To get married in Riverside County, both partners appear together at any County Clerk’s office with valid photo ID, pay for a marriage license ($111 public or $122 confidential), and then hold a ceremony anywhere in California within 90 days with an authorized officiant. The officiant signs the license and returns it to the county, and your marriage is on file.
The rest comes down to a handful of choices and deadlines. Here’s what to work through.
Who Can Get a License
Both people must be at least 18. Anyone under 18 needs both a court order and parental consent, and minors cannot get a confidential license at all.1Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. Confidential Marriage License
Neither of you can currently be married or in a registered domestic partnership. If a prior divorce or dissolution was finalized within the past 90 days, bring the final judgment with you when you apply. A register of actions showing the written final decree works; a minute order alone does not.1Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. Confidential Marriage License
One point worth clearing up: California does not recognize common law marriage. No matter how long you’ve lived together, you need a license and a ceremony.
Public or Confidential License
Riverside County issues two kinds, and the choice has real consequences.
A public license costs $111 and creates a record anyone can access.2Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. Public Marriage License You need at least one witness and no more than two at the ceremony, and they sign the license.3California Legislative Information. California Family Code 359
A confidential license costs $122. The record stays sealed, accessible only to the married couple or by court order, and no witnesses are required at the ceremony. There is a catch that catches people: California law requires that both partners already be living together as spouses to qualify. If you haven’t moved in yet, the public license is your option.1Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. Confidential Marriage License
Either license is valid for 90 days from issuance, and the ceremony must take place in California.
Applying at the Clerk’s Office
Both of you must appear together, in person.2Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. Public Marriage License Each person brings a current, government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, state ID, military ID, green card, naturalization certificate, or passport all work.1Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. Confidential Marriage License
The county has five office locations: Riverside Gateway, Riverside Downtown, Hemet, Temecula, and Palm Desert. All of them issue marriage licenses.4Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. Locations Appointments are recommended and can be booked online, and filling out the pre-application through the county’s self-service portal shortens your time at the counter.
Payment can be cash, check, money order, or credit or debit card. Card payments go through a third-party processor and carry an extra fee.2Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. Public Marriage License
The Ceremony
Once you have the license, you have 90 days to hold the ceremony anywhere in California with an authorized officiant.
California authorizes a wide range of people to officiate: religious officials of any denomination, including those ordained online, as long as they are at least 18; judges, retired judges, court commissioners, and magistrates; and current and former California legislators, state constitutional officers, members of Congress representing a California district, and certain local elected officials.5California Legislative Information. California Family Code 400-402 Riverside County also runs a “Deputy Commissioner for a Day” program that temporarily deputizes a friend or family member to perform your ceremony.
If you want to keep it simple, the county performs civil ceremonies at its Riverside Gateway, Temecula, Hemet, Palm Desert, and Blythe offices for $96. The 14th Street Chapel in Downtown Riverside is available by prepaid appointment only, at $138.6Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. Civil Marriage Ceremony These fees are on top of the license fee.
For a private ceremony, hire anyone authorized under California law and hold it where you like within the state. Privately hired professional officiants typically run $250 to $2,500 depending on customization and travel.
Hand the marriage license to your officiant before the ceremony. If it’s a public license, your witness (or two) signs along with the officiant. Confidential licenses need no witnesses.3California Legislative Information. California Family Code 359
What Happens After the Ceremony
The officiant has 10 days to return the signed license. Public licenses go to the county recorder’s office; confidential licenses go to the county clerk’s office.7California Department of Public Health. California Marriage License, Registration and Ceremony Information It’s the officiant’s legal obligation, but a polite check-in is reasonable if a couple of weeks pass without confirmation, because nothing downstream can happen until the license is recorded.
Once recorded, you can order certified copies of your marriage certificate. As of January 1, 2026, each copy costs $19 in Riverside County.8Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificates You can request them in person, by mail, or through the county’s online portal; online and mail requests may add processing fees. For confidential marriages, only the married couple or someone with a court order can request copies.
Order two or three. You’ll likely need them at the same time for different agencies, and getting extras upfront saves repeat trips.
Name Changes and Time-Sensitive Follow-Ups
If you’re changing your last name, the order matters: Social Security first, then the DMV, then everything else. Your bank, employer, and the DMV all check against SSA records.
For Social Security, submit Form SS-5 with your certified marriage certificate and proof of identity. Some states let you start the application through a personal “my Social Security” account.9Social Security Administration. How Do I Change or Correct My Name on My Social Security Number Card Your Social Security number itself doesn’t change.
Once SSA is updated, visit the DMV with your marriage certificate to update your license or state ID. If you’ve had earlier name changes, bring documentation for all of them, because the DMV requires proof of the full chain from your birth name to your current one.10California Department of Motor Vehicles. Update Information on Your Driver’s License or ID Card
Two other items are time-sensitive even if you keep your name. For federal taxes, your marital status on December 31 governs the whole tax year, so submit a new Form W-4 to your employer within 10 days of the wedding and consider running the numbers through the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator before you choose a new withholding.11Internal Revenue Service. Tax To-Dos for Newlyweds to Keep in Mind For health insurance, marriage triggers a 60-day Special Enrollment Period during which one spouse can join the other’s employer plan or you can enroll through Covered California. Miss that window and you’ll wait until the next open enrollment.
If You’re Considering a Prenup
California follows the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act, and the state’s version is stricter than most. The agreement must be in writing and signed by both people, and it takes effect the moment the marriage becomes official.12California Legislative Information. California Family Code 1610-1615 – Uniform Premarital Agreement Act
A court can throw the agreement out if the person challenging it wasn’t represented by their own independent lawyer and didn’t expressly waive that right in a separate written document. The person must also have had at least seven calendar days between first seeing the final agreement and signing it. Without that cooling-off period, a court will treat the signing as involuntary. If a prenup is on the table, start weeks before the wedding, not the week of.