Getting married in California

[Felya and Olya 3]

Didnt think this would be a problem but I am having a hard time getting the info I am looking for

1) Marriage License vs Marriage Certificate.... What is the difference?

2) How long does it take get the Certificate\Licence or whatever we need?

3) Do I just go to city hall or what? I am not religious and will not have anything religious

Would appreciate if someone could explain the process. I am much better at taking apart servers and other complicated stuff than understanding these stupid #### rules =)

Thanks

[BoxsterOwner 3]

I need this info also

[Girl from Celebes 588]

I'm eagerly waiting another VJ members to answer this too.

[Inky 1,110]

Marriage license comes first, you need that to get married.

Marriage certificate comes after you are married and after its registered. - This is used for AOS.

We went to the county court house and picked it up, took about an hour because had to fill out forms together etc. They had a 24 hour waiting period before we could get married after we got the license. We picked a judge and booked our wedding date.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Didnt think this would be a problem but I am having a hard time getting the info I am looking for

1) Marriage License vs Marriage Certificate.... What is the difference?

2) How long does it take get the Certificate\Licence or whatever we need?

3) Do I just go to city hall or what? I am not religious and will not have anything religious

Would appreciate if someone could explain the process. I am much better at taking apart servers and other complicated stuff than understanding these stupid #### rules =)

Thanks

A marriage license is permission from the state to get married in that state. A marriage certificate is a document certifying that you WERE married in that state.

Go to the county clerk's office for your county. You can get the license, get married by a JP, and get the certificate, all in the same place. Usually takes less than a hour total. They'll even provide witnesses just in case you don't bring any.

[Anh map 2,098]

Didnt think this would be a problem but I am having a hard time getting the info I am looking for

1) Marriage License vs Marriage Certificate.... What is the difference?

2) How long does it take get the Certificate\Licence or whatever we need?

3) Do I just go to city hall or what? I am not religious and will not have anything religious

Would appreciate if someone could explain the process. I am much better at taking apart servers and other complicated stuff than understanding these stupid #### rules =)

Thanks

Go to the local government office (town hall, city hall, county administration) and ask there. Things can vary slightly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Or you could Google it.

[dindo and patty 20]

We're from Northern California. We went to our local county clerk office, applied for the "marriage license" and booked a date with

the Justice of the Peace. Got married at the local county clerk office presided by a JP and got several certified true copies of the

"marriage certificate" the same day.

The application for the marriage license was $75, getting married by the JP was $50 and each copy of the marriage certificate was $16.

[Felya and Olya 3]

Do you guys know if my fiancee's International Passport would be accepted? Thats all she has pretty much. We couldn't get a state ID =(

[paul_kay 31]

Do you guys know if my fiancee's International Passport would be accepted? Thats all she has pretty much. We couldn't get a state ID =(

Yeah. They only need at least one ID and for myself, I used my passport. Can't really get a State ID yet coz she just got here. Congratulations to you both!

Edited November 3, 2011 by paul_kay

[Felya and Olya 3]

Sanks!

[Ellie-n-Vladimir 3]

Didnt think this would be a problem but I am having a hard time getting the info I am looking for

1) Marriage License vs Marriage Certificate.... What is the difference?

2) How long does it take get the Certificate\Licence or whatever we need?

3) Do I just go to city hall or what? I am not religious and will not have anything religious

Would appreciate if someone could explain the process. I am much better at taking apart servers and other complicated stuff than understanding these stupid #### rules =)

Thanks

Unprepared for such important thing?..

A marriage license is only a permit to get married and you are not married until a ceremony is performed by an authorized person defined by CA Family Code Section 400.

You must have a valid California marriage license prior to a ceremony.

Go to your city hall and: a) buy your marriage license (public or confidential), b) make a reservation for a ceremony.

Public marriage license is valid for 90 days from issuance date for a ceremony anywhere in the State of California. The marriage record is made available to the public, anyone can request your marriage certificate. You both can have diff residential addresses. Witnesses ARE required for ceremony.

Confidential Marriage license is valid for 90 days from issuance date for a ceremony only in the county where the marriage license is issued. The marriage record is only available to the named parties on the document, or by the court order. Parties to the marriage must live together, the same address. Witnesses ARE NOT required for ceremony.

Both parties must present valid authentic legal photo identification card containing photograph, full legal name, date of birth, date of issue, and date of expiration (passort, driver's license, naturalization certificate, resident alien card, military I.D.)

[an-ma 1]

I can tell you my story . I live in Chicago Illinois . First go to the court proceed to the marriage license window Your wife will feel up some paper work Bring her passport and Svidetelstvo o Rozhdenii. (which has to be translated to English) If you don't have English translation , Translate yourself, go to the Currency exchange ask notary to put the stamp for you ( cost you 1 dollar) One important thing when you will translate her Svidetelstvo o Rozhdenii don't include her middle name ( Her father's name) because when you bring this to the Court they will put her long middle name on the Marriage License and this is how she will be recognized in the US. Example Ivanova Olga Ivanovna instead of only Ivanova Olga that make her life easier in the future. When you get you Marriage License you can ask them when and where you can get married. For me I went to the court in suburbs and I have to wait for 1 week to get married there, they offer me to go to Chicago City where I can get married tomorrow that what I did , Again bro this is in Illinois, California might be a little different.

[missicy 87]

Your wife will feel up some paper work Bring her passport and Svidetelstvo o Rozhdenii. (which has to be translated to English) If you don't have English translation , Translate yourself, go to the Currency exchange ask notary to put the stamp for you ( cost you 1 dollar) One important thing when you will translate her Svidetelstvo o Rozhdenii don't include her middle name ( Her father's name) because when you bring this to the Court they will put her long middle name on the Marriage License and this is how she will be recognized in the US. Example Ivanova Olga Ivanovna instead of only Ivanova Olga that make her life easier in the future.

All this is not needed in Cali. She will only need her ID.

Edited November 4, 2011 by missicy

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Do you guys know if my fiancee's International Passport would be accepted? Thats all she has pretty much. We couldn't get a state ID =(

Let her use the same government-issued photo ID tourists who get married in the U.S. use.

What's an "international" passport? I want one of those!

[sofya 10]

We were married in Illinois, and there's a mandatory 24-hour waiting period after you are issued your marriage license to get married. I strongly recommend you to go to the website of your County Clerk and study all the information there, it is usually straightforward. It is very important! Different states have different rules. For example, in DC you need to take a mandatory HIV test (for your own money!) before you can be issued a marriage license. Depending on what the rules are in your state, you can choose whether to get married there or in a different place.

If you need notarized translation, you can find a notary public at almost any FedEx office too.