California Marriage Record Search: Authorized vs Informational Copies

A California marriage record search starts in one of two places: the county clerk-recorder’s office where the marriage license was issued, or the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in Sacramento if you don’t know the county. A certified copy costs $19 at either office. Counties are much faster, often turning requests around in days to a few weeks; CDPH averages five to seven weeks because it searches a statewide index.¹

Before you send anything, decide which type of copy you actually need. That single choice controls the paperwork, and getting it wrong means paying again.

Authorized Copy or Informational Copy

California issues two versions of the same record. An authorized certified copy works as legal proof of the marriage and can be used for identity purposes such as a REAL ID or benefits claim. An informational certified copy carries a printed legend reading “INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY” and will not be accepted for identity or legal use, though it is fine for genealogy and general research.²

To receive an authorized copy of a public marriage record, you must be one of the following:

A spouse named on the record
A parent or legal guardian of someone named on the record
A child, grandchild, grandparent, sibling, or domestic partner of someone named on the record
An attorney representing someone named on the record or their estate
A law enforcement officer or government agency representative on official business
A person with a court order entitling them to the record

Anyone outside those categories can still order an informational copy.²

Confidential Marriages Follow Different Rules

If the marriage was filed as a confidential marriage under Family Code Section 511, standard access rules don’t apply. Confidential marriage certificates are permanent records not open to public inspection. Only a party to the marriage is treated as an authorized person. Everyone else, including parents, children, and siblings, needs a court order showing good cause before a county clerk will release a copy.³ Confidential marriages also won’t turn up in a standard CDPH search.

What You Need Before You Apply

Whether you go through a county or through CDPH, the application asks for the same core information. The state form is VS 113-A, “Application for Certified Copy of Marriage Record”; counties use their own versions with the same fields.⁴ You will provide:

Full names of both spouses: first, middle, current last name, and last name at birth
Date of marriage (exact or approximate)
County where the marriage license was issued
Your contact information
Reason for the request

Names cause more delays than anything else. If a spouse changed their surname at marriage, list the name used when the license was filed, which is typically the birth surname. An approximate date works when you don’t have the exact one, though it may slow the search.

For an authorized copy, you also complete a Sworn Statement affirming your identity and eligibility. It must be signed before a notary public. California caps notary fees at $15 per signature.⁵⁶⁷ Informational copies do not require the sworn statement.

Ordering From the County Clerk-Recorder

If you know the county where the license was issued, go there first. County offices are faster than the state, often filling in-person requests within a few business days and mail requests within two to three weeks. The fee is $19.

Most counties accept requests in person, by mail, and through a third-party online vendor. Mailed requests take a check or money order made payable to the county clerk-recorder. Some offices require a self-addressed stamped envelope for return delivery, so confirm the specific county’s rules before sending anything. In-person payments usually include cash and card options, though card payments sometimes carry a small surcharge.

Online orders through vendors like VitalChek work, but the vendor’s processing and convenience fees are added on top of the $19. Some of those services offer expedited shipping the county itself doesn’t provide, which is worth the extra cost when speed matters.

County staff will match your notarized Sworn Statement against the application. If your stated relationship, the names, or any detail in the sworn statement doesn’t line up with the record, expect the request to come back to you rather than get filled.

Ordering From CDPH When You Don’t Know the County

CDPH keeps a statewide marriage index in Sacramento, so it can locate a record without knowing the issuing county. The tradeoff is speed. Current processing averages five to seven weeks.¹

The fee is $19 per copy. Mail requests take a check or money order made out to “CDPH-Vital Records.” Cash isn’t accepted for mail. Download VS 113-A from the CDPH website and send the completed package to the Sacramento address on the form.⁴ Electronic submissions are available through a third-party vendor for an added convenience fee.⁸

If CDPH can’t find a matching record, it issues a Certificate of No Public Record (CNPR) instead of a copy. The $19 fee is not refunded, because it covers the search itself.⁴ A CNPR does not mean the marriage never happened. The details submitted may have been slightly off, the record may not yet be indexed, or the marriage may have been filed as confidential and therefore excluded from a standard search.

Using the Record After You Get It

A certified marriage certificate is the starting document for updating your identity records after marriage. The order of updates matters, because each agency’s records depend on the last.

Social Security First

Start with the Social Security Administration. Complete Form SS-5 and submit it with your certified marriage certificate and proof of identity such as a driver’s license or passport. SSA requires originals or certified copies; photocopies are rejected. You can begin the process at ssa.gov, but the original documents still need to reach a local SSA office in person or by mail.⁹

Tax Filings

The IRS doesn’t ask you to report a name change directly. What matters is that the name on your return matches what SSA has on file. If you file jointly before your SSA update goes through, use your former name to avoid a held refund. Once SSA has updated the record, file under the new name going forward. If an employer issues a W-2 under your old name after your update, ask for a corrected form or correct the name on the copy you submit.¹⁰

REAL ID and Driver’s License

The California DMV accepts a certified marriage certificate as proof of a legal name change when you apply for a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card. As of May 7, 2025, a REAL ID or another federally accepted ID such as a passport is required to board domestic flights and enter federal facilities. DMV requires a certified copy, not a photocopy and not a notarized photocopy.¹¹ This is where the authorized-versus-informational distinction bites: an informational copy’s legend disqualifies it for identity purposes, so it will not be accepted.

Apostille for Use Abroad

If a foreign government needs to accept the certificate, you’ll typically need an apostille from the California Secretary of State. The apostille satisfies the Hague Apostille Convention by confirming the document came from a legitimate California authority. The fee is $20 per apostille, plus a $6 special handling fee per signature for in-person service in Sacramento or Los Angeles. Mail submissions to the Sacramento office require a check or money order payable to “Secretary of State,” the original certified document, a cover sheet naming the destination country, and a self-addressed return envelope.¹² The submitted document has to be the certified copy itself, not a photocopy of it, so plan for the time it will be away.

Immigration Filings

Immigration cases often call for a certified marriage certificate. A California-issued certificate is already in English, so translation isn’t an issue. If you also submit a foreign marriage certificate, federal regulations at 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) require a full English translation plus a certification from the translator that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent in both languages.¹³ A professional service isn’t required; any competent bilingual person can sign the certification. Translate every element on the foreign document, stamps and annotations included, or expect a Request for Evidence that delays the case.

1
California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Processing Times
2
California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103526 – Certified Copy and Verification of Records
3
California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 511 – Confidential Marriage
4
California Department of Public Health. How to Obtain a Certified Copy of a Marriage Record
5
California Legislative Information. California Government Code 8211
6
California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 118 – Perjury and Subornation of Perjury
7
California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 126
8
California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Obtaining Certified Copies of Marriage Records
9
Social Security Administration. How Do I Change or Correct My Name on My Social Security Number Card
10
Internal Revenue Service. Name Changes and Social Security Number Matching Issues
11
California Department of Motor Vehicles. List of Documents for REAL ID
12
California Secretary of State. Request an Apostille
13
eCFR. 8 CFR 103.2 – Submission and Adjudication of Benefit Requests