The marriage license you have purchased is your Official Marriage License and authorizes you to marry legally. This license is valid for 90 days from the issue date and can be used anywhere within the State of California.
You will not be legally married until a ceremony has been performed. You must provide the license to the person solemnizing your marriage ceremony.
- Complete the license in DARK INK ONLY (with a black or blue ballpoint pen).
- DO NOT USE GEL PENS, ERASABLE PENS, PENCILS AND/OR MARKERS.
- All information on the marriage license must be legible.
- Make NO ALTERATIONS, ERASURES, STRIKEOVERS, WHITEOUTS, STAINS, RIPS AND/OR TEARS on the marriage license.
- Licenses with discrepancies WILL NOT be acceptable for registration and a certified copy cannot be issued.
Witnesses:
Public Marriage License Only
Print and sign within the box.
At least one witness (26A – 26C) is required to sign a public marriage license, however, there is space for a second witness (27A – 27C).
Certification of Person Solemnizing Marriage
Public and Confidential
Print and sign within the box.
28A - Date of marriage MM/DD/YYYY
28B - City or Town of where the ceremony was performed.
28C – COUNTY (not Country) of where ceremony was performed.
29A - Signature of person performing ceremony.
29B - Religious Denomination, non‐denominational or name of the online service the person solemnizing the marriage was ordained by.
California judges and authorized government officiants may enter a single dash (‐).
29C - Full name of person solemnizing the marriage.
29D - Official title (Priest, Rabbi, Reverend, Minister, Pastor, Officiant, Judge, Imam, Deputy Commission of Civil Marriages, etc.)
29E – Full Mailing Address of the person solemnizing the marriage including city, state & zip code.
What NOT to do on the Marriage License:
We cannot accept licenses containing ALTERATIONS, ERASURES, STRIKEOVERS, WHITEOUTS, RIPTURES AND/OR STAINS.
- DO NOT SIGN OUTSIDE THE BOXES
- DO NOT ABBREVIATE
- DO NOT USE ACRONYMS
- DO NOT CROSS OUT ANYTHING
- DO NOT WRITE OVER
- DO NOT USE PICTOGRAPHS (☼, ♥)
- DO NOT USE IDEOGRAPHS (⇑)
- DO NOT USE DIACRITICAL MARKS (è, ñ, ē, ç)
- DO NOT WRITE IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH
- DO NOT WRITE IN FIELDS 30A - 32C (OFFICE USE ONLY)
If the marriage license cannot be accepted for registration, it will be rejected and a duplicate marriage license will be issued. The person who solemnized the marriage will be required to sign the duplicate license again. Original signatures will be replaced with electronic signatures.
Registering Your Marriage License and Purchasing a Marriage Certificate:
The completed and signed marriage license must be returned to our office within 10 days following the wedding ceremony for registration. You may mail the license to our office or return it in person. If you choose to mail the license, we recommend using a mailing service that provides tracking and delivery confirmation.
Please note that the marriage license fee does not include certified copies of the marriage certificate. Certified copies are sold separately.
A certified copy of your marriage certificate will not be sent automatically after your marriage license has been registered. If you would like to obtain certified copies, you may purchase them in person at our office or submit a notarized application by mail, along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a check payable to “San Mateo County Clerk.”
If you have any questions regarding the registration process or obtaining certified copies, please do not hesitate to contact our office. We are happy to assist you and help ensure a smooth process as you begin this new chapter together.