Wednesday, April 9, 2014

California Public Marriage Records

By Ben Kingsley


The vital records department of the California Department of Public Health is the central repository of all records of Marriage in California. They are also found at the specific county Recorder's Office that issued the license.


If you want to acquire certified authorized copies of marriage files, you can only get them at the Recorder's Office. If you head to the vital records department, you will only be given a certified informational copy. If you are going to a court trial, you can use the authorized copy of the marriage file to prove that a marriage did take place. Informational copies are intended to provide information only. Authorized copies are given only to people that have the approval of the court such as the couple, their attorneys, and other entities authorized by the court. On an informational copy, you will the names of the couple, when they were born, and the date location where the marriage occurred. Other important particulars are kept in private because they are deemed as confidential information.

A marriage will not become official unless there is a marriage license. The license needs to be obtained by the husband and wife simultaneously at the Recorder's Office. The license is good for 90 days only and if no marriage transpires within that period, the current license will become invalid and a new one should be obtained.

A request form is available at the vital records department or it can be downloaded through their official website. It costs $14 for every request and it is paid through check or money order. A notarized sworn statement should also be submitted. If any of the requirements is missing, the request will not be accepted. Obtaining marriage records from the vital records department usually takes about 6 months because they maintain a lot of records and they are undermanned. If you want to obtain the records faster, head to the specific country Recorder's office.

The records can now be obtained online as well through private service providers. There service providers are authorized by the court to disseminate public records, including marriage records, to the public. They maintain a database that is linked with the database of the government so that their records are identical to that of the government's.

There are various search tools that supply Records of Marriage. Some even offer nationwide search, which is particularly helpful when the state where the records are kept is unknown. Search tools are either for free or have certain fees. Regardless of which kind you choose, make sure you do a history check on them so that you will know if they are credible or not. Both kinds provide the basic details of the documents but those that have certain fees are able to provide additional details.




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