Wedding License

What is a marriage license?

A marriage license is a legal piece of paper. You're going to go to the courthouse in your town, and you are going to take out a marriage license. There is a fee for it. In Los Angeles, right now it's around $65. When you sign up for a marriage license, you are required to show a drivers license or some form of identification. The wedding license is signed by witnesses and the officiant on the day of the wedding, and sent back into the government office where it is registered.

Where can I get a marriage license?

You can get a marriage license at the city clerk's office, the county courthouse, or at a city courthouse where they have a marriage license department. What you need to do is call the court house, in order to find out for sure that they have a department, and what hours and days it is open. Remember, it's a government office, so it's closed on the weekend. Don't plan to go on Saturday. The two of you need to go together, the groom and bride, and show proof of identification in order to receive a wedding license. The furthest in advance you can take out a license is ninety days. After that, if you still have not had your marriage ceremony, you'll have to get another one.

How soon before my wedding should I apply for a marriage license?

You should apply for a marriage license not more than 90 days before the wedding. It's only good for 90 days. Should you apply for it very early and then for some reason change the date of the wedding, you would have to get another marriage license for the new date.

When I get a marriage license, am I technically married at that time?

When you receive the marriage license, you're not married. It is a license to get married. It is not legal and it is not done until the day of the wedding when you're married by an appropriate person who is licensed to marry people. Then it's signed by that person, the officiant, and also signed by the witnesses.

How expensive is a marriage license?

The fees for a marriage license vary from county to county and from state to state. I can tell you that in Los Angeles county right now, a marriage license is $65. What they charge somewhere else I honestly don't know.

Do I have to go with my fiance to get a marriage license?

When you go to get a marriage license, you must both appear in front of the county clerk in order to get the license - both yourself and your fiance. You are both required to sign it at the time you take out the marriage license. Later, on the day of the wedding, the witnesses will sign it, but you have already signed. You must both be present in order to get the marriage license.

Do I need to bring my marriage license to my wedding ceremony?

You need to bring your marriage license to the wedding ceremony. It has to be there for clergy or the officiant to sign and for the witnesses to sign on that day, and then your officiant's job is to mail it back in to the county courthouse.

Once signed, who will file my wedding license?

Once your wedding license is signed by the officiant and by the witnesses, your officiant will take that license and, within three days, he or she must send it back to the registrar in order for the wedding license and the marriage certificate to be recorded. After that, you can receive certified copies of the license.