Find Fremont Marriage Licenses
Fremont residents get marriage licenses from the Alameda County Clerk. The city has about 228,000 people and sits in the southeast part of Alameda County. All couples must use the county clerk to get a license. You cannot get one from the city. Alameda County has two clerk offices. One is in Oakland at 1106 Madison Street. The other is in Dublin at 7600 Dublin Boulevard. Both offices can help you apply for a marriage license if you live in Fremont. You pick which one works best for your schedule and location. The county keeps all marriage records and gives out certified copies when you need them later.
Fremont Quick Facts
Alameda County Issues Marriage Licenses
Fremont is in Alameda County. The county clerk is the only office that can issue marriage licenses for Fremont. This is set by California state law under the California Family Code Sections 350 through 360. The clerk runs two offices to serve the whole county. The main office is in Oakland. The branch office in Dublin is closer to Fremont and may be easier to reach for many residents.
The Dublin office is at 7600 Dublin Boulevard, Suite 200. It is about 15 miles north of Fremont and takes less than 30 minutes to drive in normal traffic. The Oakland office is at 1106 Madison Street. That office is in downtown Oakland near the county courthouse. Both offices offer the same services for marriage licenses. Call (510) 272-6362 to check hours or ask questions before you go to apply in Fremont.
For old marriage records, the California Department of Public Health may have copies if the marriage was a long time ago. The state keeps some records for public marriages from before 2000 and after 2007. For years in between, you must go through the county. The county clerk has the most recent records for marriages that took place in Fremont.
Alameda County also offers virtual marriage services using Microsoft Teams. This started during the pandemic and is still available. You can ask about that option when you call the clerk office. It lets you attend a civil ceremony online from your home in Fremont if that is what you prefer.
Apply for a Marriage License in Fremont
Both people must go to the clerk office in person. One person cannot apply alone. You need a valid photo ID like a driver license, passport, or state ID card. If you were married before, bring proof that the old marriage ended. A divorce decree or death certificate will work. You do not need to live in California to get a license here. Anyone can apply as long as they meet the age and ID requirements under California law.
The clerk will give you a form to fill out. It asks for names, birth dates, birth places, and where you plan to get married. You do not have to get married at that exact place. You can change your mind later. The form also asks if you want a public or confidential license. Most couples choose public. A confidential license is for couples who already live together and want their marriage record to stay private. That option is covered by California Family Code Sections 500 through 511.
You pay the fee when you apply. A public license costs $81. A confidential license is $90. The office accepts cash, checks, and credit cards. After you pay, the clerk gives you the license right away. It is good for 90 days from that date. You must have your wedding ceremony within those 90 days or the license expires. If it expires, you have to apply again and pay again.
After your ceremony, your officiant signs the license and mails it back to the county clerk. The law says the officiant has ten days to do this. Once the county gets it, they file the marriage record and you can order certified copies. It takes a few weeks for the record to be ready in the county system for Fremont.
Fremont Marriage License Fees
Alameda County charges $81 for a public marriage license. A confidential license is $90. These fees are set by the county and may go up over time. Call the clerk at (510) 272-6362 to check the current rates before you go to Fremont to apply.
If you want a civil ceremony at the county office, that costs $75. Some couples do the ceremony right after they get the license. You can book an appointment for that when you apply. The county also offers virtual ceremonies using Microsoft Teams for the same price. If you hire your own officiant, you do not pay the county ceremony fee. Just make sure your officiant is registered with the state and knows how to return the signed license to the county after your wedding in Fremont.
- Public marriage license: $81
- Confidential marriage license: $90
- Civil ceremony: $75
- Certified copy of marriage certificate: Contact county for current fee
The California Department of Public Health forms page has information on state-level marriage records. You can also order copies through the state if the county does not have what you need for your Fremont marriage.
Order Copies of Fremont Marriage Certificates
After your marriage is filed, you can order certified copies of your marriage certificate. You need these for legal matters like name changes, health insurance, and benefits. A certified copy has a raised seal and signature from the county clerk. Plain copies do not have the seal and are not valid for most legal uses.
Go to the Alameda County Clerk office in Oakland or Dublin to order in person. Bring your ID and know the names of both spouses and the marriage date. The office can look up the record and print a copy while you wait. By mail, send a letter with the same details and a check for the fee. Include a return envelope with postage. Online orders can be placed through VitalChek at vitalchek.com. VitalChek charges a service fee on top of the county fee.
Only certain people can order marriage records. If the marriage is public, anyone can request a copy. If it is confidential, only the two spouses can order records. No one else can get a confidential marriage record in Fremont unless they have a court order. This rule is in California Family Code Section 511.
For older records, the California Department of Public Health may have what you need. Call them at (916) 445-2684 to find out if they have the record from your Fremont marriage. The state charges $19 for a certified copy of a marriage certificate.
Marriage Laws in California
You must be at least 18 to get married without a court order. Both people must be able to consent to the marriage. You cannot be married to someone else at the time you apply. If you were married before, that marriage must be ended by divorce or death before you can get a new license in Fremont.
California does not require a blood test. That rule ended in 1995. There is also no waiting period. You can get the license and use it on the same day. The license is valid for 90 days. If you do not have a ceremony within that time, the license is no longer good.
Your officiant must be authorized by California. This can be a judge, a religious leader, or a deputy commissioner of civil marriages. After the ceremony, the officiant fills out the license and sends it back to the county within ten days. That is the law under the California Family Code. If the signed license is not returned, the marriage record may not be filed and you will have trouble getting copies later in Fremont.
Note: California allows proxy marriages only in very limited cases involving active military members.
Legal Resources in Fremont
You usually do not need a lawyer to get a marriage license. The process is simple. But if you have questions about prenuptial agreements, property rights, or other legal matters related to marriage, you may want to talk to a family law attorney in Fremont. The Alameda County Bar Association can refer you to a lawyer who handles these issues.
For general legal help, the California Courts Self-Help Center has guides and forms. Alameda County also has self-help services at the courthouse in Oakland. These services are free and open to anyone who needs help with court forms or understanding California law in Fremont.
The VitalChek portal is a third-party service that handles online orders for California marriage certificates. This is useful if you moved away from Fremont and need a copy of your marriage record sent to you. The service charges a fee but saves you the trip to a county office.
Alameda County Marriage License Records
Fremont is in Alameda County. All marriage licenses for Fremont residents are issued by the Alameda County Clerk. The county has two offices in Oakland and Dublin. For more information on county services, office hours, fees, and how to order marriage records, visit the Alameda County page.
Nearby Cities Over 100,000 Population
Other large cities near Fremont in the Bay Area also go through their county clerk offices for marriage licenses. Oakland, Hayward, and Berkeley are in Alameda County. San Jose and Sunnyvale are in Santa Clara County. Each city follows the same state laws for marriage licenses that Fremont does.