What you need to legally marry in California: a $91 fee, no waiting period, 1 witness and a license that is valid 90 days. You apply at the County Clerk or County Recorder.
The eight things the County Clerk or County Recorder will ask about or check. County rules can add small extras, so confirm with your local office before you go.
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A marriage license in California costs $91 (Los Angeles County) to $127 (San Francisco County). You pay it at the County Clerk or County Recorder when you apply. Extra certified copies of the marriage certificate, which you will want for a name change, a passport or insurance updates, often cost more.
That puts California inside the roughly $30 to $100 range most states charge. Accepted payment methods differ from office to office, so check before the visit.
Both partners need a valid government photo ID. If either of you was married before, bring the final divorce decree or the former spouse's death certificate. California does not require proof of residency.
In most counties both of you go in person, and some offices ask you to fill in the form online or book an appointment first. Check which offices can issue your license before you drive anywhere.
Fill in the application and pay the $91 (Los Angeles County) to $127 (San Francisco County) fee. Have both Social Security numbers ready (non-citizens can usually give a passport or visa number), plus your parents' full names and your places of birth.
California has no waiting period, so you can marry as soon as the license is in your hands. Most couples still apply a few days ahead.
The license is valid for 90 days from the date of issue. The ceremony has to happen and the license has to be signed inside this window. An authorized officiant leads the ceremony, see who qualifies below.
After the ceremony the officiant and any required witnesses sign the license. It goes back to the County Clerk or County Recorder, often filed by the officiant, within the time California law allows. The county then records it and issues your marriage certificate.
A short walkthrough of the documents and the clerk visit. Fees and offices differ by state, so match the details to the California facts above.
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At 18 or older you can marry without anyone's permission.
Anyone under 18 needs a superior court order plus written consent from at least one parent or guardian. California law sets no minimum age for this court path.
Source: Cal. Fam. Code 302, 303 and 304 (SB 273, effective Jan 1, 2019)
Bring the final divorce decree or the former spouse's death certificate to the first visit. Ask the County Clerk or County Recorder whether it needs a certified copy.
California has no residency requirement, so couples from other states can apply at the County Clerk or County Recorder with valid ID. The license only works for a ceremony inside California.
Same-sex marriage is legal in California, as in every state, since Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). The requirements are the same for every couple.
Foreign nationals can marry in California with a valid passport as photo ID. Marrying does not change immigration status by itself, and documents in another language may need certified translations.
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Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and other clergy (Family Code Sec. 400). Judges, retired judges, commissioners, and assistant commissioners of any court of record. California also allows anyone to become a deputy commissioner of civil marriages for a day to officiate a specific wedding.
Officiant rules in every stateCalifornia offers both public and confidential marriage licenses. A public license requires 1 witness; a confidential license requires no witness and keeps the marriage record private, but both still require an authorized officiant, California does not permit self-solemnization (Family Code Sec. 420 contains only a non-invalidation clause for religious-sect ceremonies, not a Quaker-style self-uniting provision). Fees vary by county: Los Angeles County charges $91 for a public license and $85 for a confidential license (2026); San Francisco charges $127 for either license type, effective July 1, 2025. LA County's Board of Supervisors gave preliminary approval in September 2025 to raise fees to $176 (public) / $220 (confidential), but as of August 2026 the county's official fee page still lists $91/$85, so treat the increase as pending, not yet in effect. There is no fixed numeric 'consent' age below 18; any marriage under 18 requires an individualized Superior Court order (Family Code Sec. 302, effective since Jan 1, 2019 per SB 273) plus written parental consent, evaluated case by case rather than at a set age floor.
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Fees, waiting period, validity, ID, witnesses and residency for California.
A California marriage license costs $91 (Los Angeles County) to $127 (San Francisco County). You pay it at the County Clerk or County Recorder. Certified copies of the marriage certificate, which you need for a name change, can cost extra. Payment methods differ by office, so call ahead to check whether it takes cash, card or check.
No. California has no waiting period, so you can apply for and use your marriage license on the same day. Many couples still apply a few days ahead to avoid last-minute stress.
A California marriage license is valid for 90 days from the date of issue. The ceremony has to happen inside this window, or you reapply and pay the fee again.
Each partner needs a valid government photo ID, such as a US passport, a driver's license or state ID card, a US military ID, a permanent resident card or a foreign passport. Bring it to the County Clerk or County Recorder, and check the office's own list before you go.
Yes. California's rule: 1 witness. Witnesses usually need to be adults who can sign the license. Most couples ask the maid of honor and the best man.
No. California does not require residency. Out-of-state couples can apply at the County Clerk or County Recorder with the required ID, and the license works for a ceremony anywhere in California.
