Marriage License

A Santa Clara County marriage license allows a couple to marry anywhere in California, but obtaining the license is only one part of the process. This article explains the eligibility requirements, information and identification to prepare, differences between Standard and Confidential licenses, application procedures, fees, ceremony options, and steps for obtaining a marriage certificate afterward.

Santa Clara County Marriage License Services

The Office of the County Clerk-Recorder issues marriage licenses and records completed licenses after the ceremony. The office also provides civil marriage ceremonies and marriage certificate services. These are separate steps: submitting an application does not complete the licensing process, receiving a license does not mean you are married, and purchasing a certificate is a separate request after the completed license has been returned and recorded.

The county’s official marriage license application page explains the requirements and provides access to the online application. Couples may complete the application before visiting the office or use a public computer there. Both applicants must still appear in person to obtain the license.

Marriage License Services are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary for a marriage license. The county instructs applicants to arrive early and submit their application by 4:00 p.m. so it can be processed before the close of business. Do not use the later hours for certificate services or express ceremonies as the deadline for submitting a license application.

Eligibility and Identification Requirements

Both applicants must be single and at least 18 years old. You and your future spouse must be present when applying. The county requires valid government-issued photo identification and does not accept photocopies or digital images of identification.

Examples of identification identified by the office include a driver’s license, passport, or permanent resident card. Bring the actual identification document to the clerk’s window. Having a photograph of it on a phone or completing the application online does not satisfy the in-person identification requirement.

Applicants Without Valid Identification

The county provides a credible-witness procedure for an applicant who does not have valid identification. Two credible witnesses, who may be friends or family members, must have valid personal identification and sign an affidavit verifying the applicant’s identity. The credible-witness fee is $20.

This procedure serves a different purpose from having a witness at the wedding ceremony. Credible witnesses verify an applicant’s identity during licensing; a ceremony witness participates in the marriage ceremony. When planning your visit, distinguish the identification issue from the witness arrangements for your wedding.

Divorce Information and Documents

If you are divorced, you need to know the date of your divorce. If the divorce occurred within the last 90 days, bring a copy of the judgment of divorce. Prepare this information before completing the application so you can provide the date and, when required, the supporting document during the office visit.

Information to Prepare Before Applying

The application requires personal information about each applicant and their parents. Gathering it beforehand helps avoid interruptions while completing the form, particularly if you need to confirm a parent’s legal name or place of birth.

Your legal name.
Your date and place of birth.
The name you plan to take when you marry, if you intend to change your name.
Your parents’ legal names.
Your parents’ places of birth, identified by state or country.
Your choice of a Standard or Confidential marriage license.
Your divorce date, if applicable.

The name you intend to use after marriage is part of the information the county asks applicants to prepare. Discuss that choice before filling out the application. Keep it separate from the requirement to provide your current legal name and present valid identification.

Both applicants should review their own information before submitting the form. Legal names, birth information, and parental information are specific application details; preparing them in advance makes the visit more straightforward than trying to obtain them while waiting for service.

Standard and Confidential Marriage Licenses

Santa Clara County offers two license types. Most couples apply for a Standard license. A Confidential license has an additional living-arrangement requirement and different restrictions on access to the resulting marriage certificate. Choose the type based on those differences before submitting the application.

Standard Marriage License

A Standard marriage license costs $80. The marriage becomes part of the public record, but the county states that your information is not published and cannot be searched online. Public-record status should not be confused with an online name-search service.

After the marriage is recorded, eligible people can request a Certified Authorized Copy of the marriage certificate. Anyone can request a Certified Informational Copy of a Standard marriage certificate, although an informational copy is generally not accepted as proof of marriage. These copy types are explained further below.

Confidential Marriage License

A Confidential marriage license costs $83. To qualify, you must already be living with your future spouse. A Confidential marriage does not become part of the public record.

Access to a Confidential marriage certificate is restricted. A purchaser must be one of the married people named on the certificate or have a court order authorizing the purchase. Valid identification is required. The broader family-member eligibility rules for authorized copies of Standard marriage certificates do not apply to Confidential certificates.

The Application and Office Visit

Completing the online application prepares your information for the visit, but the license must still be obtained in person. You can also complete the application at the office if you have not submitted it beforehand.

Applications Completed Before Arrival

If you have already completed the online application, tell staff when you arrive. Staff will issue a service ticket so you can be called to a clerk’s window. Both applicants need to attend and bring the identification and any applicable divorce document required for the application.

The online form and the office visit perform different functions. The form collects application information; the in-person visit allows the clerk to review identification and process the license. Plan for both rather than treating submission of the form as issuance of the license.

Applications Completed at the Office

If you have not completed an application, a staff member will direct you to a Clerk-Recorder public computer. After you fill out and submit the application, staff will issue a service ticket for window service.

At the clerk’s window, present your valid identification or complete the county’s credible-witness procedure when applicable, and pay the license fee. The same eligibility and information requirements apply regardless of where you complete the application.

License and Ceremony Fees

The license fee covers the license itself. A county ceremony, chapel rental, witness service, deputization, or certified marriage certificate has its own fee. The Clerk-Recorder’s official fee schedule separates these charges so couples can budget for the services they plan to use.

Standard marriage license: $80.
Confidential marriage license: $83.
Credible witnesses for an applicant lacking proper identification: $20.
County civil ceremony in the chapel: $112.
Express marriage ceremony at a service window: $174.
County ceremony witness: $32.
One-day deputy marriage commission: $80.
Chapel use: $40 per 10 minutes.
Certified copy of a marriage certificate: $19.

Pay attention to which service a charge covers. For example, renting the chapel with your own officiant is different from booking the county’s chapel ceremony with a commissioner. Likewise, the credible-witness fee for identification is separate from the county’s ceremony-witness fee.

The ceremony-planning page identifies a county witness as required for express marriage ceremonies and lists a $32 witness charge. Include that charge when planning an express ceremony. For a Standard chapel ceremony, a witness is required, and the fee schedule provides a county witness service for couples who lack one.

The Ceremony and License Deadline

Once you receive the license, the marriage ceremony must take place within 90 days and within California. A Santa Clara County license permits a marriage anywhere in the state; the ceremony does not have to occur in Santa Clara County or at the Clerk-Recorder’s chapel.

If you do not marry within the 90-day period, you must apply for another license. Match the timing of your license visit to your wedding date so the ceremony falls within the license period.

The county identifies several people who may perform a marriage ceremony: an ordained clergy member, a judge, a retired judge, a designated court official, a county marriage commissioner, or a friend or relative who has been deputized. If you prefer a judge, contact the court official about availability and fees.

County Civil Marriage Ceremony Options

The county’s marriage ceremony planning page describes reserved chapel ceremonies, walk-in express ceremonies, and chapel rental with your own officiant. The appointment requirement depends on the service: marriage licenses do not require appointments, while chapel ceremonies require reservations.

Indoor and Outdoor Chapel Ceremonies

The county offers indoor and outdoor chapel options, with the outdoor option dependent on weather. Both require reservations. Chapel appointments are available Monday through Friday between 11:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

A civil ceremony in either chapel with a county commissioner costs $112. The county directs couples to the Marriage Registrar for chapel arrangements and also states that chapel reservations with a county deputy marriage commissioner are made in person at the Clerk-Recorder’s Office. Arrange the reservation before planning to use the chapel.

Walk-In Express Marriage Ceremonies

An express marriage ceremony takes place at a service window and does not need to be prescheduled. Couples arrive at the office, apply for a marriage license, and marry at the counter. The office provides the ceremony witness.

The ceremony page lists express ceremonies Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. However, marriage license applications must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. If you need both services during the same visit, arrive early enough to complete the license process before that deadline.

Chapel Rental With Your Own Officiant

If you want to bring your own officiant, the county offers chapel rental for $40 per 10-minute reservation. The reservation must be paid in advance, either in person or by phone. This rental arrangement provides the space; it is separate from the county’s civil ceremony service with a commissioner.

A Friend or Relative as Officiant

A friend or family member may perform the ceremony after becoming a One-Time Deputy Marriage Commissioner. The person who will officiate must apply in person at the Clerk-Recorder’s Office. This is a separate application from the couple’s marriage license application.

The prospective officiant needs current government-issued identification, the couple’s names, the wedding date and location, and the county where the couple plans to obtain the marriage license. Give the officiant those details before their visit.

The deputization fee is $80, payable by cash, check, or debit or credit card. A $2.50 convenience fee applies to debit and credit card payments for this service. Arrange deputization before the wedding so the friend or relative can perform the ceremony.

Returning the Completed Marriage License

After the ceremony, the signed marriage license must be returned to the Clerk-Recorder’s Office within 10 business days. When the office receives and records it, the license becomes a marriage certificate.

The return deadline and certificate-processing period are separate. The 10-business-day return requirement concerns delivery of the completed license after the wedding. The time needed before a certificate can be purchased concerns the office’s receipt and recording of that document.

Discuss the return arrangements with your officiant before the ceremony. Completing the wedding does not finish the recording process; the signed license still needs to reach the office within the required period.

Marriage Certificates After the Wedding

A marriage certificate verifies that you are legally married and may be needed for spousal healthcare or Social Security benefits. The certificate is kept in the county where the license was issued, which may be different from the county where the ceremony occurred.

The Clerk-Recorder’s marriage certificate purchase instructions describe in-person, mail, and online requests. Prepare the couple’s legal names and marriage date. An online purchase also requires the city where the marriage license was issued.

The county describes certificate availability as typically around 10 business days after receipt of the completed license; its licensing page also describes availability in relation to recording. Before purchasing a copy soon after the wedding, contact the office to check the certificate’s status. Do not calculate availability solely from the ceremony date.

Certified Authorized Copies

A Certified Authorized Copy can be used as proof of marriage. For a Standard marriage certificate, eligible purchasers include either person named on the certificate and that person’s parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner, or legal guardian. Government agencies and legal representatives may request copies for official business.

When requesting a Certified Authorized Copy by mail or online, state your relationship to the person named on the certificate and sign that statement in the presence of a notary public. For a Confidential certificate, the purchaser must be a person named on the certificate or have an authorizing court order, and must show valid identification.

Certified Informational Copies

Anyone may request a Certified Informational Copy of a Standard marriage certificate without having a direct relationship to either married person. The request form does not need to be notarized.

Signatures are concealed on this copy, and the certificate bears wording stating that it is informational and is not a valid document to establish identity. It is generally not accepted as proof of marriage. Choose the copy type according to its intended use rather than assuming that every certified marriage record serves the same purpose.

Marriage License Office

Office of the County Clerk-Recorder
110 West Tasman Drive, 1st Floor
San Jose, CA 95134
(408) 299-5688

Marriage License FAQs

Can we buy wedding rings at the county office?

The county’s marriage ceremony planning page lists sterling silver wedding bands for $20 each, in sizes 5 through 13. Rings are an optional purchase, separate from licensing and ceremony charges. If you plan to buy both bands there, budget $40 for the pair. The published size range does not guarantee that every size will be available for your visit.

How much does extra chapel time cost?

The county lists an additional 10-minute block of chapel time at $40. This is a separate charge from the ceremony fee, so include it in your budget if you want more time in the chapel. Because chapel use requires a reservation, arrange the extra time when planning your booking rather than assuming you can extend your reserved period on the wedding day.

How far back do county marriage records go?

The Clerk-Recorder maintains marriage records from 1850 to the present, according to its marriage certificate instructions. That date range describes the records the office maintains; it does not mean all historical records are searchable online. For an older marriage, gather the couple’s legal names and marriage date before requesting a record.

Can I rely on a self-service search result?

The county’s self-service disclaimer describes its index as a guide to referenced documents, rather than a basis for deciding what an underlying document establishes. It also warns that data may change without notice. A search result should not replace a marriage certificate when you need proof of marriage, and an unsuccessful index search alone does not establish that no record exists.