To get married in Sacramento County, both partners apply together in person for a marriage license at the County Clerk/Recorder’s office, pay $97 for a public license or $98 for a confidential one, and hold a ceremony anywhere in California within 90 days. There is no waiting period, so you can marry the same day you pick up the license. The officiant then has 10 days to return the signed license to the Recorder, and it becomes your official marriage certificate.
Who Qualifies to Marry
Both people must be unmarried and able to prove it. If you were previously married or in a registered domestic partnership, that relationship must be legally ended before you can apply, and if the divorce, annulment, or dissolution was finalized within the last 90 days, you’ll need to bring a copy of the final court judgment to your appointment.1Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. How to Get Married in Sacramento County – Eligibility
Anyone 18 or older can marry without extra approval. California has no minimum marriage age, but a person under 18 needs written consent from a parent or legal guardian with custody and a court order from a Superior Court judge, which involves the court interviewing both parties and a guardian to screen for coercion or abuse.2Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. FAQ – Marriage Licenses Minors can only use a public license.
California treats certain marriages between close blood relatives as void, including parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren at any generational distance, siblings and half-siblings, and uncles or aunts with nieces or nephews.3California Legislative Information. California Code FAM Division 6 Part 2 Chapter 1 Section 2200
Public License or Confidential License
Sacramento County issues two license types. Both are equally valid marriages. You choose at the counter.
A public license costs $97. It becomes part of the public record, so anyone can request a copy. The ceremony needs at least one witness, and no more than two, who sign the license.4California Legislative Information. California Family Code Part 2
A confidential license costs $98. It is not open to public inspection, and certified copies go only to the spouses themselves or by court order. No witness is required or permitted to sign. Both people must be at least 18 and already living together as spouses when they apply.5California Legislative Information. California Family Code Section 500
If you apply during Thursday evening extended hours, either license costs $106.6Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. Marriage License and Ceremony Fees Either license expires 90 days after issue. Miss that window and you have to buy a new one.2Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. FAQ – Marriage Licenses
Applying for the License
Both of you must appear together in person. Each person brings a valid government-issued photo ID showing your date of birth, such as a driver’s license, passport, military ID, or resident alien card.1Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. How to Get Married in Sacramento County – Eligibility You’ll complete an application at the office covering your full legal names, birthplaces, current addresses, and your parents’ full names.
Where to Go
Two Clerk/Recorder locations handle marriage licenses.
- Main Office: 3636 American River Drive, Suite 110, Sacramento, CA 95864. Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with extended hours on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Thursdays from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. by appointment only.
- South County Service Center: 8239 E. Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95828. Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with extended hours on the 2nd and 5th Thursdays from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. by appointment only.7Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. Location, Hours, and Holidays
Walk-ins are accepted during regular hours, but book an appointment online at omac.saccounty.net if you can. Walk-in waits can stretch to two hours on busy days, while a scheduled appointment takes about 30 minutes.8Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. Schedule Your Marriage Appointment
The Ceremony
California has no waiting period between license and ceremony. You can marry the same day you pick up the license. The ceremony must happen somewhere in California, but it doesn’t have to be in Sacramento County.2Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. FAQ – Marriage Licenses
Who Can Officiate
California recognizes a wide range of officiants. Any priest, minister, rabbi, or authorized person of any religious denomination who is at least 18 qualifies. So do active or retired judges, court commissioners, and magistrates, along with current and former state legislators, members of Congress representing California, and elected city or county officials.9California Legislative Information. California Family Code Sections 400-402
Want a friend or family member to marry you? Sacramento County runs a Deputy Marriage Commissioner for a Day program. Your chosen person submits an application, pays $30, and gets temporary authorization to perform your ceremony only.6Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. Marriage License and Ceremony Fees
Civil Ceremony at the Clerk’s Office
If you just want to be married with a minimum of fuss, the Clerk/Recorder will perform a civil ceremony for $49.6Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. Marriage License and Ceremony Fees This can happen the same day you get your license. Civil ceremonies during Thursday evening hours are by appointment only.
Witnesses
With a public license, one witness must sign and up to two are allowed. With a confidential license, no witness attends or signs.4California Legislative Information. California Family Code Part 2
Returning the License and Getting Copies
After the ceremony, the officiant and any witnesses sign the license. The officiant is legally required to return the completed license to the Sacramento County Recorder within 10 days, either hand-delivered or postmarked within that window.4California Legislative Information. California Family Code Part 2 This is the officiant’s responsibility, but if a friend is officiating, a gentle reminder doesn’t hurt. Once the Recorder processes the license, it becomes your official marriage certificate.10California Legislative Information. California Family Code Section 300
Certified copies cost $19 each. You’ll choose between two versions. An authorized copy can establish the identity of a spouse named on the certificate; it’s restricted to the spouses, parents, children, legal representatives, and a few other qualifying relationships, and you sign a statement under penalty of perjury that you qualify. An informational copy is stamped with a notice that it cannot be used to establish identity; anyone can request one, and it’s fine for general record-keeping.11Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder. Marriage Certificates
For agency name changes with Social Security, the DMV, and similar bodies, you need authorized copies. Order several at once so you can send them to different agencies in parallel rather than waiting for each to come back.