California Free Marriage Records

By Ben Kingsley


California is an open state. This means that records of marriage in California are considered as public documents. Residents of California then have the freedom to access the files anytime that they need the marriage certificate.

California marriage records are one of the sources of information when conducting a genealogy research. It contains information necessary in updating the family history. Transactions in the government would also call for a copy of a marriage certificate. Marriage certificates serve as proof of one's civil status especially when updating the government records and when dealing with insurance matters. The document is also used by people who are checking the marital status of an individual. This is done by people who are in a relationship. They check on their partner's status before engagement or marriage.

A lot of information can be obtained for a copy of a marriage certificate in California. One would know the maiden name of the bride as well as the name of the groom. The date and the place where the marriage took place are also indicated on the record. Additional information includes the names of the couple's parents as well as the witnesses to the event.

Marriage records of California are managed by the office of the Vital Records Section at the Department of Health. The said office has managed to keep records from 1905 up to the present, however, marriages hat were registered from 1987-1995 are only available at the county where it was originally registered. A $14 processing fee has to be paid in order to proceed with the retrieval of the marriage record.

Aside from the processing fee, one has to submit a request form filled with the basic information of the file that is being obtained. The information provides will be used to conduct the search. Also, the personal details of the one who requested the document have to be indicated on the form as well. It will be used to verify one's identity since the state of California releases the documents only to the bride or the groom whose names are on the file as well as their immediate families. One would need to have a special permission to access the file of other people. Sending a mail request to the state office is also possible as long as all the requirements are included on the request which includes the payment. This method is not recommended for those who need the document right away since the results can be delivered only after a few days.

Residents of California can now retrieve marriage license records online. This means that residents of the state can request for their document even without going to the state office. This has minimized the wait time as well as the effort spent in requesting such document. Some websites even offer their users a free search.




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