General information
This web page provides general information regarding the requirements for issuance and registration of public and confidential marriage licenses in California, specific to Sacramento County.
To marry in California, the couple must first obtain a marriage license from the County Clerk’s office. In Sacramento County, marriage licenses are issued to applicants at either of our office locations in downtown Sacramento or Fair Oaks. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen or California resident to apply for a marriage license. Blood tests are not required.
To apply for a marriage license, the couple must meet the following general requirements:
The parties must be unmarried. You may not be already married to each other or other individuals.
If either party has been married before, you must know the specific date the last marriage ended, and how it ended (Death, Dissolution, Divorce or Nullity). If the last marriage ended by dissolution or nullity, you must present a copy of the final judgment.
The parties must appear together in-person when the license issued. Note: There are specific procedures for inmate marriages; please call our office at (916) 874-6131 for more information.
Each party must present valid, government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license, passport, or military I.D.
The appropriate fees must be paid.
Please note: There are specific requirements related to the type of license selected. Refer to “Types of Licenses” for details.
Couples meeting the requirements are issued a license on the spot.
Marriage licenses are valid for 90 days from the date of issuance. If you do not get married within 90 days, the license will no longer be valid, AND you must apply for and purchase a new marriage license.
Types of licenses
There are 2 types of marriage licenses commonly issued in California: public and confidential. In addition to the general requirements listed above, there are specific requirements for each of the licenses listed below.
Public Marriage License
Both parties to the marriage must be at least 18 years old, or, if under the age of 18, must have written consent from at least one parent (or legal guardian) AND permission from a California Superior Court Judge may marry. Emancipated minors are NOT exempt from this process.
You are not required to get married in Sacramento County; however, your wedding ceremony must take place in California.
You must have at least one witness present at your ceremony. The license contains a place for two witnesses if you prefer. You may NOT have more than two witnesses sign the official marriage license. Licenses received with more than two witnesses’ signatures will be returned to the officiant, and a duplicate marriage license will need to be purchased.
There is no age requirement in California for witnesses; however, they must be old enough to know that they are witnessing a marriage ceremony AND be able to sign their name on the official marriage license.
After the marriage ceremony, the license is registered in Sacramento County Recorder’s Office and becomes a public record. Anyone may purchase copies of the marriage license.
Confidential Marriage License
Both parties to the marriage must be at least 18 years old. Minors may NOT purchase a confidential marriage license.
The parties to the marriage must be living together as a married couple at the time they apply for the marriage license and must sign an affidavit attesting to those facts.
You MUST be married in Sacramento County (the county where the license was issued).
No witnesses are required at the wedding ceremony, AND no witnesses sign on the marriage license.
After the marriage ceremony, the license is registered in the Sacramento County Clerk’s Office. Only the married couple may purchase copies of the marriage license and must present valid photo identification in order to do so. Persons other than the married couple requesting copies of a confidential marriage license may only do so by presenting a court order.
Priests, rabbis, or ministers of any religious denomination
Commissioners of Civil Marriages
Judges
Legislators or Constitutional Officers of this state, or a member of Congress who represents a district within this state, while the official holds office
Note: ships’ captains do NOT have authority to perform marriages unless they fall into one of the categories listed above.
Can our ceremony be performed at the County Clerk’s office?
You can arrange to have a civil marriage ceremony performed by staff in our office. Our wedding rooms can accommodate parties of up to 40 people with seating for approximately 18 at our downtown location or 24 at our branch office in Fair Oaks.
If the ceremony is performed using a public marriage license, you must bring at least one witness with you to the ceremony. If our office provides the witness for the ceremony, there is an additional cost.
We recommend scheduling an appointment: refer to “Schedule an Appointment” near the bottom of this page.
Can a friend or relative perform our ceremony?
To make arrangements to have a friend or relative deputized as a "One-Time Deputy Marriage Commissioner" to perform a single, specifically designated ceremony, complete the application form in its entirety, sign and return it to our office. The return address and fax number are on the form itself.
The person to be deputized must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen. At least one person on the application form must reside in Sacramento County, California.
Once the application is received, a staff member will contact the applicant to schedule an appointment to appear in our office and be deputized. A fee of $44.00 is due at the time of the appointment.
Make an appointment to get a license
For faster service, please make an appointment before you visit our office. Walk-in customers are accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis, as time permits, and may wait as long as 2 hours. The average appointment lasts about 30 minutes, approximately 45 minutes if you are applying for a license AND having a civil ceremony performed.
You can schedule an appointment through the online calendar or by calling (916) 874-6131.
If you make your appointment through the online calendar, you’ll have the option fill out the application form online before appearing in our office (follow the “Apply for License” link).
If you’ve already scheduled your appointment and want to complete the application form before your visit, go to the Online Marriage License Application.
Name Equality Act of 2007 Important: The Name Equality Act of 2007 allows applicants for a California marriage license to elect to change the middle or last names by which each party will be known after solemnization of the marriage. The elected names are entered on the marriage license when it is issued. Couples should give serious thought to what their married legal names will be before applying for a license. Changing a name after the license is issued (and before the couple marries) will require the purchase of a new license. Changing a name after the marriage is solemnized requires a court order and can be a lengthy, expensive process.
1Regular business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at our Downtown location, and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at our Fair Oaks location. Extended hours for by-appointment-only wedding services at our downtown location are 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays.
Hours and Services