The marriage license you have purchased is your Official Marriage License and authorizes you to marry legally. This license is valid for 90 days from the issue date and can be used anywhere within the State of California.
You will not be legally married until a ceremony has been performed. You must provide the license to the person solemnizing your marriage ceremony.
Print and sign within the box.
At least one witness (26A – 26C) is required to sign a public marriage license, however, there is space for a second witness (27A – 27C).
Print and sign within the box.
28A - D ate of marriage MM/DD/YYYY
28B - Cit y or Town of where the ceremony was performed.
28C – COUNTY (not Country) of where ceremony was performed.
29A - Signature of person performing ceremony.
29B - Religious D enomination, non ‐ denominational or name of the online service the person solemnizing the marriage was ordained by.
California judges and authorized government officiants may enter a single dash ( ‐ ).
29C - Full name of person solemnizing the marriage.
29D - Official title (Priest, Rabbi, Reverend, Minister, Pastor, Officiant, Judge, Imam, Deputy Commission of Civil Marriages, etc.)
29E – Full Mailing Address of the person solemnizing the marriage including city, state & zip code.
We cannot accept licenses containing ALTERATIONS, ERASURES, STRIKEOVERS, WHITEOUTS, RIPTURES AND/OR STAINS.
If the marriage license is not acceptable for registration, the license will be rejected and a duplicate marriage license will be issued. A duplicate license will require the person solemnizing the marriage to sign again. The cost for a duplicate marriage license is $5.00. Original signatures will be replaced with electronic signatures.
The completed marriage license must be returned to our office within 10 days after the wedding ceremony is performed for registration. The license can be mailed or delivered in person. If mailed, you may want to pay extra for tracking it.
The fee for a certified copy of the marriage certificate is not included in the fee for the marriage license. Each certified copy of the marriage certificate is $17.00.
You will not be receiving a marriage certificate automatically after the marriage license is registered. You will need to come into our office to purchase copies, or mail-in a notarized application with a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a check payable to “San Mateo County Clerk”.
Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have. We want to ensure a smooth passage to your new life together.