You can apply for a California marriage license online in most counties by completing the county clerk’s web application, paying the fee, and then meeting the clerk over a video call to verify your identity and finalize the license. The remote option started under Executive Order N-58-20 in April 2020 and was made permanent by AB 583 effective January 1, 2024.1 Counties decide individually whether to offer it, so the first thing to do is open the website for the county where you want the license and confirm that video appointments are available.
Confirm Your County Offers Video Appointments
The law gives each county discretion. Some counties have built out full online-plus-video systems; others still require you to appear at the clerk’s window. If the county you had in mind doesn’t offer remote issuance, you have two choices: go in person, or apply in a county that does offer video appointments. California has no residency requirement and no rule tying the license to where the ceremony happens, as long as the wedding itself takes place somewhere in California.
Look on the county clerk’s website for a section labeled “Marriage Licenses” or “County Clerk.” In some counties the office is called the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. The portal, the fees, and the exact fields on the form vary from county to county, so treat the county’s own instructions as controlling.
Pick Public or Confidential Before You Start
California issues two kinds of marriage licenses, and the online application will ask you to choose. The difference matters for privacy and for what happens at the ceremony.
A public license requires at least one witness at the ceremony, and no more than two witnesses may sign. The recorded certificate is a public record, and anyone can request a certified copy.
A confidential license is available only to two unmarried adults who have been living together as spouses. You declare the cohabitation under penalty of perjury; no documents are required to prove it. No witnesses are needed at the ceremony, and the recorded certificate is not a public record — only the spouses themselves can obtain a certified copy unless a court orders otherwise.
Fees usually differ between the two. In Los Angeles County, for example, a public license costs $91 and a confidential license costs $85.1
Check That You’re Eligible
Both applicants must be at least 18. Anyone under 18 needs a court order and written consent of at least one parent or guardian, and since 2018 the court has additional interview and waiting-period obligations before issuing that order.
Both applicants must be currently unmarried. If you were previously married or in a registered domestic partnership, be ready to show that the dissolution is final. Los Angeles County requires written documentation if the dissolution occurred within the last two years; if it was more than two years ago, you supply the date.1 Other counties set their own thresholds.
There is no California residency requirement. Couples from any state or country can apply.
Gather Your Documents First
Have everything ready before you open the application. For each applicant you’ll need:
- Valid photo identification: a driver’s license, state ID, passport, or permanent resident card. The clerk has discretion to accept other authentic photo ID, and some counties allow a credible witness to vouch for identity under oath if you have none.
- Full legal name, date of birth, and place of birth.
- Current mailing address.
- Each parent’s full legal name at birth and their birthplace (state or country).
Some counties ask for more. Review the specific application on your county’s site before you start typing.
Fill Out the Application and Pay the Fee
Open the county’s online portal and enter the personal information for both applicants. When you reach the review page, check every field against your ID. A typo in a legal name can hold up the license or create problems with the recorded certificate later. Both applicants typically apply digital signatures attesting that the information is accurate.
Payment usually runs through a secure online gateway by credit or debit card. Once the payment goes through, you get a confirmation number and an email receipt. Save both. The confirmation number is what you’ll use to book the video appointment.
Meet the Clerk on Video
After you’ve submitted the application and paid, schedule a virtual appointment through the county clerk’s booking system. During the call, both applicants must be physically present in California and visible on camera at the same time. The clerk verifies your photo ID on screen and asks you to confirm your application details under oath. It’s an identity check, not an interview, and it’s usually quick.
Once the clerk is satisfied, the license is issued. Some counties deliver it electronically with a digital signature; others prepare a physical copy and mail it. If you get a digital version, print it so the officiant can sign it after the ceremony.
No Waiting Period, but a 90-Day Clock
California imposes no waiting period between issuance and the ceremony. You could, in theory, marry the same day the clerk issues the license.
The license does expire. You have 90 days from the issuance date to hold the ceremony and have the officiant sign.1 If those 90 days pass with no ceremony, the license is void and you’d have to apply and pay again.
After the Ceremony
The signed license must be returned to the county clerk or county recorder within 10 days of the ceremony.1 That job belongs to the officiant, not to you, but it’s worth following up to confirm it happened. Late filing doesn’t invalidate the marriage, but a gap in the public record can cause trouble later when you need proof of marriage for insurance, benefits, or a name change.
For a public license, at least one witness signature (and no more than two) must appear on the license before it’s returned. Confidential licenses require none.
Once the county records the signed license, it becomes your marriage certificate. When you later need an official copy, you request a certified copy from the county where the license was recorded.