California Marriage Records

To begin, add a marriage record or view a list of locations and resources for California marriage records.

Sometimes tracing back a branch of your family tree can be difficult, if not impossible, without copies of your ancestors' marriage records. Fortunately, marriage records are considered public records and are easy to access if you know where to look.

This availability holds true for those looking for California marriage records. In fact, unlike a lot of states, California does not hold marriage records for any period of time after they are created, so this information is available almost from the moment it is filed. In a lot of other states, you cannot access marriage records for a certain number of years. In California, this is not the case, but also unlike other states, there are two different kinds of copies-certified and informational.

Anyone can obtain an informational copy stating the names of the two people involved, the day, and the county in which they got married, but only the two people on the marriage license can obtain a certified or official copy. The data on an informational copy of a California vital record, however, is more than enough detail to fill in even the twigs and leaves of your family tree.

To receive a marriage record fill out the California Marriage Certificate Mail-in Form. Mail your application to:

Public California marriage certificates are available for information from the state office for a limited number of years. From the years 1949-1986 and 1998 to 1999 you can receive information about public marriages. For information about marriages which occurred during any other years, and marriages that were requested to be kept private, you must contact the County Recorder in the proper county. The cost for marriage certificates is $13.00. For more information visit: California Department of Public Health