To get married at SF City Hall, book a combined license-and-ceremony appointment with the San Francisco County Clerk, show up with photo ID (and a witness if you picked a public license), and take your civil ceremony in the second-floor Rotunda. Appointments run Monday through Friday every half hour between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The ceremony fee is $111 on top of the marriage license fee, and the whole visit takes about 15 to 20 minutes once your name is called. California has no waiting period, so one visit can cover both the paperwork and the wedding.
Who Can Marry in California
Both people must be at least 18 and currently unmarried.1California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code 301 – Capacity to Consent to and Consummate Marriage If either of you was previously married or in a registered domestic partnership, that union has to be fully dissolved first. Some counties want a copy of the final judgment if the dissolution happened within the last 90 days, so bring it if that applies.
You don’t need to be a California resident or a U.S. citizen, and there are no blood tests or health exams.2California Department of Public Health. California Marriage License, Registration and Ceremony Information Both people bring valid, unexpired government photo ID: a U.S. or foreign passport, driver’s license, state ID card, military ID, or permanent resident card. If your name has changed since your ID was issued, bring the legal document that explains the change, such as a prior marriage certificate or court order.
Public or Confidential License
You choose between two license types when you apply, and the choice affects both privacy and what you need on the day.
A public marriage license creates a record anyone can search through the county. It requires at least one witness (no more than two) to attend the ceremony and sign the license, and that witness has to bring their own valid photo ID.3California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code FAM 422 – Solemnization Requirements
A confidential marriage license is only available to couples already living together as spouses.4California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code 500 – General Provisions The record isn’t publicly searchable, and no witness is required at the ceremony. It costs a little more than the public license.
Either license is good for 90 days from the date it’s issued. Miss that window and you’d have to apply and pay again.
Booking Your Appointment
Everything runs through the San Francisco County Clerk’s online reservation system, which offers three types of appointment: license only, ceremony only, or a combined license-and-ceremony visit that handles both at once.5San Francisco County Clerk. San Francisco Clerk Event Reservation Page Most couples getting married at City Hall pick the combined option.
The online application collects full legal names, dates of birth, and information about your parents, and this is where you select public or confidential. Check every entry carefully before submitting. Errors on the marriage license cause real trouble later with name changes, passport applications, and other government records.
Slots fill quickly, especially in popular months and around holidays. Reschedule through the same system if plans change. Walk-ins are not accepted for civil ceremonies.
What It Costs
The County Clerk charges separate fees for the license and the ceremony. As of mid-2025, the public marriage license is $127 and the standard civil ceremony is $111.6SF.gov. Fees for County Clerk Services The confidential license costs slightly more. Fees are set by county ordinance and change from time to time, so confirm the current amounts on the Clerk’s website before your appointment.
Additional certified copies of your marriage certificate run $19 each. The Clerk’s office generally takes credit cards, debit cards, and money orders. Cash and personal checks aren’t options.
The Day of the Wedding
Arrive about 15 minutes before your appointment and check in at Room 168 on the first floor with your photo IDs ready. If you have a public license, your witness should be with you at check-in, also carrying their own ID.
After processing, you’ll head up to the Rotunda on the second floor. A deputy marriage commissioner from the County Clerk’s office officiates.7California Legislative Information. California Code FAM Division 3 Part 3 Chapter 1 – Persons Authorized to Solemnize Marriage The ceremony itself is short, roughly five to ten minutes. You exchange vows, the commissioner pronounces you married, and everyone signs the license.
The standard Rotunda ceremony has a maximum of six guests, and that count includes your witness and any photographer. Bring a bigger group and you may be moved to a smaller private room, which isn’t ideal for pictures. Most people who leave disappointed underestimated the guest cap.
Photography Rules
City Hall attracts professional photographers daily, but the County Clerk enforces strict limits inside the building. Flash photography, umbrella reflectors, and cameras larger than a handheld device are prohibited. Videotaping is not allowed in the Clerk’s office, and you can’t photograph documents or other customers.8SF.gov. Notice of Prohibited Activity in the Office of the County Clerk and City Hall Any lighting equipment must be battery-operated.
Commercial photography and film production anywhere in the building require a permit from the San Francisco Film Commission. A friend with a phone camera at your ceremony is fine. A photographer with a lighting rig is not, unless they have the permit in hand.
Changing Your Name on the License
California’s Name Equality Act lets either or both spouses change their middle name and last name directly on the marriage license when it’s issued. This is a one-shot opportunity. You cannot add or amend a name change after the license has been printed.9California Department of Public Health. The Name Equality Act of 2007
For your last name, you can take your spouse’s current last name, either spouse’s birth last name, or a hyphenated or combined version. For your middle name, you can take your spouse’s current or birth last name, or combine it with your existing middle name. You can’t drop your middle name entirely, and partial-name segments aren’t allowed in the middle name field.
First name changes aren’t available through the marriage license. Those require a separate court-ordered name change through the superior court. If you skip the name change at the license stage, you can still do it later through the courts, but you lose the streamlined route.
Once your certified marriage certificate is issued with the new name, it’s legal proof of the change for Social Security, your driver’s license, your passport, and your bank accounts.
Getting Your Marriage Certificate
You won’t leave City Hall with your official marriage certificate. After the ceremony the signed license goes back to the County Clerk for recording. Whoever solemnizes the marriage is legally required to return the license to the county recorder within 10 days, and for standard City Hall ceremonies the Clerk handles that automatically.10California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code FAM 359 – Marriage License Requirements
Certified copies are generally available about 10 business days after recording. The county mails your initial copy, and you can order more for $19 each.6SF.gov. Fees for County Clerk Services Order two or three extras at once. Name changes, insurance updates, and other paperwork will eat them faster than you’d think.
Larger Weddings and Personal Officiants
The standard civil ceremony is built for a small group and a county officiant. If that doesn’t match your plans, two separate programs exist.
For a bigger guest count or a reserved space like the Mayor’s Balcony or Grand Staircase, City Hall offers private ceremony packages that are handled as venue rentals through the events office at (415) 554-6079, not through the County Clerk. A one-hour weekday package runs $1,000 and holds up to 100 guests; a two-hour Saturday package runs $5,000 and holds up to 200. You still need a marriage license for any of these.
If you want a friend or family member to officiate instead of a county employee, the Deputy Marriage Commissioner for a Day program temporarily authorizes your chosen person to solemnize your specific marriage on a specific date.11SF.gov. Deputy Marriage Commissioner for a Day Program The fee is $177. The appointee must appear in person at the County Clerk’s office with valid photo ID to take the oath. Deputizations are walk-in only, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and are not offered on Fridays. The person must be at least 18, fluent in English, and the commission covers one ceremony performed on a San Francisco County license.