How to Get a Marriage License in San Diego: Step by Step

If you want your nikah to be a legal marriage in California as well, you need a marriage license first. Here is how it works in San Diego, from applying to collecting the license, in plain steps.

At a glance

Where

San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk (Office of the Recorder | County Clerk), Marriage appointments are offered at the County Administration Center (downtown San Diego), and the Chula Vista, San Marcos and Santee offices. Street addresses are on the office's Office Locations page.

Booking

Appointments are required (licenses and civil ceremonies by appointment only). They open up to 7 weeks in advance. Saturday appointments are offered one Saturday a month. At the time of reading, appointments were available through 12/07/2026.

Fee

$129 Public license $129; confidential license $144; civil ceremony $107; county-provided witness $58. License fees are non-refundable. A certified copy of the marriage certificate is $19. Fees per the county page read in October 2026; confirm with the County Clerk.

Payment

Cash, check or money order (payable to San Diego Recorder/County Clerk), or credit/debit card; a $2.50 surcharge applies to card payments.

Who attends

Both parties must appear together at the appointment with valid, current government-issued photo ID. Military proxy is allowed only for an active-duty member stationed overseas in a conflict or war.

Valid for

90 days from the issue date, no extensions. The ceremony must be inside California. Only licenses issued in San Diego County are registered by this office.

Same day?

Couples can marry as soon as the license is issued. A "License and Ceremony" appointment type lets you buy the license and have a county civil ceremony in one visit.

Step by step

1. Apply. Book an appointment first, then complete the online marriage license application (recommended) or bring the printable application. Both parties appear together at the appointment with ID, the completed application and payment.
2. Book or plan your visit. Appointments are required (licenses and civil ceremonies by appointment only). They open up to 7 weeks in advance. Saturday appointments are offered one Saturday a month. At the time of reading, appointments were available through 12/07/2026.
3. Gather your ID and documents. See the list below. Bring originals.
4. Attend and pay. Both parties must appear together at the appointment with valid, current government-issued photo ID. Military proxy is allowed only for an active-duty member stationed overseas in a conflict or war. Cash, check or money order (payable to San Diego Recorder/County Clerk), or credit/debit card; a $2.50 surcharge applies to card payments.
5. Give the license to your officiant. Your imam needs it at the ceremony, and must be authorized to solemnize marriages in California. 90 days from the issue date, no extensions. The ceremony must be inside California. Only licenses issued in San Diego County are registered by this office.

What to bring

• Valid, current government-issued photo ID for both parties (driver's license, passport, military ID or state ID; expired ID is not accepted)
• Completed marriage license application (online or printable)
• Both parties must be 18 or older; under 18 requires contacting San Diego County Juvenile Court at (858) 634-1600
• Both parties must be unmarried when the license is issued; a pending divorce, even if it will be final before the wedding, does not qualify
• Final divorce decree or domestic partnership termination papers with the judge's signature and date if the dissolution was within the last 90 days
• No residency requirement and no blood test
• SSN requirement not stated on the page read

Good to know

• Public license: at least one witness is needed at the ceremony and no more than two witnesses sign. Confidential license: couple must be living together as spouses, no witness needed
• Authorized notaries can also issue confidential licenses; the county lists them on its Authorized Notary Public list
• The page says the ceremony must be officiated by someone authorized to solemnize marriages in California; rules for imams specifically are not stated on this page, so confirm with your imam and the clerk
• After the ceremony the officiant signs and the license must be returned to the county office for registration (recommended within 10 days); registration can take up to about 10 business days
• A copy of the marriage certificate is not sent automatically and must be requested and paid for after the license is registered
• Name change choice can be listed on the license under the Name Equality Act of 2007

Your nikah and the license

The license is what makes your marriage legal. Your nikah is the religious ceremony. If your imam is authorized to solemnize marriages in California, one ceremony can be both. See imams serving San Diego and our California nikah guide for who may officiate and how the marriage is recorded.

A few common questions

Details come from the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk (Office of the Recorder | County Clerk) website, checked in October 2026. Fees, hours and booking rules change, so confirm before you go. San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk (Office of the Recorder | County Clerk): marriage license page. Contact: (619) 237-0502; ARCCRecorderCountyClerk.FGG@sdcounty.ca.gov. This guide is general information, not legal advice.