Who Can Legally Perform a Wedding Ceremony in California?

Obtaining married in California enables you many alternatives when it comes to your ceremony officiant. Whilst some couples select a person based on personal or spiritual likeness, other appear for legality, convenience or affordability. Whichever route you take, it is crucial to make confident the individual marrying you is legal to do so.

So who can perform a legal marriage in California?

California Family Code, Section 400 states the persons authorized to solemnize marriage ceremonies in California are as follows:

- A priest, minister, shaman or rabbi of any religious denomination.

- A judge or retired judge, commissioner of civil marriages or retired commissioner of civil marriages, commissioner or retired commissioner, or assistant commissioner of a court of record in this state.

- A judge or magistrate who has resigned from workplace.

- Any of the following judges or magistrates of the United States.

- A justice or retired justice of the United States Supreme Court, court of appeals, a district court, or a court created by an act of Congress the judges of which are entitled to hold office for the duration of superior behavior.

- A judge or retired judge of a bankruptcy court or a tax court.

- A legislator or constitutional officer of this state or a member of Congress who represents a district within this state, when that individual holds workplace.

- Numerous County Clerks in California carry out civil marriage ceremonies in their offices. For further information relating to civil marriage ceremonies, please get in touch with the County Clerk's Office directly to see if they offer this service.

- Any individual wishing to perform a ceremony can apply to come to be a Deputy Commissioner of Marriages, granting them this authority for 1 day only.

Officiants ought to complete the marriage license and return it to the county clerk inside four days right after the marriage.

Whomever you determine to help make your ceremony unique, make certain they will be legally recognized by the state of California. If you don't know the officiant, don't be afraid to ask for their credentials or certificates beforehand. If it's somebody who is performing their 1st ceremony for you, assist them by contacting the marriage license workplace in the county you program to marry and ask what info, if any, your officiant need to present.