Search Costa Mesa Marriage Records

Marriage licenses for Costa Mesa are issued by the Orange County Clerk Recorder. Costa Mesa has about 109,000 residents and sits in central Orange County. All marriage license applications for Costa Mesa residents go through the county clerk system. Orange County has three clerk office locations where you can apply for a license. If you got married in Costa Mesa or anywhere in Orange County, your marriage record is kept by the county clerk recorder office and you can order certified copies through their office, by mail, or through the online wedding portal at any time.

Orange County Handles Marriage Licenses

Costa Mesa is in Orange County. The county clerk recorder issues all marriage licenses for Costa Mesa residents. Cities do not have authority to issue marriage licenses in California. County clerks handle license applications and keep marriage records under California Family Code.

The main Orange County Clerk Recorder office is at 211 West Santa Ana Boulevard in Santa Ana. This is the closest location to Costa Mesa. The office is in Room 201 of the county building. You must have an appointment to apply for a marriage license. Both people must come together in person. Walk-in service is not available.

Orange County also has offices in Anaheim and Laguna Hills. You can apply at any of the three locations. The online wedding portal at ocweddings.ocrecorder.com lets you start your application and book your appointment time. Call 714-834-2500 if you need help with the application process or have questions about marriage licenses in Orange County.

Marriage License Requirements

Costa Mesa couples must meet California state requirements to get a marriage license. You must be at least 18 years old. If you are under 18, you need a court order. No blood test is required in California. You do not need to be a California resident or a U.S. citizen. Anyone can apply for a marriage license in Orange County regardless of where they live.

You need valid photo ID for both people. A driver license, passport, or state ID card works. The clerk will ask for your social security number. If you were married before, you must say when and where that marriage ended. The clerk fills out the application during your appointment at the Santa Ana office or any other Orange County location.

What to bring to your appointment:

• Valid government photo ID for both people
• Social security numbers
• Information about previous marriages if you were married before
• Payment for the license fee

The marriage license is valid for 90 days after the clerk issues it. You must have your wedding ceremony within that 90-day period. After the ceremony, your officiant must sign the license and return it to the county clerk within 10 days. Your marriage becomes official once the clerk files the completed license in Orange County.

Public and Confidential Licenses

Orange County offers both public and confidential marriage licenses. A public marriage license costs $61. This is the standard type. The license becomes a public record after your ceremony. Anyone can request a copy of your marriage certificate. You need at least one witness at your wedding for a public license. The witness must be 18 or older.

A confidential marriage license costs $66 in Orange County. To get a confidential license, both people must already be living together as a married couple when you apply. No witness is required for a confidential marriage ceremony. The license does not become a public record. Only the two people who got married can get copies later. Other people cannot access confidential marriage records unless they have a court order.

California Family Code Sections 500 through 511 govern confidential marriages. These laws protect your privacy if you choose a confidential license. Both license types are legally valid in Costa Mesa. You cannot change from one type to the other after the clerk issues your license in Orange County.

Note: Confidential marriage records stay with the Orange County Clerk Recorder and are not sent to the state vital records office.

Civil Marriage Ceremonies

The Orange County Clerk Recorder performs civil marriage ceremonies. The ceremony fee is $28. This is separate from the license fee. Ceremonies are short and simple. They last about 5 to 10 minutes. You can bring a small group of guests. The clerk reads a standard script and you exchange vows at the clerk office.

You can also hire your own officiant instead of using the county clerk. Any judge, religious leader, or person authorized under California law can perform your wedding. The officiant must return the signed license to the county clerk within 10 days of your ceremony. You can have your wedding anywhere in California once you have your license from Orange County.

Many Costa Mesa couples schedule their ceremony for the same day they pick up their license. This works well if you want a quick civil ceremony. If you prefer a larger wedding, get your license first and plan your ceremony for later. Just make sure your ceremony happens within 90 days of the license date in Orange County.

Requesting Marriage Certificate Copies

You can get copies of your Costa Mesa marriage certificate from Orange County or from the California Department of Public Health. The county clerk is faster for recent records. The state vital records office can provide older records for public marriages but takes more time to process.

To order from Orange County, visit the clerk office in Santa Ana, Anaheim, or Laguna Hills. You can also order by mail or through the online portal at www.ocrecorder.com. The website has order forms and payment options. Most orders are processed within one to two weeks in Orange County.

The California Department of Public Health charges $19 per certified copy of public marriage certificates. You can order by mail or through VitalChek, the authorized online service. VitalChek adds service fees. The state cannot provide records for years 2000 through 2007. For those years, you must contact Orange County. The state does not keep confidential marriage records.

Note: Allow 10 to 15 business days for mail orders from Orange County.

California Marriage Laws

California Family Code Sections 350 through 360 set the rules for marriage licenses. These statutes explain age requirements, ID requirements, and how long a license stays valid. The 90-day validity rule comes from this part of California law. Orange County clerks follow these statutes when they issue licenses to Costa Mesa residents.

California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 controls who can get certified copies of marriage certificates. This law creates two groups. Authorized persons include the married couple, their lawyers, and certain family members. They can get certified copies for legal use. Other people can only get informational copies that are not valid for official purposes in Costa Mesa and across California.

Confidential marriage laws appear in California Family Code Sections 500 through 511. Section 509 limits access to confidential records. Section 511 sets penalties for unauthorized disclosure. These laws protect couples who choose confidential licenses in Orange County.

Other Orange County Cities

Nearby qualifying cities include Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Garden Grove. All of these cities are in Orange County. Residents use the same county clerk office system for marriage licenses.