Marriage License
A Los Angeles County marriage license is issued by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to couples who plan to marry. This article explains how the application and appointment process works, who is eligible, which identification and prior-marriage documents may be required, how public and confidential licenses differ, what fees and payment methods are accepted, and what must happen after the ceremony for the marriage certificate to be recorded.
County Clerk Responsibilities
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, commonly identified as the RR/CC, issues marriage licenses and performs civil marriage ceremonies for a fee. The office also records completed marriage certificates, but only when the original marriage license was issued in Los Angeles County.
A marriage license application is only the beginning of the process. Completing an application or purchasing a license does not make a couple legally married. The couple must participate in a qualified civil or religious ceremony. After the ceremony, the completed license must be returned to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for recording.
A license issued by another California county or another state cannot be recorded by the Los Angeles County office. The marriage record will remain with the jurisdiction that issued and recorded the license. Couples should therefore keep track of which county issued their document, particularly if the ceremony will take place outside Los Angeles County.
The County Clerk does not maintain divorce records. Questions or record requests involving a divorce handled in Los Angeles County belong with the Los Angeles Superior Court rather than the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Marriage License Eligibility
Both parties must appear together to obtain a marriage license. Each person must provide proof of identity and age. Photo identification and age verification are mandatory, and expired identification documents are not accepted.
The county identifies a driver’s license and passport as acceptable forms of identification. Applicants should review the official marriage license eligibility requirements before submitting the application or scheduling an appointment.
Language and Translation Rules
Documents presented during the application process must be in English. A document written in another language must be accompanied by an English translation prepared by a certified translator. The translation must also be notarized.
Couples relying on translated documents should arrange the certified translation and notarization before the appointment. Arriving with an untranslated document, an informal translation, or a translation that has not been notarized may prevent the application from being completed.
Current Marital Status
Each applicant must be unmarried when requesting the license. A previous marriage remains valid until its final date of dissolution. Filing for divorce, separating from a spouse, or receiving an interim court document does not necessarily establish that the marriage has been finally dissolved.
If a divorce or other dissolution of marriage became final within the previous two years, the applicant must provide a certified copy of the divorce or dissolution document. When the final dissolution occurred more than two years earlier, written proof may not be required, but the applicant must provide the date on which the dissolution became final.
Applicants should distinguish the final dissolution date from the date the case was filed, the date a hearing occurred, or the date a proposed judgment was submitted. The county’s requirement concerns the date the previous marriage legally ended.
Domestic Partnership Documents
A person who previously entered into a state-registered domestic partnership must provide a certified copy of the termination when the partnership ended within the previous two years. If the termination occurred more than two years earlier, written proof may not be required, but the termination date must be provided when the marriage license is requested.
Two people marrying each other after they entered into a state-registered domestic partnership with the same partner must present a copy of their Declaration of Domestic Partnership.
Residency and Health Requirements
There is no residence requirement or citizenship-status requirement for obtaining a marriage license from Los Angeles County. The county also does not require a blood test or health certificate.
Proxy marriages are not legal. Both parties must be present together when obtaining the marriage license and must participate in the marriage ceremony as required.
Applicants Under Age 18
A person under 18 must provide a notarized parent or guardian consent statement and an order from the Superior Court granting permission to obtain a marriage license. The court order and notarized consent are separate requirements, so presenting only one of them is not sufficient under the county’s stated eligibility rules.
Inmate Marriage Procedures
Marriage applications involving an incarcerated person follow specific procedures. Couples planning an inmate marriage should contact the Recorder/County Clerk marriage license office before attempting the standard online and branch-office process. The applicable contact number appears in the office list at the end of this article.
Public and Confidential Licenses
Los Angeles County offers public marriage licenses and confidential marriage licenses. The confidential option is available to parties living together as spouses who meet the required conditions. Couples should review the county’s eligibility information before selecting a confidential license because the application category affects the license, ceremony requirements, and resulting record.
A public marriage ceremony requires a witness. A confidential marriage license does not require a witness. Couples should not select a confidential license merely because they prefer a smaller ceremony; they must meet the conditions for that license type.
The county charges different fees for public and confidential licenses. Applicants should confirm the license type they want before completing the transaction, since replacing a license requires another purchase.
Online Application Process
The county provides an online application system for preparing a marriage license request. Couples can begin through the official Los Angeles County marriage license portal.
The online application does not eliminate the in-person requirement. Both parties must still appear together, provide valid identification, satisfy the eligibility rules, and purchase the license.
Portal Session Limits
The application portal expires after 30 minutes of inactivity for security reasons. When a session expires, the applicant must return to the home page and start again. Before beginning, both parties should have the necessary personal information and documents available so they can complete the application without a long interruption.
Confirmation Number
After the application is submitted, the couple receives a confirmation number. That number should be saved because it is needed to book an in-person appointment. A screenshot, printed copy, or securely stored note can help prevent delays caused by losing the number.
The county’s in-person marriage license application page provides the official route for completing the application and checking appointment availability.
Appointment Availability
Marriage license appointments can be scheduled up to three weeks in advance. Appointments are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If no dates appear, the available appointments for that period have been filled.
The county does not maintain a waitlist. Applicants may continue monitoring the appointment system because openings can appear when schedules change or another couple cancels. Couples who submitted an application but could not initially reserve a time should retain their confirmation number and use it when an opening becomes available.
Arriving on Time
The county provides a five-minute grace period for marriage license appointments. An appointment may be canceled when the couple arrives more than five minutes late. Both applicants should plan to arrive early enough to account for parking, building entry, security procedures, elevators, and locating the correct service window.
Applicants should also verify that both parties have their identification and any required dissolution, domestic partnership, translation, or minor-consent documents before leaving for the office. A missing document can prevent the license from being issued even when the couple arrives on time.
Information to Review Before Issuance
Marriage license information should be reviewed closely before the license is issued. Errors discovered before the ceremony may require the couple to purchase a replacement license. A lost license cannot simply be reprinted; the couple must purchase a new one.
Names, dates, prior-marriage information, and other application entries should match the supporting documents. Applicants should not assume that the County Clerk can change information later without a formal process.
Name Choices After Marriage
California’s Name Equality Act allows one or both parties to select certain middle or last names they intend to use after marriage. Neither person is required to change a name, and spouses are not required to use the same name.
A permitted new last name may be:
The current last name of the other spouse.
The last name given at birth to either spouse.
A single last name formed from all or a contiguous segment of either spouse’s current or birth last name.
A combination of last names.
A permitted middle name may include the current last name or birth last name of either spouse. It may also include certain combinations involving a person’s current middle name and the current or birth last name of either spouse.
Changes the License Cannot Make
The marriage license process cannot be used to change a first name. An applicant may not completely drop an existing middle name through this process, and segments are not permitted when forming the new middle name.
The new-name decision must be made when the license is issued. The County Clerk cannot later amend the marriage license to add or change the name a party wishes to use after marriage. When a party does not identify a new name in the applicable fields, the license is completed with two single dashes in those fields.
Applicants who are considering a name change should read the county’s marriage license name-change rules before submitting the application. County Clerk employees cannot give legal advice about which name an applicant should choose or how the Name Equality Act applies to an individual situation.
After marriage, local, state, federal, and private agencies may have different requirements for updating their records. The marriage certificate may be used as proof, but each agency decides which documents it will accept.
License and Ceremony Fees
The county’s stated marriage license and ceremony fees are:
Public marriage license: $91.
Confidential marriage license: $85.
Civil ceremony: $35.
RR/CC-provided witness for a civil ceremony: $20.
Deputy Commissioner for a Day Program: $75.
Applicants can confirm the current amounts on the official marriage license and ceremony fee page.
Accepted Payment Methods
The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk accepts cash, checks, money orders, debit cards, credit cards, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay. Checks and money orders must be payable to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Valid identification of the person signing a check is required at the time of purchase.
Accepted credit cards include American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa. Debit and credit card payments are subject to a $1.75 service fee and a maximum transaction limit of $15,000. Apple Pay and Samsung Pay are also subject to the $1.75 service fee and the same maximum limit.
The office does not accept e-checks, temporary checks, or foreign checks, except checks from Canada and Mexico.
Civil Marriage Ceremonies
All civil ceremonies performed by the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk require an appointment and must be prepaid. A ceremony appointment is not issued until the couple has a marriage license.
When purchasing the license, the couple may schedule a ceremony to be performed by the county. Couples who already possess a license issued by Los Angeles County can contact the marriage license and ceremony office to arrange an appointment.
Standard county civil ceremonies are scheduled for 15 minutes. Room capacity depends on the selected location. Outside ministers and officiants are not permitted to perform ceremonies in the county’s chapels.
A ceremony appointment may be rescheduled once. A second rescheduling request requires payment of a new ceremony fee. Additional scheduling details are available through the county’s civil marriage ceremony information.
Express Ceremony Appointments
Express marriage ceremonies are available by appointment at all seven RR/CC branch locations. After completing the marriage license application, the couple may select an appointment identified as “Marriage License and Express Ceremony.” These appointments are scheduled for 45 minutes and combine the license transaction with a simple ceremony.
Both parties must present valid identification. For a public marriage license, one witness must be present at the marriage license window. Family members and friends who are not serving as the witness must wait outside. If the couple does not have a witness, the RR/CC may provide one for the stated $20 fee. A confidential marriage license does not require a witness.
Other Qualified Officiants
A couple is not required to use a County Clerk civil ceremony. After receiving the marriage license, they may be married by a person legally qualified to perform the ceremony.
The county identifies the following qualified officiants:
A priest, minister, or rabbi of any religious denomination who is at least 18 years old.
An active or retired judge, commissioner, or assistant commissioner of a court in California.
A city clerk while that person holds office.
A deputy commissioner of civil marriages.
A member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
A person who currently holds or formerly held an elected office of a city or county.
An ordained minister does not have to register with the Los Angeles County Clerk before performing a marriage ceremony. The officiant should have valid ordination documentation from the applicable faith. Documents stating that they are for entertainment purposes do not establish valid ordination.
The 90-Day License Period
A marriage license is valid for 90 days. The qualified ceremony must take place while the license remains valid. Couples should coordinate the application, license purchase, ceremony date, officiant, and witness arrangements with that period in mind.
Submitting the online application well before the planned ceremony can help with appointment planning, but the 90-day period concerns the issued marriage license. Couples should avoid purchasing the license so early that it could expire before the ceremony.
If a license is lost before the marriage, the county will not reprint it. A new license must be purchased. If a mistake is discovered before the couple is married, a replacement license may also be required.
Recording the Marriage Certificate
After the ceremony, the completed marriage license must be returned to the Norwalk office for recording. The document becomes a recorded marriage certificate only after the ceremony has occurred, the required portions have been completed, and the license has been returned to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
The county does not automatically mail the couple a copy of the recorded marriage certificate. A marriage records request may be submitted at the same time the completed license is sent for recording. Couples who selected a new name during the marriage license process are encouraged to request a copy because the marriage record may be needed as proof of the change.
The official marriage certificate recording instructions explain the post-ceremony requirement and identify the Norwalk office as the recording destination.
Errors After the Ceremony
A couple that discovers an error after getting married should contact the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to determine the required next steps. The correction process differs from replacing an unused license, so the couple should explain that the ceremony has already occurred.
Information involving a new name cannot simply be added or changed after the license has been issued. Applicants should therefore verify the new-name fields and all other personal information before accepting the issued license.
Choosing a Branch Office
Marriage licenses are issued at the Norwalk main office and at branch offices in Beverly Hills, East Los Angeles, Lancaster, the LAX/Courthouse area, Van Nuys, and Florence/Firestone. Marriage ceremonies are available at these locations on the schedules established for each branch and by appointment.
Service hours and ceremony days vary by office. Couples should review the official Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk branch locations before selecting an appointment. County offices are closed on weekends and observed holidays.
Mail should be directed to the appropriate Norwalk headquarters section rather than a district office. The county specifically instructs customers not to mail documents to branch offices.
Common Application Mistakes
Many preventable problems occur when couples treat the online application as the entire licensing process. The application must still be followed by an appointment, joint appearance, identification review, license purchase, ceremony, and recording.
Other common problems include:
Allowing the online session to expire after 30 minutes of inactivity.
Failing to save the application confirmation number.
Arriving more than five minutes after the appointment time.
Bringing expired identification.
Presenting a foreign-language document without a certified, notarized English translation.
Confusing a divorce filing date with the final dissolution date.
Forgetting a certified dissolution or domestic partnership termination document from the previous two years.
Choosing a new married name without reviewing the allowed middle- and last-name combinations.
Assuming a new name can be added after the license is issued.
Planning a public ceremony without a witness.
Assuming a lost license can be reprinted without purchasing another license.
Expecting the county to mail a marriage certificate copy automatically after recording.
Mailing the completed document to a branch office instead of the Norwalk office.
Marriage License Offices
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
12400 Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650
(800) 201-8999
Beverly Hills Branch Office
9355 Burton Way, 4th Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
East Los Angeles Branch Office
4716 E. Cesar Chavez Blvd., Building B, Los Angeles, CA 90022
Lancaster Branch Office
44509 16th St. West, Suite 101, Lancaster, CA 93534
LAX / Courthouse Branch Office
11701 S. La Cienega Blvd., 6th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Van Nuys Branch Office
14340 W. Sylvan St., Van Nuys, CA 91401
Florence / Firestone Branch Office
7807 Compton Ave., Room 102, Los Angeles, CA 90001
Birth, Death and Marriage Records Section
P.O. Box 489, Norwalk, CA 90651-0489
(800) 201-8999, option 1
Marriage License FAQs
Which office offers same-day license service?
The East Los Angeles branch specifically lists same-day marriage license service through 4:00 p.m. This does not mean couples can arrive without completing the county’s required application and appointment process. It also does not guarantee a same-day ceremony, since ceremonies at that branch are offered on Fridays by appointment. Review the official marriage license branch services and schedules before choosing a location.
Are civil ceremonies available every weekday?
No. Ceremony schedules differ among branch offices. Beverly Hills, LAX/Courthouse, and Van Nuys list ceremonies on Wednesdays and Fridays. East Los Angeles, Lancaster, and Florence/Firestone list ceremonies on Fridays. Norwalk also performs ceremonies by appointment, but couples should use the county scheduling system to see available dates. A branch may issue marriage licenses throughout its regular business week even when ceremonies are limited to certain days.
Can we bring guests to an express ceremony?
Express appointments are designed for a limited, streamlined ceremony. One witness must be present at the marriage license window when the couple uses a public license. Other family members and friends must wait outside. Couples using a confidential license do not need a witness. Those planning a larger gathering should consider a standard ceremony or a ceremony performed elsewhere by a qualified officiant rather than assuming an express appointment can accommodate guests.
Can a branch provide a certificate immediately?
A marriage certificate cannot be issued immediately after the wedding unless the completed license has first been returned and recorded. Several branch offices list same-day copies of recorded marriage records from 1995 to the present, but availability depends on the record already being in the county system. Couples should not confuse obtaining a license with requesting a certified marriage record. The county’s marriage certificate recording instructions explain what must occur before a copy can be requested.