How to Get Married 2.0

Back in December I wrote a blog called How to Get Married. It talked about the process of getting your marriage license in SoCal, Los Angeles County specifically. Well, now that it is February 1, 2010, the rules have changed again. As of February 1, the fees jumped from $70 to $90 and the hurdles to jump through increased even more. 

INSTRUCTIONS ON MARRIAGE LICENSE AND CERTIFICATE

• Both the Bride and Groom are required to appear with either a valid driver's license or a passport.

• The counties in California below to NOT require blood tests to obtain a License.

• Payments can be made in cash or by check or money order made payable to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk or RRC

• Processing time is approximately 20 to 40 minutes.  Afternoons and Fridays are the busiest times and the processing time is likely to be longer.

• There are two kinds of marriage licenses, Public and  Confidential. The Public marriage license can be purchased at any county clerk/registrar recorder's office in California and the couple can get married anywhere in California. The Confidential license must be purchased in the same county where the ceremony takes place                                                                                                                                                 
• IMPORTANT: After you get married, either you or your officiant files the Marriage License with the county. Once your License is filed, then you are legally married. The county does not send you a copy of your Marriage Certificate unless you send in the following paperwork with your Marriage License:

o     A check for $14.00 made out to the   Registrar/Recorder Clerk

o    The Certificate of Identity form, which must be notarized (this paragraph pertains to  LA and OC)

o    The Application for Public Record Form

I you are one of my clients, I give you all of these forms at a meeting, if you're not one of my clients, you can obtain all of these forms HERE.