LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeFamily CodeDiv. 3Pt. 1§ 300 Marriage License And Certificate

§ 300 Marriage License And Certificate

Family Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 300 Marriage License And Certificate

This law says marriage is a special agreement between two people who agree to marry. They need to get a marriage license and have a ceremony to make it official.

Key Takeaways

  • •Marriage is an agreement between two people who agree to marry.
  • •Just agreeing isn't enough; they need a marriage license and a ceremony.
  • •The marriage license becomes a marriage certificate after it's registered with the county.

Example

Two people want to get married.

They must agree to marry, get a marriage license from the county clerk, and have a wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, the license is signed and sent to the county recorder to become a marriage certificate.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 300 Marriage License And Certificate

(a) Marriage is a personal relation arising out of a civil contract between two persons, to which the consent of the parties capable of making that contract is necessary. Consent alone does not constitute marriage. Consent must be followed by the issuance of a license and solemnization as authorized by this division, except as provided by Section 425 and Part 4 (commencing with Section 500). (b) For purposes of this part, the document issued by the county clerk is a marriage license until it is registered with the county recorder, at which time the license becomes a marriage certificate. (Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 82, Sec. 2. (SB 1306) Effective January 1, 2015.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

marriagecivil contractconsentmarriage licensemarriage certificate

Related Statutes

  • § 500.5 Marriage License To Certificate
  • § 1102 Spousal Control Of Community Property
  • § 2030 Family Law Attorney Fees
  • § 2031 Temporary Attorney Fees Orders
  • § 2102 Duties During Legal Separation

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Family Code. Section 300.
View Official Source