce decree.
In L.A. County click here. In Orange County click here. In Riverside County click here. After you pick up your Public Wedding License, you can get married in any county, anywhere in the State of California.
One thing to note is that Orange county has the least expensive public wedding license $61. In Riverside and LA county a public wedding license costs $90. Remember, once you obtain a wedding license from any country clerks office, you can get married anywhere in Calif.
Tip: When you pick up your wedding license, ask to also pay for a copy of your wedding certificate, (cost $14.). This will help speed up the time it takes to receive your wedding certificate. The wedding certificate is the legal documentation you need (proof that you got married) that is used for name change requests, passports, DMV, school and insurance purposes.
For questions about a wedding license or to follow up on your application that you obtained from the Los Angeles County Clerk's Office call: 1-800-201-8999. In Orange County call: 714-834-2500. In Riverside call: 951-486-7000.
After you receive your wedding license, bring it with you to the wedding.
There are two types of wedding licenses.
The way it works is that right after the wedding ceremony, the bride, groom, witnesses and minister (and photographer) go to a quiet place (away from the guests) to sign the wedding license. The witnesses sign the paperwork first and then I sign it. It's at that moment, right after I sign your wedding license, that you and your fiance become legally and officially married. It's important to take care of the signature right after the ceremony.
After the signatures I take the wedding license with me, and by law, file it with the county clerk’s office. I have ten days to file your wedding license although I always file it the following business day.
As a courtesy to all couples whom I marry, and at no extra charge, I scan and email a copy of the signed Marriage License to both the bride & groom's email address. Although it's not official it's nice to have.
Keep in mind that a marriage license is only valid for 90 days so plan well. If it expires, you will need to pay for another one. You do not have to be a California resident or Citizen of the United States to marry in California and blood tests are not required for a marriage license.
How to Request a Copy of your Wedding License:
If you paid the $14 fee for the cost of the wedding certificate when you picked up your wedding license, the wedding certificate will automatically be mailed to you. This is the fastest way to receive an official copy of your wedding certificate (by paying for it advance).
If you did not pay the $14 fee you will need to go back to the county clerk's office about 30-45 days later and request it. You can also request a copy by sending in the paperwork given to you when you picked up your wedding license. It can take up to 90 days to receive a copy of your wedding certificate.
Note:
Sometimes the county will send you a letter saying that they have not received your wedding license. Most of the times they really do have it but apparently it takes a while for someone to process it so the letter is sent out. If you receive that letter call the county to ask for the status. Most of the times, they have it, if not, call in a few days.
For the Los Angeles County Clerk's Office call 1-800-201-8999. In Orange County call: 714-834-2500. In Riverside call 951-486-7000. Be prepared to be on hold a few minutes when you call (listen to the prompts, select marriage licenses, and then wait until someone answers the phone. They will ask for your name and date of marriage and possibly the license number indicated on your wedding license).
To begin complete my wedding ceremony details form.
Marriage licenses can be obtained from the county clerk registrar’s office from any county in California.
When you go to pickup your wedding license the bride and groom must bring a current government issued (unexpired) photo ID. For example: a Drivers License, State I.D. card, Green Card or a Passport. If within the last two years you have been divorced, you will need a copy of your divorce decree.
In L.A. County click here. In Orange County click here. In Riverside County click here. After you pick up your Public Wedding License, you can get married in any county, anywhere in the State of California.
One thing to note is that Orange county has the least expensive public wedding license $61. In Riverside and LA county a public wedding license costs $90. Remember, once you obtain a wedding license from any country clerks office, you can get married anywhere in Calif.
Tip: When you pick up your wedding license, ask to also pay for a copy of your wedding certificate, (cost $14.). This will help speed up the time it takes to receive your wedding certificate. The wedding certificate is the legal documentation you need (proof that you got married) that is used for name change requests, passports, DMV, school and insurance purposes.
For questions about a wedding license or to follow up on your application that you obtained from the Los Angeles County Clerk's Office call: 1-800-201-8999. In Orange County call: 714-834-2500. In Riverside call: 951-486-7000.
After you receive your wedding license, bring it with you to the wedding.
There are two types of wedding licenses.
- A public wedding license and the Confidential wedding license. If you choose the Public Wedding License (the most commonly selected wedding license) you can get married in any county, anywhere, in the State of California. Both parties must be at least 18 years old and have current government issued photo ID. You will need at least one witness to be present at your ceremony who will sign the wedding license. You can have up to 2 witnesses sign your wedding license.
- The second type of wedding license is the Confidential Wedding License. The requirements are: A. The bride and groom must be at least 18 years old and be living together as spouses at the time they apply for the marriage license, and they must sign an affidavit on the license attesting to those facts. B. The wedding ceremony can only take place in the County in which the wedding license has been issued (usually LA County only) C. You must provide current government issued photo ID. If selecting the confidential wedding license you do not need any witnesses to be present at the wedding ceremony nor to sign the wedding license (that's why it's called a confidential wedding license). The only signature you need is from the person officiating your wedding ceremony.
The way it works is that right after the wedding ceremony, the bride, groom, witnesses and minister (and photographer) go to a quiet place (away from the guests) to sign the wedding license. The witnesses sign the paperwork first and then I sign it. It's at that moment, right after I sign your wedding license, that you and your fiance become legally and officially married. It's important to take care of the signature right after the ceremony.
After the signatures I take the wedding license with me, and by law, file it with the county clerk’s office. I have ten days to file your wedding license although I always file it the following business day.
As a courtesy to all couples whom I marry, and at no extra charge, I scan and email a copy of the signed Marriage License to both the bride & groom's email address. Although it's not official it's nice to have.
Keep in mind that a marriage license is only valid for 90 days so plan well. If it expires, you will need to pay for another one. You do not have to be a California resident or Citizen of the United States to marry in California and blood tests are not required for a marriage license.
How to Request a Copy of your Wedding License:
If you paid the $14 fee for the cost of the wedding certificate when you picked up your wedding license, the wedding certificate will automatically be mailed to you. This is the fastest way to receive an official copy of your wedding certificate (by paying for it advance).
If you did not pay the $14 fee you will need to go back to the county clerk's office about 30-45 days later and request it. You can also request a copy by sending in the paperwork given to you when you picked up your wedding license. It can take up to 90 days to receive a copy of your wedding certificate.
Note:
Sometimes the county will send you a letter saying that they have not received your wedding license. Most of the times they really do have it but apparently it takes a while for someone to process it so the letter is sent out. If you receive that letter call the county to ask for the status. Most of the times, they have it, if not, call in a few days.
For the Los Angeles County Clerk's Office call 1-800-201-8999. In Orange County call: 714-834-2500. In Riverside call 951-486-7000. Be prepared to be on hold a few minutes when you call (listen to the prompts, select marriage licenses, and then wait until someone answers the phone. They will ask for your name and date of marriage and possibly the license number indicated on your wedding license).
To begin complete my wedding ceremony details form.
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