Why a confidential marriage license

Your Name required. Your Email required. Wedding Date. Enter the code below prior to sending. Lake Tahoe Weddings. Skip to content. California Marriage License: Confidential vs. To begin with, why are Confidential Marriages even allowed in California? In , California State expanded the types of persons who could marry such couples. Even a California Notary Public, with special authorization, can issue a confidential license agreement, perform the wedding ceremony, and file the signed license with the county clerk.

Unlike a regular marriage certificate, a confidential marriage certificate is not a public record for anyone to see. The confidential marriage license is only filed with the county where the license is issued and a certificate of marriage can only be obtained by either spouse. A court order is required for anyone else to obtain a copy of the confidential marriage certificate. The rules for doing so vary from state to state, with different minimum age, cost, number of witnesses, and blood test requirements.

But why does California alone offer this option? The origin of the confidential marriage license goes back to , when it was meant for unmarried cohabitating couples in the state. Related: How to Get Married in California. These documents include a valid and authentic legal photo identification and the completed confidential marriage license application form.

In regards to the legal photo I. The couple must provide additional records if one or both of the individuals have been previously married or a State Registered Domestic Partner. Specifically, a certified copy of divorce, termination, annulment, or death record needs to be presented at the time of the marriage license reservation if it ended in the span of the past 90 days of the marriage license reservation date.

Finally, the completed application form must be brought to the office. It is recommended that parties arrive at their reservation 10 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment time. The parties must pay the marriage license fee if they have not done so online.

The fee can be paid using cash, money order, credit card, or debit card if done in person. Both parties must be present in order to file the application and then be issued a marriage license. In California, the minimum age requirement to obtain a confidential marriage license is This age requirement remains the same for all marriage licenses in the State of California.

For individuals under 18, the written consent from at least one parent or legal guardian and written permission from a judge is required for a public marriage license.

In California, the law requires both a marriage license to be purchased and a marriage ceremony to take place in order for a couple to be considered legally married. It is important to note that there is a time limit to have the ceremony once this license is received. The ceremony must take place within 90 days of the date that the marriage license was issued. In order to obtain a confidential marriage license, there are no differences in requirements between U. This is the case for both confidential marriage licenses and public marriage licenses in the State of California.

Confidential marriage licenses are private and restricted to the married parties. If the married parties want to get ahold of their confidential marriage license, they can do so by providing proof of identity, a sworn statement, and by paying the cost of a search fee. A sworn statement, acknowledgment by a notary public, a record search fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope are required if the parties request the license by mail.

A birth certificate is not necessarily needed in the process of getting a confidential marriage license. A birth certificate would only be required if the legal photo I. An example of this would be a middle initial instead of a full middle name being displayed on the I.

If this were the case, a birth certificate, passport or social security card that exhibits a full name must be presented. Yes, ceremony appointments must be scheduled separately from confidential marriage license appointments.