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. 3Ch. 2§ 421 Marriage License Verification Requirements

§ 421 Marriage License Verification Requirements

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

§ 421 Marriage License Verification Requirements

This law says that before someone can perform a marriage, they must check the marriage license. If they think something on the license might be wrong, they have to make sure it's correct before doing the marriage.

Key Takeaways

  • •The person doing the marriage must see the marriage license first.
  • •If they think something on the license is wrong, they have to check it out.
  • •They can ask the couple or witnesses questions to make sure everything is right.

Example

A couple wants to get married by a judge.

The judge must first look at their marriage license. If the judge thinks the ages on the license look wrong, they can ask the couple questions or have them swear to tell the truth before marrying them.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 421 Marriage License Verification Requirements

Before solemnizing a marriage, the person solemnizing the marriage shall require the presentation of the marriage license. If the person solemnizing the marriage has reason to doubt the correctness of the statement of facts in the marriage license, the person must be satisfied as to the correctness of the statement of facts before solemnizing the marriage. For this purpose, the person may administer oaths and examine the parties and witnesses in the same manner as the county clerk does before issuing the license. (Enacted by Stats. 1992, Ch. 162, Sec. 10. Operative January 1, 1994.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

solemnizing a marriagemarriage licensecorrectness of the statement of factsadminister oathsexamine the parties and witnesses

Related Statutes

  • § 422 Marriage License Completion Requirements
  • § 423 Marriage License Return Requirements
  • § 426 Remote Marriage License Issuance
  • § 1600 Premarital Agreement Act
  • § 1601 Premarital Agreement Effective Date

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Family Code. Section 421.
View Official Source