License dates (how we count).
The 2008 headline of 96,007 licenses ranks second across the published annual record, with August leading the month counts.
In 2008, whose busiest date fell on Thursday, licenses fell 11.0% from 107,901 the year before.
The source for 2008 is the complete January-to-December Clerk file, whose records supply both the yearly count and the calendar and origin tables.
Read the data table
| Category | Licenses issued |
|---|---|
| January | 5,606 |
| February | 8,491 |
| March | 8,315 |
| April | 8,451 |
| May | 8,957 |
| June | 8,457 |
| July | 7,938 |
| August | 10,129 |
| September | 7,648 |
| October | 8,210 |
| November | 6,770 |
| December | 7,035 |
At 10.6% of file licenses, August was the month leader with 10,129; January had the lowest count of 5,606.
The August total exceeded January by 4,523 licenses, the spread between the year's monthly extremes.
Leading license dates in 2008
Read the data table
| License issue date | Licenses issued |
|---|---|
| 2008-08-07 | 964 |
| 2008-08-08 | 682 |
| 2008-06-06 | 635 |
| 2008-08-06 | 633 |
| 2008-02-29 | 558 |
| 2008-02-16 | 517 |
| 2008-07-03 | 501 |
| 2008-07-04 | 489 |
| 2008-02-28 | 488 |
| 2008-04-18 | 486 |
The busiest date was Thursday August 7, 2008, with 964 licenses and a margin of 282 over August 8, 2008.
The following counts were 682 for Friday August 8, 2008 and 635 for Friday June 6, 2008.
Where couples came from in 2008
Read the data table
| Category | Licenses issued |
|---|---|
| California | 21,060 |
| Nevada | 15,722 |
| Texas | 5,246 |
| Arizona | 4,390 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 3,738 |
| Canada | 2,816 |
| Florida | 2,338 |
| Washington | 2,313 |
| Illinois | 2,266 |
| Michigan | 1,978 |
The leading three origins were California, Nevada and Texas, with respective counts of 21,060, 15,722 and 5,246 licenses.
The fourth through sixth 2008 groups were Arizona, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Canada, supplying 4,390, 3,738 and 2,816 licenses respectively.
The next monthly positions for 2008 went to May with 8,957, February with 8,491, June with 8,457 licenses, behind the leading August total.
For your own date shortlist, the Thursday peak in August 2008 can be followed through the month-and-day calendar, where the covered years provide a range of daily counts and a median for each selection.
For paperwork after exploring the Thursday August peak, follow the marriage license guide for the $102 license and joint attendance, then the certified-copy guide after recording, alongside the historical 2008 date counts.
Following 2008 and its August daily high, the 2009 annual count of 92,792 was fewer than 2008's 96,007. The neighboring month high was 8,672 in September, with 910 licenses on its busiest day, February 13, 2009.
On a same-month comparison, August contributed 10,129 licenses in 2008 and 7,727 in 2009; the 2008 figure was higher across those two records.