MARRIAGE LICENSE
A marriage license
can be issued from one of the following locations if requested 1
hour or more prior to closing, or during hours listed (by law it
cannot be issued by mail):
| Catalina Branch Court |
Avalon |
(310) 510-0026 |
(Call for appointment) |
| 9355 Burton Way, 1st Floor |
Beverly Hills |
(310) 288-1261 |
Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.,
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.,
M-F
* Office will be closed 2/12 and 3/30 due to court holidays. |
| 1028 W. Avenue
J2 |
Lancaster |
(661)
945-6446 |
Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F |
| 11701 S. La Cienega Blvd, 6th Floor |
LAX Courthouse |
(310) 727-6142 |
Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F |
| 4716 East Cesar Chavez Avenue |
Los Angeles |
(323) 260-2991 |
Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F |
| 7807 S. Compton Avenue, Room 215 |
Los Angeles |
(323) 586-6192 |
Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F |
| 12400 Imperial Highway |
Norwalk |
(562) 462-2137 |
Hrs: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., M-F |
| 14340 West Sylvan Street |
Van Nuys |
(818) 374-7176 |
Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., M-F |
The Norwalk
Facility is open 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. on the 3rd Thursday of every month.
Please be in the office no later than 6 p.m. for same day service.
Please return
to Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk main page, click on Branch
Office Locations for information about available services at
the branch office nearest you. You
must present your application to the cashier no later than the
hour listed in the above chart to obtain the license on the same
day. The processing time is 1 hour. For same day services we recommend
that you be at the office by 3 p.m. Applications presented after
4 p.m. are placed on "will-call pick-up" on the next business day.
The bride and groom must both appear to pick up the marriage license.
-
To
obtain a marriage license, which is valid for 90 days, by
law both bride and groom must appear to complete the application
and pay the required fee, which is $70 for a regular license
and $70 for a confidential license. Payments can be made in cash
or by check or money order. If paying by check, valid identification
i.e. driver's license of the signer is required and must be presented
at time of request.
-
Both
the bride and groom must be present and produce "Proof of Identity" and
age documents, such as a driver's license, passport or alien
resident card. Photo and age verification is mandatory. A birth
certificate or baptismal record may be presented along with a
picture form identification. All documents must be in English.
Documents in any other language must be submitted with an English
translation by a certified translator.
-
A
blood test and health certificate are not required to obtain
a marriage license.
-
There
is no residence or citizenship status requirement.
-
Applicants
must be unmarried. A previous marriage is valid until the final
date of dissolution. Written proof of a divorce or the dissolution
of a previous marriage is required, if the event occurred within
the last two years or less. If the final dissolution was more
than two years, written proof may not be required, but the date
of the final dissolution must be provided at the same time the
license is requested.
-
Applicants
living together as husband and wife who meet the required conditions
may request a confidential marriage license that must be used
in Los Angeles County.
-
Proxy marriages are
not legal.
-
The
marriage license is usually processed in two hours after submitting
the application. However, the waiting time may vary depending
on the workload at the location where you are requesting your
license. We recommend that you visit our offices on Monday through
Thursday for faster service.
You may complete your marriage application
online by clicking here
OR
you may download a hardcopy application by clicking
here.
Marriage License "Under
18":
A
person "Under 18" must provide a Notarized Parent or Guardian Consent
Statement and an order of the Superior Court granting the minor permission
to marry to obtain a marriage license.
Inmate Marriage:
There are specific procedures
for inmate marriages. Please call (562) 462-2137 for additional information.
Solemnizing Qualifications:
After
you obtain a marriage license, which is valid for 90-days, you may
be married by your choice of one of the following persons qualified
to perform marriage ceremonies: 1) a priest, minister or rabbi
of any religious denomination who is 18 years of age or older; 2)
an active or retired Judge, Commissioner, or Assistant Commissioner
of a court or record or Justice Court in this State; or 3)
by a Deputy Commissioner of Civil Marriages.
Civil Ceremony:
Marriage
ceremonies conducted by the Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner of
Civil Marriage are performed at the following offices of the Registrar-Recorder/County
Clerk:
| 9355 Burton Way, First Floor |
Beverly Hills |
(310)288-1261 |
Thursday, by appointment |
| 1028 W. Avenue J2 |
Lancaster |
(661) 945-6446 |
Friday, by appointment |
| 11701 S. La Cienega Blvd, 6th Floor |
LAX Courthouse |
(310) 727-6142 |
Friday by appointment |
| 4716 East Cesar Chavez Avenue |
Los Angeles |
(323) 260-2991 |
Friday, by appointment |
| 7807 S. Compton Avenue, Room 215 |
Los Angeles |
(323) 586-6192 |
Friday, by appointment |
| 12400 Imperial Highway |
Norwalk |
(562) 462-2137 |
Monday-Friday, by appointment |
| 14340 West Sylvan Street |
Van Nuys |
(818) 374-7176 |
Friday, by appointment |
We
cannot guarantee that your marriage license will be issued on the
same day as your appointment for the ceremony so we recommend that
you obtain your license prior to the date your ceremony is to be
performed. At least one witness must be present at the ceremony unless
the couple is marrying using a confidential marriage license in which
case no witness is required. Couples are responsible for
bringing their own witnesses. Please contact the office
nearest you for more information.
The
fee for the civil ceremony is $25. Payment can be made by cash, check
or money order. If paying by check, valid identification (i.e., Driver's
License) of the signer is required and must be presented at time
of request.
Deputy
Commissioner for a Day Program:
The
Registrar/Recorder-County Clerk has a program that allows individuals
to be deputized for a day to perform a wedding ceremony. All those
requesting to be deputized should fill out the form provided on the
web or send in a letter detailing:
-
the
full name of the person to be deputized
-
the
telephone number and address to contact that person
-
the
name of the bride and groom
-
the
date of the wedding
-
the
location of the wedding
The
letter or application should be mailed in to the address below with
a check or money order for $35, made payable to RR/CC, 2 months prior
to the wedding. Applications received less than two months prior
to the wedding may be rejected. Mail the letter or application to
:
Kathy
Treggs
Division Manager
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
12400 Imperial Highway
Room 5001A
Norwalk, CA 90650
Once
the letter and fee are received a confirmation letter of approval
will be sent to the sender. The confirmation letter will request
the individual who is to be deputized to contact our office and make
an appointment to be sworn in. Individuals are deputized on Thursdays
only, at 11:00a.m. and only by appointment. No appointments will
be issued without the fee being paid.
Individuals
coming in to be deputized should expect to spend an hour here at
the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Deputies are welcome to bring
guest, however because space is limited we ask that they bring no
more than one guest.
The
$35 is non-refundable; however it can be applied to another deputy
appointment within the same calendar year.
Should
you have any additional questions please call (562) 462-2081.
APPLICATION
FOR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR A DAY
Marriage
Ceremony Volunteer Program:
Beginning
in 1997, volunteers began performing civil wedding ceremonies at
the department's headquarters in Norwalk where a wedding chapel is
located. Volunteers now perform ceremonies in our branch offices,
as well as the department's headquarters in Norwalk. The volunteers
enjoy being a part of this major event in the lives of loving couples.
This very successful, award-winning volunteer program provides citizens
from all walks of life the opportunity to volunteer in public service
while saving taxpayers money. Departmental staff, who performed marriage
ceremonies before the volunteer program was in place, are now able
to complete more specialized tasks. Currently we are in need of volunteers
for most of our locations.
If you are interested please write to:
Kathy
Treggs
Division Manager
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
12400 Imperial Highway
Room 5001A
Norwalk, CA 90650
