Modoc County Marriage License Services
Modoc County marriage licenses are issued by the County Clerk office at 108 E. Modoc Street in Alturas, California's least populous county seat, where couples can obtain public marriage licenses for $60 or confidential licenses for $58 to use for wedding ceremonies anywhere in the state. The Modoc County Clerk serves this remote rural county in the far northeast corner of California, processing marriage license applications for residents and visitors planning weddings in this scenic high desert and mountain region. Both people must appear together in person at the Alturas courthouse 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 California.
Modoc County Marriage License Facts
Modoc County Clerk in Alturas
The Modoc County Clerk office is at 108 E. Modoc Street in Alturas. This is the county courthouse building. All marriage license services for Modoc County are provided from this location. Alturas is the county seat and only incorporated town in Modoc County, which is California's least populous county with fewer than 10,000 residents spread across a large area.
You can visit the office during regular business hours. Call (530) 233-6200 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 co.modoc.ca.us has information about marriage licenses and other county clerk services available in Modoc County.
Alturas is located on Highway 395 in the far northeast corner of California near the Oregon and Nevada borders. The town is remote, so plan your trip carefully if you are coming from another part of the state. Parking is available near the courthouse in downtown Alturas. The office is accessible from most downtown locations on foot or by car in Modoc County.
Note: Modoc County is one of the few California counties where the confidential license fee ($58) is lower than the public license fee ($60).
How to Apply for a License
Both people must appear in person at the Modoc County Clerk office in Alturas. 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 Modoc County.
The application asks for standard 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 follow-up questions about previous marriages to confirm you are legally able to marry again under California law.
After completing the application, you pay the license fee. Public licenses cost $60 and confidential licenses cost $58 in Modoc County. These are low fees compared to many California counties. Check with the office about accepted payment methods when you call ahead at (530) 233-6200. 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 Section 350 and related provisions for all marriage licenses in the state.
Lower Fee for Confidential Licenses
Modoc County charges $58 for a confidential marriage license and $60 for a public license. This is unusual because most California counties charge more for confidential licenses or the same price for both types. In Modoc County, the confidential license is $2 cheaper than the public license.
Both types of licenses are fully legal and work anywhere in California. The main difference is that public licenses become part of the public record after your wedding, while confidential licenses stay private. If you qualify for a confidential license and want privacy, you can save a small amount by choosing that option in Modoc County.
To qualify for a confidential license, both people must be living together as a married couple when they apply. If you do not meet this requirement, you need to get a public license instead. Ask the clerk staff if you have questions about which type of license is right for your situation in Modoc County.
Marriage License Costs
A public marriage license costs $60 in Modoc County. A confidential license costs $58. These are among the lower fees in California. The fee covers processing your application and issuing the license document. Information about civil ceremony services was not confirmed for Modoc 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 Modoc County Clerk office. Copy fees vary by county but typically cost $15 to $25 per certified copy. Call (530) 233-6200 to ask about current copy fees and how to request copies by mail or in person in Modoc 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 or Confidential Licenses
Modoc County issues both public and confidential marriage licenses. A public license costs $60. 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 $58 in Modoc County, making it the lower-cost option here. 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. In Modoc County, you also save $2 by choosing a confidential license over a public license. Both types are fully legal in California. You cannot change from one type to the other after the license is issued in Modoc County.
California Marriage Requirements
Both people must be at least 18 years old to get a marriage license in Modoc 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 Modoc 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 Alturas. 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 cases.
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 Modoc County.
After Your Ceremony
The person who performs your wedding 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 Modoc County Clerk office in Alturas. 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 Modoc 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 Modoc County.
Obtaining Marriage Certificates
You can request certified copies of your marriage certificate from the Modoc County Clerk at 108 E. Modoc Street in Alturas. Call (530) 233-6200 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 Modoc County records.
For older marriage records, the county clerk maintains archives going back many decades. Very old records may require staff to search paper files. This can add time to your request. If you need a marriage certificate for a marriage that occurred many years ago in Modoc County, contact the clerk office to ask about record availability and processing times for historical records.
Nearby California Counties
Modoc County is in the far northeast corner of California, bordering Oregon and Nevada. It is one of the most remote counties in the state. Nearby California counties each have their own clerk offices 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.