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HomeFamily CodeDiv. 3Pt. 2§ 359 Marriage License Requirements

§ 359 Marriage License Requirements

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

§ 359 Marriage License Requirements

This law says that before you can get married, you and your partner must go together to a county office to get a marriage license. After the wedding, the person who performed the ceremony must fill out the license and send it back to the county within 10 days.

Key Takeaways

  • •Both people getting married must go together to get the marriage license.
  • •The marriage license must be filled out and sent back within 10 days after the wedding.
  • •The person who performs the wedding must also get at least one witness to sign the license.

Example

John and Jane want to get married.

They must go together to the county clerk's office to get a marriage license before their wedding. After their wedding, the person who married them (like a priest or judge) has to fill out the license and send it back to the county within 10 days.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 359 Marriage License Requirements

(a) Except as provided in Sections 420 and 426, applicants to be married shall first appear together in person before the county clerk to obtain a marriage license. (b) The contents of the marriage license are provided in Part 1 (commencing with Section 102100) of Division 102 of the Health and Safety Code. (c) The issued marriage license shall be presented to the person solemnizing the marriage by the parties to be married. (d) The person solemnizing the marriage shall complete the solemnization sections on the marriage license, and shall cause to be entered on the marriage license the printed name, signature, and mailing address of at least one, and no more than two, witnesses to the marriage ceremony. (e) The marriage license shall be returned by the person solemnizing the marriage to the county recorder of the county in which the license was issued within 10 days after the ceremony. (f) As used in this division, “returned” means presented to the appropriate person in person, or postmarked, before the expiration of the specified time period. (g) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2024. (Repealed (in Sec. 1) and added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 620, Sec. 2. (AB 583) Effective October 7, 2021. Operative January 1, 2024, by its own provisions.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

marriage licensecounty clerksolemnizing the marriagewitnessescounty recorder

Related Statutes

  • § 357 Marriage License Return Requirements
  • § 360 Replacing Lost Marriage License
  • § 423 Marriage License Return Requirements
  • § 350 Marriage License Requirement
  • § 422 Marriage License Completion Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Family Code. Section 359.
View Official Source