After Your Wedding
How to Get Certified Copies of Your Marriage Certificate
You said “I do.” Now let’s help you get your official marriage record.
After your California wedding, request certified copies from the county that issued your marriage license. This may be different from the county where your ceremony took place.
Couples often call this a “copy of the marriage license.” After the completed license is registered, the official document you order is a certified copy of your marriage record or marriage certificate.
Use this guide to find the right county, understand the ordering process, and know who to contact if your copies have not arrived.
What Happens to Your Marriage License After the Wedding?
Your marriage license authorizes your wedding ceremony. Bring the original document to your officiant and keep it clean, readable, and protected from damage.
The person who officiates your wedding is responsible for completing and returning the license to the issuing county within 10 days after the ceremony. Public licenses are returned to the County Recorder; confidential licenses are returned to the County Clerk.
The 10-day deadline is for returning the license. It does not mean your certified copies will arrive within 10 days. County registration, copy processing, and delivery take additional time.
Certified copies must be requested and paid for. Purchasing a marriage license does not automatically include a certified copy unless one was separately ordered.
Before You Order Your Marriage Certificate
- Identify the issuing county. Check your license paperwork or purchase receipt.
- Check whether you already ordered copies. Review your receipt or any copy-request paperwork completed when your license was issued.
- Confirm your record is registered. If you were recently married, ask the county when your record will be available before making a trip.
- Use the correct application. Public and confidential marriage records may require different forms.
- Follow the county’s identification and payment instructions. Requirements vary by ordering method.
Keep your names as listed on the license, wedding date, mailing address, order confirmation, and license number handy when contacting the county.
Ordering Copies from Los Angeles County
If Los Angeles County issued your license, use its official records service even if your wedding took place elsewhere in California.
Current LA County fee: $19 per certified copy for either a public or confidential marriage record. Online orders carry additional charges.
Order by Mail
Download the appropriate county application. Complete the required Certificate of Identity and have it notarized when requesting an authorized copy.
Follow the county’s payment and mailing instructions. LA County accepts checks or money orders for mail requests. Do not mail cash.
The county currently lists mailing within 20 business days after receiving the request. Allow additional delivery time.
LA County Mail InstructionsOrder Online
LA County directs online marriage-record orders through VitalChek. Start from the county’s website to reach its authorized ordering service.
Additional handling charges apply, and a notarized Certificate of Identity may be required.
The county currently lists online processing within 20 working days after receiving the request. Shipping takes additional time.
LA County Online InstructionsRequest Copies in Person
Complete the county’s online records application, schedule an appointment, and bring valid photo identification.
For registered records from 1995 onward, authorized copies are generally available at the appointment. Confirm that a newly filed record is ready before visiting.
LA County Appointment InstructionsAlready Ordered Your Copies?
If your copy request and county payment were submitted when your license was issued, check that paperwork before placing another order.
Whether you ordered through the county or arranged a request with one of our authorized notaries, the county handles registration and issuance of certified copies.
For an order update, contact LA County at 800-201-8999.
Recently married? The processing estimates above apply to copy requests. They are not guaranteed delivery times measured from your wedding date. Your license must first be received, reviewed, and registered.
Marriage Certificate Copies from Other Southern California Counties
Select the county that issued your license. Each county provides its own applications, eligibility requirements, current fees, and ordering instructions.
For Ventura County, look for the department’s vital-record copy service. For every county, confirm current processing times and any mailing, card, or online service charges. There is no single statewide delivery timeline.
Which Type of Marriage Certificate Copy Do You Need?
Authorized Certified Copies
These are the copies generally used for official purposes, such as documenting a marriage for benefits or updating records after a name change. Check the receiving agency’s document requirements.
Access to authorized copies of public marriage records is restricted to eligible applicants under California law.
Confidential Marriage Records
Copies of a confidential marriage record are available to the spouses or through a court order. Follow the issuing county’s confidential-record application process.
An informational copy of a public marriage record is not a substitute for an authorized copy when you need to establish identity.
A photograph, ordinary photocopy, or customer keepsake copy is not the same as a county-issued certified copy.
What If Your Copies Have Not Arrived?
Contact the issuing county first for registration and copy-order status. For Los Angeles County, call 800-201-8999. For other counties, use the official links above.
Have both spouses’ names, your wedding date, and any order or license number available. If a license number appears on your customer copy, provide it when requested. The field location can vary by form.
Great Officiants does not control the county’s processing schedule or issue the county’s certified copies. However, if the county says your license has not been received, or that it needs something from your officiant or issuing notary, please contact us.
What If the County Requests a Correction?
If the county requires a correction, duplicate document, or amendment involving our officiant or notary, share the county’s instructions with us. We will help with the portion of the process that requires our involvement.
Do not alter the original license yourself. Ask the county which correction procedure applies.
Need Help with Paperwork from Your Great Officiants Wedding?
For certified-copy orders and delivery updates, start with the county. For a filing question or a correction involving our team, call us at 562-435-4000.
Please include your names, wedding date, and officiant’s name so we can locate your event information.
Ordering information reviewed October 19, 2026. County fees, procedures, and processing estimates may change. Confirm current requirements through the official county links before ordering or visiting.