California is the only state in the union that offers both a regular public marriage license and a confidential marriage license. Confidential marriage licenses were first introduced in 1878 for couples living in remote, rural areas with no access to a church or courthouse. They are not required to be a resident of the state and do not require witnesses signatures. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder is the place to go for copies of public marriage licenses in the county of Los Angeles.
A confidential marriage license can only be obtained by the parties to the marriage. California Family Code Section 500 governs confidential unions, and the “Confidential License and Certificate of Marriage” (VS 123) may be used by those persons 18 years of age or older who have been living together as spouses. Documentary evidence regarding whether or not parties have been living together as spouses is not required and may not be demanded.
To marry in California, the couple must first obtain a marriage license from the County Clerk’s office. A non-confidential marriage license fee is $129. A certified copy of the record resultant from a non-confidential marriage license allows certain authorized individuals to receive a certified copy, such as certain family members.
California is the only state in the union that offers confidential marriage licenses, comprising about 20% of the state’s total marriages each year. Confidential marriages are common in California, comprising about 20% of the states total marriages each year.
📹 Marriage Licenses: Everything You Need To Know
Marriage licenses are a key piece to weddings, so why aren’t we talking about it more? It is important to know the logistics that go …
Can I hide my marriage history?
The Advantages of a Confidential Marriage. The main advantage of a confidential marriage is privacy. A confidential marriage license is only accessible to the couple unless the person requesting it has a court order. This protects your personal information from being shared with telemarketers, spammers, and identity thieves.
Your marriage is also private. You don’t need witnesses and the ceremony can be done right away. No one has to know you got married. You don’t need an ordained minister or licensed county clerk to administer the license. You just need a notary public with special authorization to issue, sign, and file confidential marriage licenses. They can even perform the ceremony in your living room.
Can you get a confidential marriage license in Texas?
There are two types of marriage licenses: Public or confidential. You can get a regular public license from any county recorder in Texas, no matter where you are getting married. You can only get a confidential license from the county where you’re getting married. You must get a marriage license before the wedding. Information is on county clerk/recorder websites. The license is only valid for 90 days, so don’t get it too early. There are two types of licenses: Public or confidential. You can get a regular public license from any county recorder in Texas, regardless of where you are getting married. You can only get a confidential license from the county where you’re getting married. Both partners must be 18 or older to apply.
Can anyone find out if you are married?
You can access marriage records online or in person at the courthouse of the city where the marriage occurred. You can usually see a copy for free or for a small fee. Look for divorce records too. Just because they got married before doesn’t mean they still are. You’ll need the person’s real name to search the public records. If their name is Mary Smith, you’ll also need their middle name. Not all marriage applications or licenses are public. Some places keep this information private. Each state and city has different rules about what information is public and how it can be obtained. Know the rules for your state and city first. Be careful of websites that promise to tell you about someone’s marriage. Some are legitimate, but others just want your credit card info.
Can someone find out you’re married?
Find the marriage records. Marriage records are public, but getting them is difficult. Marriage records are at the county, town, or city level. To request a marriage record, go to CDC.gov. But getting a marriage record can be hard. In Virginia, you can access a marriage record if you were married or if the marriage took place more than 25 years ago. You can access marriage records without being the bride or groom if you have a legal reason, such as:
You are married to the person of interest and suspect they have been dishonest about a previous marriage. The record is needed to execute a will or for other legal proceedings. The information is vital for custody and children-related matters.
Can you be legally married in Texas without a marriage license?
What is common law marriage? Common law marriage is a legal way for a couple to marry in Texas. Texas law says that a common-law marriage can be proven by evidence that the couple: “They agreed to be married.” Couples can register their common law marriage by filing a declaration with the county clerk. If you don’t declare your common law marriage, you can prove it with documents like lease agreements, tax returns, and insurance policies. If there is a dispute about whether a common law marriage existed, it may be necessary to go to court to prove it. Texas law says you have two years to start court proceedings. These cases are often complex, so it’s best to talk to an attorney or family law guide.
Can you keep your marriage a secret?
Keeping your relationship private is different from keeping it a secret. Keeping your relationship a secret can make you feel anxious and alone. If your partner makes you keep your relationship a secret, it may be unhealthy. You and your partner have the right to keep your relationship private. You can decide together what to share and what to keep private.
Are marriage records public in the US?
Anyone can see public marriage records, not just the couple.
California marriage records. California marriage records prove that people in the state have married. Such documents show if someone is married. Other details in a marriage record may include:
- Names of spouses
- Date of marriage
- Location of ceremony
- Names of officiants or witnesses
- Signatures of registrants and witnesses
The California Department of Public Health-Vital Records (CDPH-VR) maintains records of marriages in the state. This includes copies of marriage certificates from 1905 to 1999 and from 2008 to 2022. You can get copies of certificates for 2000 to 2007 and 2023 at the county clerk’s office where the license was issued.
Do I need to register my marriage in the US if I get married abroad?
The U.S. doesn’t have a national marriage registry. U.S. states recognize marriages from other states and countries. If you got married legally in the country or state where you did, your marriage is recognized in the United States. The only exception is for naturalization. Learn more about marriage for immigration here. If you are getting married abroad, the U.S. State Department website has helpful information.
Can you marry someone in another country if you’re already married?
If you are married to someone in the U.S., what happens overseas depends on the country. If polygamy is recognized in another country, you can get married again. However, if you return to the U.S., your foreign marriage won’t be recognized. If you are already married in the U.S., you have to get divorced or widowed before you can remarry. Laws vary by state and country. Contact a local family law attorney before planning a wedding in a foreign country.
Can I check if someone is married us?
Search online. You can find a lot of information through public records, which are often online. You can find what you’re looking for online for free. Even if you can’t find an official marriage record, you might find useful clues.
Records of property owned by a spouse; tax records showing a spouse’s name; records of a spouse’s family; social media posts and photos linking someone to a spouse; other people living in a person’s household or believed to be related to them; there are many ways to find information on a person through online searches. The Internet is a good place to start researching if someone is married. Even if you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, you might find some useful information online.
Visit your local clerk. Some information may not be available online, depending on the jurisdiction and dates of marriage. In these cases, you may need to visit a local court or clerk’s office. This method only helps if you know where the person was married and if the office has all the information it needs to perform a full marriage search.
Do you have to live in California to get a confidential marriage license?
WHO QUALIFIES: Couples over 18 who live together can get a marriage license in California. You don’t need to be a CA or US resident. If you live in another state or county, your marriage will be recorded in Los Angeles County.
Important. You don’t need to prove you’ve been living together. However, couples must say under oath that they have been living together as husband and wife.
Cost. A marriage license in Los Angeles County costs $85. You also need to order a certified copy of your marriage license and certificate on your wedding day. Certified copies are needed for government purposes like immigration, military benefits, and name changes. The Registrar-Recorder’s office will mail you your marriage certificate within 6 to 8 weeks. Each extra certified copy costs $17.
Can a non-US citizen get a marriage license in Texas?
Documents for non-U.S. citizens. It’s easy to get married in the U.S. as a non-U.S. citizen. Couples must show ID at the county where they plan to marry. Any government ID with a photo is fine. Your citizenship or immigration status doesn’t affect your ability to marry. However, each state has different laws. Some require a minimum age, blood tests, and waiting periods.
Requirements for immigration. Marrying a U.S. citizen doesn’t automatically make you a citizen. The non-citizen spouse must prove the marriage is real, be a good person, and meet other requirements to get a green card and become a U.S. citizen. You must live in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident and be married to a U.S. citizen for at least three years. Check the requirements with an immigration lawyer before getting married.
More Information Documents should be translated into English before marrying in the U.S. It’s also important to find out if your country recognizes marriages in the U.S. Talk to a U.S. immigration lawyer if you’re dealing with USCIS. Marriage fraud or criminal convictions can affect your application.
📹 How to Get a California Confidential Marriage License Easily
But again, both types of license result in the exact same marriage. And if you’d like to have a confidential marriage license I’d be …
Update/ FYI- In order to keep the marriage (license) confidential, you must not allow govt officials to make a copy of the license. Although every state is different, here’s an example of what could happen. You get married in CA, but reside in FL. The DMV (DHSMV) in FL must scan the CA marriage certificate into their system. All documents scanned into the system are accessible for viewing by any civil servant lackey. In 2017 FL, began selling persons driver’s profiles to 3rd party data brokers for $77 million.
Sorry, I missed this comment. A confidential marriage license is filed and recorded with the County that issued the marriage license. The information on the marriage license does not become available to the general public unless and until the very unlikely event that a third party secures a search warrant or a court order. I have issued thousands of confidential marriage licenses and have done so for more than a decade. The next time a marriage license that I issued becomes the target of a court order or search warrant will be the first time.
One correction to what Chris said. CA Confidential wedding licenses do NOT provide a 100% guarantee that the existence of the marriage or the details on the couple will remain private. CA law says that a copy of a confidential marriage license can be obtained if the requester can get a court order for it. And that happens frequently, especially in cases where there is litigation around asset or property ownership and also in child custody disputes. So be advised that a big, fat “your secret marriage isn”t necessarily going to stay secret” flaw exists, particularly if you are pursuing a CA confidential license for reasons that tie into those sort of situations.