California Marriage Records

 

California Marriage Statistics

The state of California had 213,320 marriage licenses issued in 2009; you can view a complete chart of all California counties online by going to this PDF: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/data/statistics/Documents/2009MarriageData.pdf.

 

State of California Marriage Record Accessibility

Informational marriage records can be ordered by any member of the United States public. Authorized marriage records must be obtained by the bride, groom, their attorneys, and specific family members. Law enforcement individuals who can prove that it is for an investigation can also request a marriage record.

 

Where to Find State Marriage Records

California Office of Vital Records - MS 5103

Mailing Address:Post Office Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410

Physical Address: 1501 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone Number:(916) 445-2684

Fax: N/A  

Hours:Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Email: OVRMAIL@cdph.ca.gov

Website: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/CERTLIC/Pages/default.aspx

 

Required Information: full names of the husband and wife, including wife's maiden name, date of marriage, provide at least year of the event, and the city or county where marriage license was issued; you’ll also need to provide information about yourself: full name, your relationship to person named on the certificate (father, mother, self, etc.), your mailing address (include city, state and zip code), your daytime phone number, and your signature. 

Years Available: N/A

Search Fees: The fee for a marriage record is $14. If you would like to amend a marriage record, it is $20.

Retrieval Timeframe: Requests for a marriage record can exceed 6 months in processing time.

Forms: Please include the following form with all marriage record requests: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/forms/CtrldForms/vs113a.pdf.

 

Notes: Authorized marriage record requests will need to have a sworn, notarized statement included.

 

Marriage Records Online

The VitalChek network can issue marriage records at: http://www.vitalchek.com/Campaign?site=2&clickid=598979184232562690.

 

Marriage Record Contents

Marriage records are actually three important pieces of information on the same document: the marriage application, the marriage license, and the Certificate of Marriage. The actual document will vary from state to state, as each state has jurisdiction over what should be included. Core information will remain the same: the full name of the groom, the full name of the bride, their respective addresses, their respective birth dates (or ages), the date of the ceremony, and the place where the ceremony is taking place.