Marriage Certificates

 

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The County of San Diego Recorder's Office is the custodian of vital records in San Diego County.  If the marriage license was issued by the County of San Diego, the Recorder's Office can accommodate customer requests for certificate copies of these vital records (1) in person at our office locations, (2) by mail, and (3) online. 

California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 permits only an authorized individual to receive a Certified Copy of a marriage certificate, specific to whether the marriage was non-confidential or confidential.  For non-confidential marriages, those who are not authorized by law will receive a certified Informational Copy marked "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY".  For confidential marriages, those who are not authorized by law will receive a "Letter Confirming the Existence of a Marriage".

Please allow 3 weeks from the time the marriage license was returned to our office for recording to request a copy of the vital certificate.  If no vital record is found based on the information provided on the application, a "Letter of No Record" will be issued.  The Recorder's Office will retain the non-refundable fee for processing the application.  

To speak with a Vital Records staff member, contact the Recorder's Office at (619) 237-0502.  Se habla español.

ORDERING NON-CONFIDENTIAL MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES – GENERAL INFO

 
 
Those who are authorized by law to receive a Certified Copy of a non-confidential marriage certificate are:

• one of the two registrants listed on the marriage certificate;
• a parent or legal guardian of a registrant;
• a party entitled to the record as a result of a court order (a certified copy of the COURT ORDER must be included with the application);
• a member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting official business (companies representing a government agency must provide authorization from the government agency);
• a child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of a registrant;
• or an attorney representing a registrant or a registrant's estate, or any person or agency empowered by statute, or appointed by a court to act on behalf of a registrant or a registrant's estate (if you are requesting a Certified Copy under a power of attorney, please include a copy of the power of attorney with the application).

 
Those who are not authorized by law will receive a certified Informational Copy marked "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY".

The Marriage Certificate Application will require the following information:

• the full legal names of the married couple
• and the date of the marriage.

 
The fee for each copy of a non-confidential marriage certificate is $17.00.

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ORDERING CONFIDENTIAL MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES – GENERAL INFO

Those who are authorized by law to receive a Certified Copy of a confidential marriage certificate are:

• one of the two registrants listed on the marriage certificate
• or a party entitled to the record as a result of a court order (a certified copy of the COURT ORDER must be included with the application).

 
Those who are not authorized by law will receive a "Letter Confirming the Existence of a Marriage".

The Marriage Certificate Application will require the following information:

• the full legal names of the married couple
• and the date of the marriage.

 
The fee for each copy of a confidential marriage certificate is $17.00.

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REQUESTING MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES IN PERSON

Copies of a marriage certificate may be purchased at our available office locations as long as the marriage license was issued by the County of San Diego.  The applicant must complete a Marriage Certificate Application, sign it in the presence of a County Clerk (the signature is not required to be notarized), and present valid photo identification.  The fee of $17.00 per each copy of a marriage certificate is payable by cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card ($2.50 surcharge per transaction) and is not refundable if no record is found.  If no record is found, a "Letter of No Record" will be issued.

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REQUESTING MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES BY MAIL

Copies of a marriage certificate may be ordered by mail as long as the marriage license was issued by the County of San Diego.  The applicant must complete the Marriage Certificate Application, provide the number of copies requested, and provide the address where the copy(ies) will be mailed.

Additionally, applicants requesting a Certified Copy must identify their relationship to the registrant and must sign the Sworn Statement declaring, under penalty of perjury, that they are eligible to receive a Certified Copy of the marriage record.  The authorized individual's signature on the Sworn Statement must be notarized, and the Certificate of Acknowledgement must be completed by a Notary Public.  Informational Copy of a non-confidential marriage certificate do not require notarized signatures but will be marked "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY"; for confidential marriages, a "Letter Confirming the Existence of a Marriage" is issued to those who are not authorized by law to receive the marriage record and do not require their signature notarized.

The fee of $17.00 per each copy of a marriage certificate is payable by check or money order to the "San Diego Recorder/County Clerk" and is not refundable if no record is found.  If no record is found, a "Letter of No Record" will be issued.

Send completed application(s) and payment(s) to:

San Diego Recorder/County Clerk
ATTN: Vital Records
P.O. Box 121750
San Diego, CA 92112-1750

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REQUESTING VITAL CERTIFICATES ONLINE

The Recorder's Office does not accept online orders; however, for customer convenience, online requests may be submitted through an independent company partnered with the Recorder's Office to provide the service to the public.

VitalChek Network Inc. is a private company that provides a secure Internet site that allows the public to conveniently order vital record certificates 24 hours a day.  Orders may be placed through VitalChek's website www.vitalchek.com; by fax through (866) 233-1057; and by phone through the toll-free phone number (877) 459-1061, Monday through Friday during regular business hours.  

PLEASE NOTE: Ensure to select "San Diego County Recorder" as the government agency when placing an order through VitalChek.  All applicants requesting certified copies must pass VitalChek's online identity verification for the order to be processed.  Any applicant who fails or opts out of the online identity verification will be required to submit a Sworn Statement and notarized Certificate of Acknowledgment for the order to be processed.  Please be sure to follow the instructions at VitalChek's website.

In addition to the cost of the certificates, VitalChek charges a handling fee of $12.95 for all orders.  Expedited return delivery is an available option for an additional fee of $19.00; otherwise, the certificate(s) will be returned via regular mail.

Copies of vital certificates may be obtained from the Recorder's Office in person or by mail without any additional processing or shipping fees for regular mailing.

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