A California marriage certificate is the state’s official record that you got married, and you obtain one in three steps: get a marriage license from any California County Clerk, have an authorized officiant perform the ceremony and return the completed license to that same county within 10 days, then request a certified copy for about $19 once the county has registered the record.
How the Certificate Gets Created
The marriage license and the marriage certificate are not the same document. The license is what the county issues to you before the wedding; the certificate is what exists after the ceremony is performed, the paperwork is returned, and the county registers the marriage. You cannot request a certified copy of anything until that last step happens.
Both people must appear together in person at a County Clerk or County Recorder’s office to apply. You can use any county in California regardless of where you live or where the wedding will take place.1California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code FAM 359 Bring valid government-issued photo ID. If either of you was married before, know the exact date the prior marriage ended and how it ended; if a divorce was finalized in the last 90 days, bring the judgment. Both applicants must be at least 18.
Fees vary by county and generally fall between $61 and $110 or more, non-refundable and due when you apply. Once issued, the license is valid for 90 days. There is no waiting period, so you can hold the ceremony the same day if you want. Miss the 90-day window and the license expires; you start over with a new application and a new fee.
After the ceremony, the officiant completes the solemnization section, gathers any required witness signatures, and returns the license to the County Recorder’s office that issued it within 10 days of the wedding.1California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code FAM 359 “Returned” means delivered in person or postmarked within those 10 days. The license goes back to the county that issued it, not the county where the ceremony happened. If you licensed in Los Angeles and married in Napa, the paperwork still travels to Los Angeles.
This is the step most often botched. If the officiant forgets, misses the deadline, or fills the form out incorrectly, your marriage will not appear in the system when you go to order a certified copy. Follow up with your officiant within a few days of the ceremony to confirm the paperwork went back. Once the county processes the returned license, it registers the record with the California Department of Public Health’s Vital Records system, and your certificate exists.
Public vs. Confidential Marriage Records
Which type of license you chose at the counter shapes who can later get a copy of the certificate. A public license produces a public record; anyone can request a copy, and at least one witness (up to two) must sign the license at the ceremony.1California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code FAM 359
A confidential license produces a restricted record. Only the parties to the marriage can obtain a certified copy, absent a court order.2California Legislative Information. California Code Health and Safety Code 103526 No witness signature is required. To qualify, both people must be at least 18, unmarried, and already living together as spouses.3California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code 500 Couples who don’t already share a home can only use the public license.
Requesting a Certified Copy
You can order a certified copy from the County Recorder in the county that filed your license, or from the California Department of Public Health. State law offers two versions of a certified copy, and the difference is who is asking.2California Legislative Information. California Code Health and Safety Code 103526
Authorized vs. Informational Copies
An authorized certified copy can be used to establish identity. It is available to the person named on the record, a parent, legal guardian, child, grandchild, grandparent, sibling, spouse, domestic partner, or an attorney representing any of them. A court order also qualifies. For confidential marriage records, only a party to the marriage can receive an authorized copy.2California Legislative Information. California Code Health and Safety Code 103526
Everyone else receives an informational certified copy. It contains the same data but carries a legend reading “INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY.”2California Legislative Information. California Code Health and Safety Code 103526
How to Order
To get an authorized copy, complete the application and sign a sworn statement, under penalty of perjury, that you are an eligible person. In person, you sign at the counter and no notarization is required. By mail, fax, or electronic request, the sworn statement must be notarized.2California Legislative Information. California Code Health and Safety Code 103526
Two main options:
- County Recorder in the county that filed the license. In-person requests are generally the fastest way to walk out with a certified copy.
- California Department of Public Health. Mail Form VS 113A along with a check or money order for $19 per copy, payable to “CDPH-VR,” to Vital Records in Sacramento. Electronic requests through a third-party vendor are also offered on the CDPH website.4California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Obtaining Certified Copies of Marriage Records
County offices tend to move faster than the state. If you need the certificate soon, go to the county in person rather than mailing Sacramento.
Fixing an Error on the Record
Misspellings, wrong dates, and other mistakes on a registered certificate are corrected by filing an Affidavit to Amend a Marriage Record, Form VS 24C. The original record is not altered. The amendment becomes part of the official file and travels with certified copies from then on.
The form must be typed or printed in black ink with no erasures or white-out, and two people must sign it certifying the corrections. If the change concerns the date or place of marriage, the officiant must be one of the signers. Amendments filed within one year of the marriage carry no processing fee, though certified copies still cost. After one year, a filing fee applies.
VS 24C cannot be used to change either spouse’s identity or to alter the new-name fields on the certificate. For confidential marriages, file the amendment with the County Clerk of the county where the ceremony took place. For public marriages, file with the State or Local Registrar.
Using the Certificate
Once you have a certified copy in hand, it’s the document behind the paperwork that usually follows a wedding.
Name Change
If you chose a new legal name on the license, the certificate is your proof. Handle Social Security first, then the DMV, then everything else.
For Social Security, wait at least 30 days after the marriage date so state records have time to update.5Social Security Administration. Just Married? Need to Change your Name? Bring your marriage certificate and proof of identification. Some applicants can start the process online, though California residents should expect to visit a local Social Security office to finish.6Social Security Administration. Change Name with Social Security
For the DMV, go in person with your certified marriage certificate, your updated Social Security card, your current driver’s license, and two proofs of California address. Starting the driver’s license application online before you go will shorten the counter visit.
Using the Certificate Abroad
If a country that’s part of the Hague Apostille Convention needs to recognize your marriage, you’ll need an apostille from the California Secretary of State. The apostille authenticates the signature of the California official on your certified copy.
Request one by mail or in person at the Sacramento or Los Angeles office. The fee is $20 per apostille by mail; in person, the same $20 plus a $6 special handling fee. Include a cover sheet naming the destination country. Mail requests go to the Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001, with a check or money order payable to “Secretary of State.”7California Secretary of State. Request an Apostille Only original certified copies are accepted; photocopies are rejected.