Full question:
My boyfriend and I are living together since five years. We have now decided to get married. But we do not want to have a public marriage. Is confidential marriage accepted and valid in the State of California?
- Category: Marriage
- Date:
- State: California
Answer:
If you are getting married anywhere in the United States, the first step should be to get your marriage license. California is, however, the only state that offers both public and confidential marriage license.A confidential marriage license is legally binding, but it does not form a part of the public record. Cal. Fam. Code §500 allows issuing a confidential marriage license by a county clerk upon personal appearance of the parties together to be married. Further, Cal. Fam. Code. §511 state that this license is not open to public inspection except by a court order upon showing of good cause. A confidential marriage license is, however, valid for a period of 90 days only after its issuance.
Requirements for a confidential marriage license are:
- The parties should have attained the age of majority.
- The parties should be living together as partners.
- An affidavit should be signed by both the parties stating that they have been living together as spouses.
- The couple must marry in the county where the license is issued and the license must be filed in the county from where it was purchased.
- No witness is required nor their sign in the license.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
