Best Way to Get a Marriage Certificate in Los Angeles
November 7th, 2023
I am a resident of Los Angeles, however, we decided to get married in Orange County. There was really only one reason why:
Time.
Legal marriage is a two-step process. First, a marriage license must be obtained. To do this in Los Angeles County, one must first make an appointment to purchase his/her marriage license (https://www.lavote.gov/home/county-clerk/marriage-licenses-ceremonies/general-info). An appointment for a ceremony will not be given until a marriage license is acquired and the earliest one can schedule a ceremony is at the time of purchasing a marriage license. One can see how this process will require days if not weeks to complete and we did not even discuss the additional processing time necessary to produce the official marriage certificate.
Los Angeles City Hall
Orange County, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County, are all Los Angeles County-adjacent and all offer appointments for both the marriage license AND ceremony in the same day combining both steps into one.
Being a Los Angeles resident, it appears like Los Angeles County turning a one-step process into two. Typical.
In Orange County, we were able to leave the Old Orange County Courthouse with an unofficial copy of our marriage certificate in hand and the county immediately began processing our official marriage certificate. It is clear that Orange County is exponentially faster than Los Angeles County can ever be.
Remember that a copy of the OFFICIAL marriage certificate is required to complete the very first step of the CR1 Spousal Visa application, specifically Form I-130 “Petition for Alien Relative.”
Utah County Online Wedding Services is an interesting and tempting option (https://www.utahcounty.gov/dept/clerk/marriage/onlinemarriage.html). Originally offered during the pandemic, Utah County recently began offering marriage services entirely online including the ceremony. This process begins by applying for a marriage license and then, once it is accepted and the accompanied fees are paid, an appointment can be made for the online ceremony. The marriage certificate is then sent by mail. This was the leading option for our wedding until we researched further. We discovered that it could potentially take weeks before scheduling an appointment for the online ceremony and we also discovered first hand accounts that disclosed an unacceptable duration of time that had passed before the delivery of their official marriage certificate. To make matters worse, it is not so easy to pick up copies of that official marriage certificate if Utah County is not near should the decision against waiting for postal services be made or any additional copies be required. This means we would have been at the mercy of the speed of the United States Postal Services.
One thing this relationship has taught me is that time is truly our most valuable resource and we are so fortunate to have other options accessible. Utah County was obviously ruled out as an option.
Applying for our Marriage License was easy and done online (https://ocweddings.ocrecorder.com/#/). We were able to submit and pay the $61 public marriage license and reservation fee required and immediately book our appointment for our ceremony on the OCrecorder website. The availability of appointments was convenient and it was incredibly easy making a last minute change to our marriage license application before our ceremony.
Be sure to make any changes BEFORE the ceremony and make sure that all information is correct. The name on the marriage certificate needs to be the same name that will appear on the CR1 Spouse Visa application. This name is what will be printed on the marriage-based green card should it be awarded.
There are two options for the beneficiary if a name change is to take place after the marriage: change the legal name in the US or in his/her home country.
If the beneficiary is changing his/her name, we suggest doing it at this point, during the marriage license application in the United States. Later, he/she can work on changing his/her name on his/her own home country’s documentation.
One thing that is of the utmost importance to understand: the name on the CR1 visa application is the name the US Government is going to know that person as from the moment that I-130 is received.
We suggest not creating any more potential complications for the immigration process to the US and to make any legal name changes in the home country. This will also save tremendous amounts of money in most situations as the fee to change a name on a green card is $455 for the form and $85 for the biometrics fee.
If the beneficiary currently carries a B1/B2 visa, the name on the visa will be the previous name prior to any changes from the marriage. We are still researching to see if Jessica will still be able to use her B1/B2 visa should she receive a new passport with her new last name. Our fear is that the new name on a new Brazilian passport may interfere because it does not match the name on the previously issued US visitors visa. We are already applying for one visa and I can’t imagine having to apply for another especially over something as menial as a name change. Not only that, but I couldn’t imagine taking on this challenge while half of the opportunities to see my wife are taken from me.
We do not get enough time together as it is.
Changing the legal name in the home country will give the beneficiary time to continue using his/her B1/B2 visa without any problems by simply postponing name changes in the home country to a time when it may not interfere with any immediate future visits to the spouse in the US.
Jessica and her Maid of Honor all the way from Sao Paulo, Thuany, tossing the bouquet. Photos by Cobalt & Chrome Photography.
Upon arriving at our selected location, we checked in at the office via desktop. After we were called into their offices, we went over our license application, made the aforementioned amendment to our license, and then paid the required fees. The fees included were $61 for the marriage license and reservation, $28 for our ceremony, and $17 for my request for one mailed copy of our official marriage certificate. The total invested into our spouse visa is currently at $106.
Less than 15 minutes later, our ceremony began and we were married! We exited the courthouse with an unofficial copy of our marriage certificate and celebratory smiles on our faces.
Interior and exterior of the “Old Orange County Courthouse” Santa Ana, CA. Photos by Cobalt & Chrome Photography.
When we were at the courthouse, I elected to receive one copy of our marriage certificate via mail, however, my intention was to call the Orange County Clerk's Office every morning to check on the status of our official marriage certificate. I wanted to waste no time so my plan was to pick up official copies as soon as they were ready. I would undoubtedly be faster then the mail delivery. We got married on a Wednesday and I picked up our official marriage certificate on Tuesday, less than one week from our wedding day. The mailed copy arrived on Friday of that same week.
Although getting married at any of the Los Angeles County civil ceremony locations would have been much more convenient, it obviously would have taken more time. We elected for the inconvenient drive but we completed everything on one day and on our ideal date. Los Angeles County is also very busy so if selecting a specific date is important, I would highly recommend exploring civil ceremony options in any of these other Los Angeles-adjacent counties.
Santa Barbara Courthouse
Whoever said that a courthouse civil ceremony cannot be beautiful? Fun little fact, but, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse is known as one of the most beautiful locations to have a civil ceremony in the country. The Old Orange County Courthouse, where we elected to get married, is also absolutely gorgeous in its own right. Lastly, Riverside County offers the 14th Street Chapel as an option for its most beautiful civil ceremony venue.
As beautiful as the Santa Barbara Courthouse is (https://www.countyofsb.org/605/Marriage-Ceremony-Information), it is widely known for its beauty and therefore incredibly popular. It is incredibly difficult to book your desired appointment. Combine that with the distance from my residence and the homes of those attending, we quickly eliminated Santa Barbara as an option.
The 14th Street Chapel (https://www.rivcoacr.org/14thStreetChapel) is just a little further than the Old Orange County Courthouse but only available Monday through Thursday as opposed to five days a week. It will also require a steep reservation fee as it costs $120 to reserve the 30 minute appointment for a civil ceremony. To make matters worse, the reservation can only be made and paid in person (appointments available, walk-ins welcome). The added cost of the reservation fee, the two trips required to Riverside County in order to reserve and later marry, and the cost of fuel for everyone involved made it simply too difficult. For our particular situation, the one thing the 14th Street Chapel had going for it was it’s proximity to our honeymoon destination: the Korakia Pensione in Palm Springs.
We agreed and settled on the Old Orange County Courthouse as the best option for us.
The best option for those who live in the Greater Los Angeles Area and need a marriage certificate quickly is in Orange County specifically at the Old Orange County Courthouse. It had plenty of appointments available and the Old Orange County Courthouse is a beautiful building with history and character.
The number two best option is Santa Barbara County. It is a little bit farther from Los Angeles proper, however, its beauty is unmatched. There is a small non-refundable reservation fee of $23 but that fee is roughly 18% of the reservation fee required for the 14th Street Chapel in Riverside. The only problem with Santa Barbara is that it will be very difficult to make an appointment. The courthouse is booked solid for months and it may take a while before there is availability for a ceremony.
Third is the 14th Street Chapel in Riverside. If there are plans of having a larger group present at the ceremony, the chapel allows 40 guests, by far the largest allowed capacity of all civil ceremony venues in the Greater Los Angeles area. However, with the added $120 reservation fee combined with its popularity and inconvenience of securing an appointment, we place the 14th Street Chapel in third.
There is no problem with having a civil ceremony in San Bernardino or Ventura County. It works the same way as these other counties do with the same day marriage license application and ceremony. However, these counties’ civil ceremonies locations are not quite as beautiful as the aforementioned. In their defense, Santa Barbara, Orange, and Riverside Counties have set the bar very high. Los Angeles County is, of course, also an amazing option especially the Downtown LA location, however, please understand that it will require the sacrifice of time.
TIME is the most valuable commodity that we share.
This experience of having to apply and hope that I can start my life together with my wife has reminded me to never take time for granted.
“14th Street Chapel” Riverside, CA