How to get a certified copy of a marriage certificate in California
For other years, CDC directs requests to the County Recorder. Confidential-marriage requests go to the County Clerk that issued the license. The directory requires a notarized sworn statement for a certified copy and says a certified informational copy can be requested without that notarized statement. CDC source for California.
CDC lists the California marriage-record contact as CA Department of Public Health - Vital Records MS: 5103 P.O. Box 997410 Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. The service charge in that entry is $17.00. (County) Varies.
| Field | CDC Where to Write | Current official evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Office | CA Department of Public Health - Vital Records MS: 5103 P.O. Box 997410 Sacramento, CA 95899-7410 | Uncollected. Official office |
| Service charge | $17.00. (County) Varies | Uncollected. Official office |
| Years held or service coverage | State office only has indexes for public marriage certificates that occurred from 1905-2001 and 2010 to present. For all other years, contact the County Recorder in the county where the event occurred; for confidential marriages, contact the County Clerk where the marriage license was issued. A personal check or money order should be made payable to CDPH Vital Records . Please do not send cash. To verify current fees, the telephone number is (916) 445-2684. This is a recorded message with an option to talk to a customer service representative. Information on how to obtain a marriage certificate, as well as information about current processing times, is available via the California Department of Public Health website . | Uncollected. Official office |
| Ordering route | CDC entry | Uncollected. Official office |
Getting a marriage license in California
Contact the California official office for current marriage license requirements, which remain unverified here.
Searching California marriage records
Ask the California official records office about marriage-record search options, which remain unverified here as of 2026-11-11.
Common-law marriage and community property
| Source scope | State entry |
|---|---|
| SSA common-law digest | Not recognized. However, for the possibility that a putative marriage may have been created, see GN 00305.085C. SSA GN 00305.075. Digest effective 2023-05-30, checked 2026-11-11 |
| IRS community-property list | Listed IRS 555, checked 2026-11-11 |
For California, the Social Security state-law digest says Not recognized. However, for the possibility that a putative marriage may have been created, see GN 00305.085C. This is SSA benefit-program guidance, effective 2023-05-30. The IRS community-property entry applies to married taxpayers domiciled in California. Its federal-tax scope is set out in Publication 555.
The numbers
| Measure | State | US or reporting-area benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage rate | 5.8 | 6.3 |
| Divorce rate | Not published by CDC for this state | 2.3 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, men | 32.1 | 30.8 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, women | 30.4 | 28.8 |
In 2024, California had 5.8 marriages per 1,000 residents, below the US 6.3. CDC counts marriages performed in California, including visiting couples.
CDC publishes no 2024 divorce rate for California. Its reporting-area benchmark is 2.3 per 1,000 residents. Official divorce workbook.
The 2024 ACS first-marriage medians for California are 32.1 years for men and 30.4 for women, with respective margins of error of 0.3 and 0.2 years. The male and female California medians are 1.7 years apart.
From oldest to youngest across states and DC, California ranks seventh for the male first-marriage median and fourth for the female median. Its male estimate is above the US 30.8, and the California female estimate is above the US 28.8.
California and Las Vegas
Couples with a California mailing address took out 11,212 Las Vegas marriage licenses in 2025, ranking second among states and DC. California Las Vegas data links to the available history. The method gives address and issue-date definitions.
Over 2021 to 2025, California mailing addresses appeared on 68,834 Las Vegas licenses, 18.32% of the countywide statistical-file total. The highest annual California count in the acquired history was 24,729 in 2007. The California 2025 figure of 11,212 compares with 12,743 in 2024 and 12,620 in 2019.
The latest California Las Vegas total fell 12.01% from 2024. It is 11.16% below the 2019 level and 54.66% below the series maximum for California.
California mailing addresses appeared on 24,729 licenses in 2007, 21,060 licenses in 2008, 20,296 licenses in 2009, 19,653 licenses in 2010, 18,492 licenses in 2011, 17,704 licenses in 2012, 16,275 licenses in 2013, 15,693 licenses in 2014. County sources and coverage.
California mailing addresses appeared on 15,341 licenses in 2015, 15,480 licenses in 2016, 14,547 licenses in 2017, 12,948 licenses in 2018, 12,620 licenses in 2019, 14,282 licenses in 2020, 17,909 licenses in 2021, 14,224 licenses in 2022 (through 22 December). County sources and coverage.
California mailing addresses appeared on 12,746 licenses in 2023, 12,743 licenses in 2024, 11,212 licenses in 2025. County sources and coverage.
For a California couple with a Clark County license, the Nevada certificate guide links the Clerk's online, mailed and in-person ordering routes. Its officiant filing deadline is 10 calendar days after the ceremony, and a filed certified certificate costs $20.