You do not need to be a California resident to marry in California.
•You must be 18 years of age to obtain a marriage license.
•Blood tests are NOT required to obtain a marriage license in California.
•For your protection the County requires that both parties appear in person and bring valid picture identification to the County Clerk’s Office to apply for a marriage license in California.
•Marriage licenses are valid for 90 days from the date of issuance. I recommend obtaining your Marriage License thirty days prior to your wedding date.
Step #1, Selecting which type of Marriage License you prefer:
You can get married anywhere in the State of California. You may have a Marriage License issued in any California County and use it in any other California County.
California has two types of marriage licenses available:
PUBLIC:
- You need at least one witness during your ceremony.
- The Marriage Record is recorded and made available to the public.
CONFIDENTIAL:
- You must state you are living together as a couple.
- No witnesses are required.
- The Marriage record is recorded but is confidential and is only available to the couple.
Step # 2: Go to the County’s Online Page and fill out your Marriage License Application Form
Go to the County’s On-Line Webpage and fill out the Marriage License Application one week BEFORE you go to the County Offices. If you do this, your Marriage License will already be filled out and ready when you step up to the clerk at the window.
Step #3: Go to the County Clerk/Registrar Recorder Office to purchase your Marriage License. NOTE: The Marriage License is valid for ninety (90) days from the date it is issued.
BRING REQUIRED IDENTIFICATION
with you to the County Clerk's
Office:
You must both present yourselves at the County Clerk’s/Registrar Recorder’s Office in order to obtain your Marriage License. You will be required to present Valid Identification to county officials. The valid forms of identification that the county will accept are as follows: Driver’s License, Government Issued Identification Card, Passport or Birth Certificate along with a valid photo ID.
Please Note: The following County Office locations along with days and hours of operation are provided for your convenience. Location Days and Hours of Operation are subject to change.You are urged to telephone the particular office you intend to visit and verify days and hours they are open for business PRIOR to visiting that office.I would suggest going to the County Offices early in the morning, 20 minutes before they open their doors. If you go later in the day, you may have to wait in very long lines.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
NORWALK: 12400 Imperial Highway Norwalk (562) 462-2137 Hrs: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., M-F
BEVERLY HILLS: 9355 Burton Way, 1st Floor Beverly Hills (310) 288-1261 Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F
LANCASTER: 1028 W. Avenue J2 Lancaster (661) 945-6446 Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F
LAX AREA: 11701 S. La Cienega Blvd, 6th Floor LAX Courthouse (310) 727-6142 Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F
DOWNTOWN: 4716 East Cesar Chavez Avenue Los Angeles (323) 260-2991 Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F
COMPTON: 7807 S. Compton Avenue, Room 215 Los Angeles (323) 586-6192 Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F
VAN NUYS: 14340 West Sylvan Street Van Nuys (818) 374-7176 Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F
CATALINA: Catalina Branch Court Avalon (310) 510-0026 (Call for appointment)
ORANGE COUNTY
OLD COUNTY COURTHOUSE at 211 West Santa Ana Boulevard in Room 201. It is the large red brick building. Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., M-F
LAGUNA HILLS CIVIC CENTER 24031 El Toro Road, Suite 150 Laguna Hills Hours: 9am to 4pm M-F
FULLERTON 201 N. Harbor Blvd. Fullerton, CA 92832
Main Phone: (714) 834-2500.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
RIVERSIDE (Gateway) 2720 & 2724 Gateway Dr. Riverside, CA 92507 Monday thru Friday, 8am-4:30pm (951) 486-7000
RIVERSIDE (Downtown) 4080 Lemon St, 1st Floor Riverside, CA 92502-2204 Monday thru Friday, 8am-4:30pm (951)486-7000
HEMET 880 N. State Street, Suite B-6 Hemet, CA 92543-1496 Monday thru Friday, 8:00am-12 Noon/ 1:00pm-4:00pm (951) 486-7000
BLYTHE 270 N Broadway Blythe, CA 92225-1608 Monday and Wednesday ONLY, from 8am-12pm & 1pm-4pm (760) 921-5050
INDIO 82675 Highway 111, Room 113 Indio, CA 92201-5994 Monday thru Friday, 8am-3:30pm (760) 863-8732
TEMECULA 41002 County Center Drive, #230 Temecula, CA 92591-6027 Monday thru Friday, 8am-3:30pm (951) 486-7000
PALM DESERT 36-868 El Cerrito Rd. Palm Desert, CA 92211 Mon-Fri, 8 AM to 4:30 PM
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
San Bernardino 222 West Hospitality Lane San Bernardino, CA 92415-0022 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday (909) 387-8314
Apple Valley Library 14901 Dale Evans Parkway Apple Valley, Ca 92307 Monday through Friday: 10:00AM to 5:30PM (760) 240-7710
Fontana Library 16860 Valencia Ave. Fontana, Ca 92335 Call for hours (909) 854-6397
VENTURA COUNTY
County Government Center in Ventura County Clerk, Hall of Administration, Main Plaza, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009-1210 (805) 654-3788.
Marriage Licenses may be obtained 8:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday. Appointments are highly recommended.
Marriage licenses can also be obtained through the City of Fillmore Finance Department.
Please call (805) 524-3701 for additional information.
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Santa Barbara Hall of Records 1100 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93102
Betteravia Govt. Center 511 East Lakeside Parkway, Suite 115 Santa Maria, CA 93455
Clerk- Recorder's Office 401 East Cypress Street, Rm 102 Lompoc, CA 93436
Open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m (Monday through Friday)
To make an appointment: call (805) 346-8370 in Santa Maria or (805) 737-7706
Step #4, your Marriage License and your Wedding Day.
I will ask you for your Marriage License about thirty minutes prior to the start of your wedding ceremony. It is illegal to officiate a wedding without a Marriage License.
Please present your Marriage License in the original envelope given to you by the County with the County’s mailing address imprinted on its face. Please DO NOT discard this original envelope and attempt to replace it with any other envelope. Please DO NOT write on, or in anyway alter your Marriage License or the original envelope.
If you have a “Public” Marriage License, your two adult witnesses will need to present valid legal photo identification (e.g. a Driver’s License). Most couples select their Best Man and Maid of Honor to act as their witnesses.
I will fill out the Marriage License; and then, your two adult witnesses and I will sign your Marriage License.
Step #5, “What happens with my Marriage License after the Wedding, and how do we obtain copies of our Marriage License?”
What happens with the Marriage License after I present it to the Officiant on my Wedding Day?
1) I will take the signed Marriage License with me, since I am legally required to mail it to the County within ten days after the Wedding Ceremony. If the County that issued your Marriage License provided a "Customer Copy" of your Marriage License, we will also fill out and sign that copy and you will have it to take home with you on your wedding day.
2) On the first business day after your Wedding Ceremony, I will mail your Marriage License to the Registrar Recorder/County Clerk via U.S. Postal Service Certified/Registered Return Receipt Mail. If the County that issued your Marriage License did not provide a "Customer Copy" of your Marriage License, I will mail you a "Customer Copy" to the address listed as your home address on your Marriage License.
3) I will send you an E-mail confirming that your Marriage License has been mailed to the Registrar Recorder/County Clerk. You will be given a U.S. Post Office Tracking Number, so that you may verify that the County has received your Marriage License.
4) You may purchase legal copies of your Marriage Certificate from the County. SIX WEEKS after they have received your Marriage License from the U.S. Postal Service.
FUTURE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE COPIES
In future months and years you may purchase additional copies of your Marriage Certificate at the Marriage Records Office of the County-Clerk/Registrar-Recorder where you obtained your original Marriage License.
PLEASE NOTE:
More general information on California Marriage License
I was ordained a Roman Catholic priest; however, as a former Catholic priest, I extend services to all couples, of all faiths, I will sign your marriage license as a Minister of the Universal Life Church.
MARRIAGE LICENSE
Each couple is legally required to obtain the necessary marriage license from the county. In order to facilitate this process for you, I have listed five easy to follow steps below to help you obtain your California Marriage License.
