How to Get a Marriage License in San Jose: 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 Jose, from applying to collecting the license, in plain steps.

At a glance

Where

Santa Clara County Office of the County Clerk-Recorder, Marriage License Services, 110 West Tasman Drive, 1st Floor, San Jose, CA 95134

Booking

No appointment is necessary for a marriage licence. Services run Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm; the county asks you to submit your application by 4:00 PM so it can be processed before closing.

Fee

$80 Standard licence $80.00; confidential licence $83.00 (confidential requires that you already live together). If you have no valid ID you may use two credible witnesses with valid ID who sign an affidavit; the fee for credible witnesses is $20. Fee page year not shown on the page read; confirm with the clerk.

Who attends

Both people must be present with valid, government-issued photo ID. Copies and digital images of ID are not accepted.

Valid for

90 days; the licence allows marriage anywhere in California. If not used within 90 days you must apply again.

Step by step

1. Apply. Optionally complete the application online first and tell staff on arrival that you already did. Otherwise staff will direct you to a public computer to fill it in. Either way you then get a service ticket and are called to a window to show ID and pay.
2. Book or plan your visit. No appointment is necessary for a marriage licence. Services run Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm; the county asks you to submit your application by 4:00 PM so it can be processed before closing.
3. Gather your ID and documents. See the list below. Bring originals.
4. Attend and pay. Both people must be present with valid, government-issued photo ID. Copies and digital images of ID are not accepted.
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; the licence allows marriage anywhere in California. If not used within 90 days you must apply again.

What to bring

• Valid government-issued photo ID (driver's licence, passport, permanent resident card); no copies or digital images
• Legal names, places and dates of birth; the name each person will use after marriage
• Parents' legal names and their places of birth (state or country)
• Both people must be single and 18 or older
• If divorced, the date of divorce; bring a copy of the divorce judgment if it was within the last 90 days

Good to know

• The county lists who may marry you: clergy, a judge, the Clerk-Recorder's office, or a one-day deputy commissioner (relative or friend)
• Return the signed licence to the Clerk-Recorder within 10 business days of the ceremony; it then becomes a marriage certificate
• A copy of the certificate can usually be bought about 10 business days after the licence is recorded
• The county has a wedding chapel available to rent

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 Jose and our California nikah guide for who may officiate and how the marriage is recorded.

A few common questions

Details come from the Santa Clara County Office of the County Clerk-Recorder, Marriage License Services website, checked in October 2026. Fees, hours and booking rules change, so confirm before you go. Santa Clara County Office of the County Clerk-Recorder, Marriage License Services: marriage license page. Contact: (408) 299-5688; clerkrecorder@rec.sccgov.org. This guide is general information, not legal advice.