Lassen County Marriage License Information
Lassen County marriage licenses are issued by the County Clerk-Recorder office at 220 S Lassen Street, Suite 5, in Susanville, where couples can obtain public marriage licenses for $51 or confidential licenses for $70 to use for wedding ceremonies anywhere in California. The Lassen County Clerk serves residents and visitors in this rural Northeastern California county, with public licenses offered at one of the lowest fees in the entire state. Both people must appear together in person at the Susanville office to complete the marriage license application, show valid photo identification, and receive their license which remains valid for 90 days from the issue date under California Family Code requirements for use throughout the state.
Lassen County Marriage License Facts
Lassen County Clerk Office
The Lassen County Clerk-Recorder is at 220 S Lassen Street, Suite 5, in Susanville. This is the main county office building. All marriage license services for Lassen County are handled from this single location. The office serves people throughout the county, which covers a large rural area in Northeastern California near the Nevada border.
You can visit the office during regular business hours. Call (530) 251-8217 if you have questions before your visit. The clerk staff can answer basic questions about the marriage license process and tell you what documents to bring. The county's website at lassencounty.org has information about marriage licenses and other county clerk services available in Lassen County.
Susanville is the county seat and largest town in Lassen County. The town is located on Highway 36 in the northeast corner of California. Parking is available near the county office building. The office is accessible from downtown Susanville on foot or by car. Plan to spend about 20 to 30 minutes at the clerk office to complete your marriage license application in Lassen County.
Applying for a Marriage License
Both people must appear in person at the Lassen County Clerk office in Susanville. Bring valid photo identification for each person. A driver license, passport, state ID card, or military ID works. The clerk will verify your identities and complete the marriage license application with you. The process takes about 15 to 20 minutes in Lassen County.
The application asks for basic information. You need your full legal name, date of birth, place of birth, and social security number. If either person was married before, you must provide the date and place where that marriage ended. The clerk may ask additional questions about previous marriages to verify you are legally able to marry again under California law.
After completing the application, you pay the license fee. Public licenses cost $51 and confidential licenses cost $70 in Lassen County. The $51 public license fee is one of the lowest in California, making Lassen County an affordable choice for couples on a budget. Check with the office about accepted payment methods when you call ahead at (530) 251-8217. Once you pay, the clerk prints your marriage license. You receive the physical document immediately. It is valid for 90 days from that date anywhere in California.
Make sure both people are present when you visit the clerk office. The clerk cannot issue a license if only one person shows up. Both people must appear together under California Family Code requirements for all marriage licenses in the state.
Lowest Public License Fee in California
Lassen County charges just $51 for a public marriage license. This is the lowest public license fee among all 58 California counties. Most counties charge $60 to $100 or more for a public license. The low fee makes Lassen County an attractive option for couples who want to save money on their marriage license costs.
The marriage license from Lassen County works anywhere in California. You can get the license in Susanville and then have your ceremony in any other county. The license is valid for 90 days, so you have time to plan your wedding and travel to your ceremony location. Many couples take advantage of the low fee by making a day trip to Susanville to get their license before heading to their wedding destination elsewhere in California.
Confidential licenses cost $70 in Lassen County, which is moderate compared to other counties. The low public license fee is the main advantage for couples choosing to get their marriage license in Lassen County.
Marriage License Costs
A public marriage license costs $51 in Lassen County, the lowest in California. A confidential license costs $70. The fee covers processing your application and issuing the license document. Information about civil ceremony services was not confirmed for Lassen County, so contact the clerk office if you want the county to perform your wedding.
If you need certified copies of your marriage certificate after your wedding, you can order them from the Lassen County Clerk office. Copy fees vary by county but typically cost $15 to $25 per certified copy. Call (530) 251-8217 to ask about current copy fees and how to request copies by mail or in person in Lassen County.
For marriages that occurred before 2000 or after 2007, you can also order copies from the California Department of Public Health. The state charges $19 per copy. Visit cdph.ca.gov to learn about state vital records services and which years are available from the state versus the county in California.
Public and Confidential Licenses
Lassen County issues both public and confidential marriage licenses. A public license costs $51. After your wedding ceremony, the license becomes part of the public record. Anyone can request a copy of the marriage certificate from the county clerk or the state vital records office once it is filed. This is the most common type of license in California.
A confidential license costs $70 in Lassen County. The record stays private. Only the two people who got married can obtain copies later. To qualify for a confidential license, both people must be living together as a married couple when they apply. No witness is required for a confidential ceremony. The officiant signs the license and files it with the county clerk, but it does not become public under California Family Code Section 509.
Many couples choose confidential licenses for privacy reasons. Others prefer public licenses because they are more common and may be easier to use when dealing with government agencies or financial institutions. Both types are fully legal in California. You cannot change from one type to the other after the license is issued in Lassen County.
Who Can Get a Marriage License
Both people must be at least 18 years old to get a marriage license in Lassen County. If someone is under 18, a court order is required in California. No blood test is needed. California stopped requiring blood tests in 1995. You do not need to be a resident of Lassen County or California. People from any state or country can apply for a marriage license here.
You must apply in person together at the clerk office in Susanville. Both people need to be present. You cannot send someone else to apply for you. The clerk will verify your identities and ask questions that only you can answer. If either person was married before, be ready to provide the date and place where that marriage ended. Divorce decrees are not usually required, but the clerk may ask for them in some situations.
Your marriage license is valid for 90 days from the issue date. You must have your wedding ceremony within those 90 days. If the license expires before your ceremony, you need to apply again and pay another fee. Make sure you have a ceremony date planned before getting the license to avoid wasting money on an expired license in Lassen County.
After Your Wedding Ceremony
The person who performs your ceremony must complete and sign your marriage license. This can be a judge, clergy member, or other authorized officiant in California. The officiant has 10 days after the ceremony to return the completed license to the Lassen County Clerk office in Susanville. This is a state law requirement under the California Family Code.
Once the license is filed, your marriage becomes an official record. The county clerk processes the filed license and adds it to the vital records database. This usually takes a few days to a few weeks depending on how quickly the officiant returns the license and how busy the clerk office is at the time in Lassen County.
After the license is filed, you can order certified copies of your marriage certificate. These are the official documents you use to change your name on a driver license, social security card, passport, or other legal records. Order extra copies if you need to update multiple documents. It is easier to get several copies at once than to request them separately later in Lassen County.
How to Get Certificate Copies
You can request certified copies of your marriage certificate from the Lassen County Clerk-Recorder at 220 S Lassen Street, Suite 5, in Susanville. Call (530) 251-8217 to ask about the current copy fee and how to submit your request. Options may include in-person requests, mail requests, or online requests depending on what services the county offers.
In-person requests are usually processed within a few days. Bring valid photo ID and be ready to pay the copy fee. Mail requests take longer. Allow two to three weeks if you order by mail. Some counties use third-party services like VitalChek for online orders, which may have extra fees but can be faster than mail in some cases for Lassen County records.
Nearby California Counties
Lassen County is in Northeastern California near the Nevada border. It borders several other California counties. Each county has its own clerk office with different fees and procedures. You can apply for a marriage license in any California county regardless of where you live or plan to have your ceremony.