How to Get A Free Copy of CA Marriage License Records Online

By Claire Dowell


Among the public documents that are available in California, marriage records are one of the most requested documents of the residents. California marriage records are archived at the office of the Vital Records Section at the Department of Health Services.

Marriage records in the state of California are one of the resources that are being used when conducting a research on the family history and this is one of the common reasons for accessing such documents. Aside from that, the marriage certificate of a couple is required when processing transactions such as declaration of properties and insurance matters. It is also used by the couple when processing their legal separation or divorce.

One can find details about the marriage of a couple on a marriage record. The place as well as the date and time of the marriage ceremony are indicated on the certificate. Important names of the people that have been a part of the ceremony such as the witnesses and the names of the parents of the couple are also indicated on the file. Personal details about the bride and groom are also cited on the document such as their names prior to the marriage, place and date of birth.

Only the couple themselves can obtain a copy of their own marriage certificate. Other people can request for the certificate of another person but they have to provide an authorization letter that is noted by the couple themselves. It would cost only $14 to get a copy of the file. It is non-refundable so in case where there are no records found, one will only get a notification indicating that the record was nowhere to be found. It can take a maximum of six months to get a copy of the certificate when it is requested at the office of the Vital Records Section. If the need is urgent, one can go to the county where the marriage occurred and request it at the local county clerk's office and they can provide the certificate in just two months instead of six.

Traditionally, the record is requested directly from the office of the Vital Records Section. A mail request can also be sent to the office. One can also request for the record at the county clerk where the marriage took place. There are third party companies that can obtain the certificate for you. The government is now going to the age of the technology by using the Internet as a medium to provide the certificate to the local residents.

Marriage records are now accessible thanks to the development of the Internet. The government is looking at this tool to make search even better for the residents. It has eliminated the need to fall in line and wait for 6 months just to get a single copy of the record. The search can now be done at home and the results are displayed in just seconds.




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