California Marriage License Guide & FAQ
Getting your marriage license should not feel harder than finding the person you want to marry.
We have helped thousands of couples get legally married in California, and we know the marriage license process can look confusing at first. The good news is that it does not have to be.
At the Cute Little Wedding Chapel, we can issue your California marriage license by appointment, and eligible couples can have their Wedding Ceremony during the same visit. No long County Clerk line. No bouncing between offices. No wondering whether you forgot the one document that matters.
What Is a California Marriage License?
A marriage license is your legal permission to get married in California. It must be issued before the Wedding Ceremony.
The Wedding Officiant signs and completes the license. A required witness signs a Public Marriage License. The completed original is then returned to the County for recording.
Once the County records the marriage, you may order certified copies of your marriage certificate. The license gets you married. The certified marriage certificate proves you got married. Same relationship, different paperwork.
Can the Cute Little Wedding Chapel Issue Our Marriage License?
Yes. We can issue your California marriage license by appointment if you meet the requirements. Our marriage license authorized notary will review your documents, prepare the license, and issue it to you.
You may obtain your license at our Long Beach location, and mobile marriage license service may also be available at your home, hotel, office, wedding venue, or another approved California location.
Many couples choose to complete the marriage license and Wedding Ceremony during the same appointment. It is quick, convenient, legal, and much more romantic than spending your wedding day sitting under fluorescent lights at a government office.
Marriage license service is separate from the Wedding Ceremony. Current availability, fees, eligibility, travel charges, and identification requirements will be confirmed before your appointment.
How the Marriage License Process Works
Complete the Application
Fill out our marriage license application carefully. Names, birth information, previous marriages, and intended name changes must be entered accurately.
We Review Your Information
Our team reviews the application and contacts you about eligibility, appointment options, identification, fees, and any additional documents that may be needed.
Meet With Our Authorized Agent
Both applicants appear together with valid, unexpired government-issued photo identification. Our marriage license authorized notary reviews the documents and the license before it is issued.
Receive Your Marriage License
Once issued, your California marriage license is ready to be used for a Wedding Ceremony performed in California during its valid period.
Have the Wedding Ceremony
Your ceremony can be a simple legal “I do” or a fun, romantic, customized masterpiece. The law requires a ceremony, but it does not require the ceremony to be boring.
We Complete the License
The Wedding Officiant completes the required sections, obtains the proper witness signature when required, and returns the original for County recording.
Public vs. Confidential Marriage Licenses
California offers Public and Confidential Marriage Licenses. Both create a legal marriage when properly issued, solemnized, completed, and recorded. The main differences involve eligibility, witnesses, and access to the record.
| Feature | Public Marriage License | Confidential Marriage License |
|---|---|---|
| Who may qualify? | Eligible couples who meet California marriage license requirements. | Eligible couples who state that they live together as spouses before applying. We do not require proof of living together. |
| Witness required? | Yes. At least one witness must observe the ceremony and sign the license. A second witness may also sign. | No. A witness is not required and does not sign the license. |
| Record access | The marriage becomes part of the public record. California law controls who may obtain an authorized certified copy. | The marriage record is confidential. Certified copies are available only to the couple or by court order. |
| Where can you marry? | The Wedding Ceremony must take place in California. | The Wedding Ceremony must take place in California. |
We will review your information and help determine which license may be available. We cannot issue a Confidential Marriage License to a couple that does not meet the legal eligibility requirements.
What Do We Need to Bring?
Both applicants must appear together and present valid, unexpired government-issued photo identification.
Accepted identification includes:
- A valid state-issued driver's license
- A valid state-issued identification card
- A valid passport
- A valid military identification card
- A valid Matrícula Consular
If either person was married or divorced within the last two years, proof of dissolution is required. Bring the divorce decree showing the final dissolution date and the court stamp.
To qualify for the Confidential Marriage License that we issue, the couple must state that they live together. We do not require proof of living together.
Expired identification is not acceptable. Your identification must be current, readable, and consistent with the information on the application. Other forms of identification may be accepted, so please ask us if you are unsure what to bring.
International couples should bring valid passports. Contact us in advance if an identification document is not written in English.
Can Visitors From Another State or Country Get Married in California?
Yes. You do not have to live in California, and you do not have to be a United States citizen, to obtain a California marriage license if you otherwise meet the legal requirements.
We regularly help couples visiting Southern California from across the United States and around the world.
International couples should check whether their home country requires an apostille, authentication, certified translation, or additional registration after the marriage. Those requirements are determined by the country or agency receiving the California marriage certificate.
Can We Get the License and Get Married on the Same Day?
In many cases, yes. California does not have a general waiting period after the marriage license is issued.
Eligible couples may obtain the license and have the Wedding Ceremony during the same appointment, subject to availability and completion of all requirements.
Same-day service works best when the application is completed in advance and both applicants arrive with the correct identification. Spontaneous is fun. Unprepared is less fun.
How Long Is a California Marriage License Valid?
A California marriage license is valid for 90 days from the date it is issued.
The Wedding Ceremony must take place in California before the expiration date printed on the license. If the license expires before the ceremony, you must obtain a new one.
We generally recommend taking care of the license before the last possible moment. Your wedding checklist already has enough drama without adding an expiring government document.
Do We Need a Witness?
For a Public Marriage License
Yes. At least one witness must observe the Wedding Ceremony and sign the license. California allows a second witness to sign as well.
For a Confidential Marriage License
No witness is required, and witnesses do not sign the Confidential Marriage License.
If you are obtaining a Public Marriage License and do not have a witness, let us know in advance and we can provide one.
What If One of Us Was Previously Married?
You may apply for a new marriage license after the previous marriage has legally ended. If a divorce or dissolution became final within the last two years, we must see the divorce decree showing the final dissolution date and the court stamp.
The application asks how and when the previous marriage ended. If it ended within the last two years, bring the final divorce or dissolution decree with the court stamp. Other situations may require additional documents, so please ask us before your appointment.
Tell us in advance if a previous marriage or divorce ended within the last two years so we can make sure you bring the correct court-stamped document. Surprises are wonderful during proposals. They are less wonderful during document review.
Can We Bring a License From the County Clerk?
Absolutely. You are welcome to obtain your own valid California marriage license directly from a County Clerk and bring the original to your ceremony. But if you want to make it easy, get it from us and let us guide you through the entire process.
The Wedding Officiant must review the license before the ceremony and complete and sign it.
A license issued by another state cannot be used to create a California marriage record. The ceremony must use a valid California marriage license.
What Happens After the Wedding?
- The Wedding Officiant completes and signs the license.
- A required witness signs a Public Marriage License.
- The completed license is checked for accuracy.
- The original is returned to the County that issued it.
- The County reviews and records the marriage.
- Certified copies may be ordered after the record becomes available.
The keepsake or customer copy you may receive on the wedding day is not the same as a certified marriage certificate issued by the County.
How Long Does Recording Take?
Los Angeles County currently takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks to process the marriage record and mail certified copies that were ordered. Processing times for other counties vary.
If your marriage license was issued by another county, check that county's current processing time before making time-sensitive plans involving immigration, insurance, travel, benefits, or a legal name change.
How Do We Get Certified Copies?
Certified copies are issued by the County after the completed marriage license has been recorded. When we issue your Los Angeles County marriage license, we prepare the certified-copy request forms and send them to the County with the completed license and your payment.
A certified marriage certificate is not handed to you on the wedding day. If another county issued your license, you will usually need to visit that county in person to obtain a copy or download its request form and order a copy by mail.
Public and Confidential Marriage Records have different access rules. Our team prepares the request when we issue the license, but the County controls recording, copy issuance, processing times, and fees.
Can I Change My Name on the Marriage License?
Yes, but you do not have to change your name unless you want to. California's Name Equality Act allows each person to select certain middle-name and last-name options when the marriage license is issued.
Your First Name
You cannot change your first name through the marriage license.
Last-Name Options
You may choose:
- The current last name of the other person
- The birth last name of either person
- A single last name combining all or part of the current or birth last names of either person
- A hyphenated or other combination of the permitted last names
Middle-Name Options
You may choose:
- The current last name of either person
- The birth last name of either person
- A combination of your current middle name and your current last name, or the other person's current last name
- A combination of your current middle name and your birth last name, or the other person's birth last name
Segments of names are not permitted in the middle-name field, and you may not completely drop your existing middle name through the marriage license process.
After the marriage is recorded and you receive a certified copy, you may use it to update records with Social Security, the Department of Motor Vehicles, passport services, banks, employers, insurance companies, and other agencies. Each agency has its own requirements.
Frequently Asked Marriage License Questions
Do both applicants need to be present?
Yes. Both applicants generally must appear together, present acceptable identification, review the application, and sign the required documents.
Do we need an appointment?
Yes. Marriage license issuance and Wedding Ceremonies at the Cute Little Wedding Chapel are available by appointment.
Is there a waiting period?
California does not impose a general waiting period after the license is issued. The ceremony may take place the same day when all requirements are satisfied.
Do we need a blood test?
No. California does not require a blood test to obtain a marriage license.
Can same-sex couples obtain a marriage license?
Yes. We welcome all couples, honor who they are, and issue marriage licenses to everyone who meets California's legal requirements.
Can we use a California license outside California?
No. A California marriage license authorizes a Wedding Ceremony performed within California.
Can someone else pick up our license?
No. Both applicants must appear together and present identification before the official marriage license is issued.
Is the marriage license the same as the marriage certificate?
No. The license authorizes the marriage. After the completed license is recorded, the County may issue certified copies of the marriage record, commonly called the marriage certificate.
What happens if there is an error?
Contact our office or the issuing County as soon as the error is discovered. The correction process depends on the type of error and whether the license has already been recorded.
Can we have a simple ceremony?
Yes. Your ceremony may be a short legal ceremony or something more personal, fun, romantic, religious, non-religious, bilingual, or customized.
Ready to Get Your Marriage License and Say “I Do”?
We make the process simple, clear, and stress free. Complete the application, let us review the details, and we will help you take it from paperwork to happily married.
Call or text: (562) 435-4000
Email: getmarried@cutelittleweddingchapel.com
Cute Little Wedding Chapel
3740 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 201
Long Beach, California 90807
Marriage license requirements, County fees, processing times, and procedures may change. This page provides general information and is not legal advice. We will review the current requirements with you before your appointment.