Marriage License

A San Diego County CA marriage license must be issued before a couple has a legally recognized marriage ceremony. The County of San Diego Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk manages marriage license applications, appointment scheduling, license issuance, county civil ceremonies, and the later registration of completed licenses. This article explains how to prepare the application, choose the correct license and appointment type, enter names accurately, handle special circumstances, and distinguish a marriage license from a certified marriage certificate.

Marriage License Process

The county identifies two separate actions that must occur for a couple to become legally married. First, the couple must obtain a marriage license before the ceremony. Second, an individual authorized to solemnize marriages must perform the ceremony. Completing an online application by itself does not create a marriage, issue a license, or replace the ceremony.

Marriage license and county civil ceremony services are available by appointment only. Applicants should review the county’s marriage license and civil ceremony requirements, complete the online application, and self-schedule the appropriate appointment before visiting a Recorder/Clerk office.

The basic process involves the following steps:

Review the available marriage license types and ceremony requirements.

Complete the San Diego County marriage license application.

Select and schedule the correct appointment type.

Appear for the appointment and present the identification used to verify the names entered on the application.

Have the application reviewed in person before the license is issued.

Have the marriage solemnized within the license’s validity period.

Make sure the completed license is returned for registration so a marriage certificate may later become available.

The online form is intended to make the appointment more efficient, but the application remains subject to in-person review. Applicants should not assume that submitting the form means the marriage license has already been approved or issued.

Appointments and Service Types

The county appointment system separates license services from ceremony services. Selecting the correct option helps reserve enough time and prevents applicants from arriving for a ceremony without an issued license.

The official marriage appointment scheduling system provides these appointment categories:

License Only: A 30-minute appointment for marriage license issuance without a county ceremony.

License and Indoor Ceremony: A one-hour appointment covering license issuance and an indoor civil ceremony.

License and Outdoor Ceremony: A one-hour appointment covering license issuance and an outdoor civil ceremony.

Indoor Ceremony Only: A 30-minute ceremony appointment that requires the marriage license to have been issued beforehand.

Outdoor Ceremony Only: A 30-minute ceremony appointment that also requires an already-issued marriage license.

A couple who schedules a ceremony-only appointment must have the license issued before that appointment. An online application is not a substitute for an issued license. Couples who need both services at the same visit should choose a combined license-and-ceremony appointment rather than a ceremony-only appointment.

Outdoor ceremony locations are subject to availability. Weather, maintenance, public events, obstructions, and other conditions may affect the ceremony area. Applicants planning an outdoor ceremony should remain prepared for changes to the scheduled area.

Saturday Marriage Appointments

The Recorder/Clerk offers Saturday business hours once a month on designated dates. Marriage services during Saturday hours require appointments. The appointment calendar is generally available seven weeks in advance, with a new appointment day opening daily.

Most designated Saturday services take place at the East County Office and Archives in Santee. Applicants should review the county’s published Saturday marriage service schedule before making plans because dates, locations, and availability are limited.

Information Required From Both Parties

The application collects separate information for Party 1 and Party 2. Each person’s name must be entered exactly as it appears on the identification that will be presented when the license is issued. Differences involving spelling, spacing, name order, or current last names can cause problems during the in-person review.

The application requests the following information from each party:

Optional designation as groom or bride.
First, middle, and current last name.
Last name at birth, if different from the current last name.
Date of birth in month, day, and year format.
State or country of birth.
Number of previous marriages or state-registered domestic partnerships.
How the most recent marriage or partnership ended.
Date the most recent marriage or partnership ended.
Current address, city, state or country, and ZIP Code.
Full birth name of each parent.
State or country of birth for each parent.
Any new middle or last name to be used after marriage.

The official marriage license application form shows the information applicants should collect before beginning. Reviewing the form can be useful when a person needs to verify a parent’s full birth name, the exact date a prior marriage ended, or another detail that may not be immediately available.

Online Form Validation

The online system applies formatting rules to certain fields. Names are limited to alphanumeric characters, and the form may reject special characters. City fields accept alphabetic characters and permit hyphens. Dates must follow the requested month, day, and year format.

Applicants should review every entry before submission rather than relying on the system to identify all possible mistakes. A value can be accepted by the form but still fail to match the identification or other information reviewed at the appointment.

Previous Marriages and Partnerships

Each party must disclose the number of previous marriages or state-registered domestic partnerships. When there was a prior marriage or partnership, the application asks how the most recent one ended and the date it ended.

The available ending categories on the county application include death, dissolution, annulment, and termination of a state-registered domestic partnership. Applicants should use the category and date that accurately correspond to their circumstances.

The application includes an affidavit declaring under penalty of perjury that both parties are unmarried, that the information is true and correct to the best of their knowledge, and that they know of no legal objection to the marriage or issuance of the license. The parties should resolve uncertain dates or conflicting records before signing rather than entering an estimate that may be inaccurate.

Marriage License Types

San Diego County’s application includes several license categories. The standard public license and confidential license serve different circumstances, while two additional forms address limited situations involving religious denominations without clergy or marriages for which no official record exists.

Standard Public License

The License and Certificate of Marriage, identified as VS 117, is the standard marriage license. It requires the signature of at least one witness and the signature of one person solemnizing the marriage.

Couples using this license should confirm that the witness and officiant complete the appropriate portions of the document. Missing signatures or incomplete entries can interfere with registration of the completed license.

Confidential Marriage License

The Confidential License and Certificate of Marriage, identified as VS 123, is available only to unmarried parties who are at least 18 years old and have been living together as spouses. By signing the application, the parties affirm that they meet the requirements for a confidential marriage license.

Authorized notaries public may issue confidential marriage licenses and may also be able to perform ceremonies. The county maintains an official list of authorized notaries public. Availability and services vary, so applicants using this option must contact the authorized notary directly.

Denominations Without Clergy

The License and Certificate of Marriage for Denominations Not Having Clergy, identified as VS 115, is used for members of religious societies or denominations that do not have clergy for the purpose of solemnizing a marriage. It is a specialized license and should not be selected merely because a couple is arranging a private or nonreligious ceremony.

Declaration of Marriage

The License and Certificate of Declaration of Marriage, identified as VS 116, is used to record a marriage that was licensed and occurred more than one year earlier when no official record exists. It is not the ordinary license for a future ceremony.

License Validity and Ceremony Timing

A marriage license is valid for 90 days from its date of issuance. The ceremony must take place on or after the issuance date and no later than the expiration date shown on the license. A license that is not used during that period becomes void.

The online application date and appointment scheduling date do not begin the 90-day period. The period begins when the County Clerk issues the marriage license. Couples should plan the appointment and ceremony dates with that distinction in mind.

The marriage may take place anywhere in California when it is solemnized by a person authorized to perform marriages under California law. Witness requirements depend on the type of license, so the parties and officiant should read the issued document before the ceremony.

The county does not provide refunds for marriage licenses purchased in error. Applicants should confirm the license type, proposed ceremony date, and name information before the document is issued.

Name Choices After Marriage

California’s Name Equality Act allows one or both parties to select certain new middle or last names through the marriage license process. A name change through this process must be entered when the marriage license is issued. It cannot ordinarily be added or amended after the ceremony.

The county’s marriage name change information explains that neither party is required to change a name, and the parties are not required to use the same last name.

Permitted Last Name Choices

Each party may adopt one of the following last-name options:

The current last name of the other spouse.
The birth last name of either spouse.
A single last name combining all or part of the current or birth last names of either spouse.
A hyphenated combination of last names.

Permitted Middle Name Choices

Each party may adopt one of the following middle-name options:

The current last name of either spouse.

The birth last name of either spouse.

A hyphenated combination of the person’s current middle name and the current last name of either spouse.

A hyphenated combination of the person’s current middle name and the birth last name of either spouse.

A first name cannot be changed through the marriage license. Applicants who do not want to identify a new name may leave the applicable choice unselected, and the license will use the county’s designated dash entries in those fields.

Review Names Before Issuance

The parties cannot add or revise the selected new name after the County Clerk issues the license, except for a qualifying clerical error handled through the required amendment process. The marriage certificate is later used by government agencies and other institutions, but each agency may have different document requirements for changing its records.

County Clerk staff cannot tell an applicant which new name to choose or how a proposed choice may affect the person. Applicants should decide how the permitted name options will be completed before the issuance appointment.

Marriage Applications for Minors

A person under 18 must obtain consent from at least one parent or guardian and permission from the Superior Court in the form of a court order. The decision to grant permission is within the court’s discretion. Court approval must be handled before the minor requests a marriage license.

The San Diego Superior Court juvenile marriage process requires the Request of Minor to Marry or Establish a Domestic Partnership to be signed in the presence of a court clerk. The request is submitted to Central Juvenile Court, 2851 Meadow Lark Drive, San Diego, CA 92123.

Parental Consent and Interviews

A mother, father, or legal guardian may file the required consent form or a similar pleading with the Juvenile Court. Unless the minor is 17 years old and has a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate, each party must participate in a Family Court Services interview and an interview with a Juvenile Court judicial officer.

When Family Court Services review is required, each party must separately complete the county questionnaire. Copies of the minor’s birth certificate and, when applicable, a high school diploma or equivalency certificate must also be provided.

The parties meet separately with a Family Court Services counselor. The court also interviews the parties separately before deciding whether to grant the application. In some cases, the court may require premarital counseling addressing the social, economic, and personal responsibilities associated with marriage.

Prior Relationships and Waiting Periods

If either party was previously married or in a domestic partnership, that party must provide proof that the prior relationship ended through divorce, annulment, termination, dissolution, nullity, or the death of the former spouse or partner. The prior relationship must have ended before the application for permission is filed.

There is no filing fee for the court application for permission to marry or establish a domestic partnership. The Recorder’s Office collects the applicable fee when issuing a marriage license after court permission is granted.

In some cases, California law imposes a 30-day waiting period between the date the court order is signed and the date the parties may request the marriage license. The court order states whether that waiting period applies.

Military Proxy Applications

A limited power-of-attorney procedure is available under California Family Code Section 420(b) for a member of the United States Armed Forces who is stationed overseas, serving in a conflict or war, and unable to appear personally to obtain a marriage license or participate in the ceremony.

The service member may use the county’s California marriage license power of attorney form to appoint another person for the limited purpose of applying for and obtaining the license and participating in the solemnization.

The form requires the true legal names and birth dates of both parties. The service member’s signature must be acknowledged by a notary or witnessed by two officers of the United States Armed Forces.

The attorney-in-fact must appear personally at the County Clerk’s office with the party who is not stationed overseas. The original signed power of attorney must be presented and becomes part of the marriage certificate when the completed license is registered.

County Civil Ceremonies

Couples may schedule the County Clerk to perform an indoor or outdoor civil ceremony. A county ceremony can be combined with the license appointment or scheduled separately after the license has already been issued.

A ceremony-only appointment should not be scheduled until the marriage license is issued. Applicants should also confirm the witness requirements printed on their specific license. A standard public marriage license requires at least one witness, while requirements may differ for another license type.

Because outdoor locations can be affected by weather, maintenance, scheduled events, or temporary obstructions, couples should not treat a particular outdoor area as guaranteed. Marriage services may also be unavailable on certain dates when the County Administration Center is being used for other scheduled government services.

Friend or Relative as Officiant

A couple may arrange for a friend or relative to become a Deputy Marriage Commissioner for a Day. The applicant for the commission must apply in person or by mail. After completing the application and paying the required fee, the applicant receives sample vows, instructions for completing the marriage license, and a commission certificate.

The county directs applicants to submit the Deputy Marriage Commissioner application and complete the oath process at least one month before the ceremony. An in-person application may be submitted at an available Recorder/Clerk office without an appointment. A mailed application must be notarized and accompanied by the required payment.

Marriage License Versus Certificate

A marriage license is the authorization to marry. A marriage certificate is the official proof of marriage that may become available after the ceremony has taken place, the license has been completed, and the document has been registered with the County Recorder.

The Recorder/Clerk can process a marriage certificate request only when the marriage license was issued in San Diego County. A person whose license was issued by another California county must request the certificate from the county that issued and registered that license.

A certified marriage certificate may be required to change a name on a driver’s license, passport, or Social Security record, claim insurance benefits, or complete another identity-related service. Applicants should use the county’s marriage certificate request service after the completed license has been registered.

Requesting a marriage certificate is a separate transaction from applying for a marriage license. Couples should not request a certificate before the ceremony or assume that a keepsake document serves as a certified copy.

Common Application Mistakes

Many avoidable problems occur when the online application, identification, appointment type, and ceremony plans do not match. Reviewing the following points before submission can reduce delays:

Enter each current name exactly as it appears on the identification that will be presented.

Do not confuse a current last name with a last name at birth.

Confirm the complete date and reason the most recent marriage or partnership ended.

Collect both parents’ full birth names and places of birth before opening the application.

Select a license type that corresponds to the parties’ actual circumstances.

Do not schedule a ceremony-only appointment without first obtaining the license.

Place any permitted new middle or last name on the application before the license is issued.

Plan the ceremony within 90 days after issuance rather than 90 days after submitting the online form.

Confirm witness requirements by reading the issued license.

Do not treat the marriage license as proof that the completed marriage has been registered.

Recorder and Clerk Locations

Recorder/Clerk services are available at the San Diego main office, East County office, Chula Vista office, and San Marcos office. The Kearny Mesa office does not provide Recorder/Clerk services. Applicants can review the county’s Recorder and Clerk office locations before choosing an appointment location.

Marriage license appointments should be scheduled for an office that provides Recorder/Clerk services. General office hours do not guarantee that a marriage appointment is available, because marriage services require a reserved appointment.

Marriage License Offices

San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk — Recorder/Clerk Offices
San Diego Recorder/Clerk Main Office: 1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 260, San Diego, CA 92101
East County Office: 10144 Mission Gorge Rd., Santee, CA 92071
Chula Vista Office: 590 3rd Ave., Chula Vista, CA 91910
San Marcos Office: 141 E. Carmel St., San Marcos, CA 92078
Phone: (619) 237-0502

Marriage License FAQs

Are Saturday marriage appointments available every week?

No. Saturday marriage services are offered once a month and require an appointment. For the remainder of 2026, scheduled Saturday service dates are August 15, September 19, October 17, November 14, and December 12. These appointments are generally offered at the East County Office and Archives in Santee from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dates and availability may change, so review the official Saturday marriage service schedule before making travel or ceremony plans.

Will marriage services be unavailable on certain dates?

Yes. The County Administration Center will not provide marriage services on August 12 and December 2, 2026, because of scheduled Secretary of State Apostille services. Outdoor ceremony areas may also be affected by events, maintenance, weather, or temporary obstructions. Current West Arbor impacts include August 4 through August 10, August 28, and September 22 through September 28. Couples planning an outdoor ceremony should check the county’s ceremony availability notices shortly before the appointment.

Is free parking available for a downtown appointment?

Visitors conducting county business at the San Diego Recorder/Clerk Main Office may use the County Administration Center’s underground parking for up to three hours during weekday business hours. The garage entrance is on Ash Street. Parking fees apply after business hours and on weekends, and metered street parking may also be available nearby. Confirm current parking and service details on the official Recorder and Clerk office locations page.

How much does a one-day marriage commissioner cost?

The Deputy Marriage Commissioner for a Day fee is $115. In-person payments may be made by cash, credit card, debit card, check, or money order. Card payments include an additional $2.50 surcharge. Applications submitted by mail must be notarized and accompanied by a check or money order. The county recommends completing the application and oath process at least one month before the ceremony.