Siskiyou County Marriage License Services

Siskiyou County marriage licenses are issued by the County Clerk office in Yreka at 311 Fourth Street, Room 201, where couples can obtain public marriage licenses for $71 or confidential licenses for $79 to use for ceremonies anywhere in California. The Siskiyou County Clerk serves the communities of Mount Shasta, Weed, Dunsmuir, and other towns across this large rural county in Northern California. Both people must appear in person together at the Yreka 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.

Siskiyou County Clerk Location

The Siskiyou County Clerk office is at 311 Fourth Street, Room 201, in Yreka. This is the county courthouse building. All marriage license services for Siskiyou County are handled from this single location. The office serves people from across the county, which is one of the largest counties by area in California but has a small population spread across mountain communities and rural areas.

You can visit the office during regular business hours. Call (530) 842-8084 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 siskiyoucounty.gov has information about marriage licenses and other county clerk services available in Siskiyou County.

Yreka is in the northern part of the county near the Oregon border. If you are coming from southern Siskiyou County communities like Mount Shasta or Weed, the drive to Yreka takes about 45 minutes to an hour. Plan your trip accordingly and allow extra time in winter when weather can affect mountain roads in Siskiyou County.

Note: The Siskiyou County Clerk is not currently performing civil marriage ceremonies, so you will need to arrange for a private officiant to conduct your wedding.

Civil Ceremony Services Not Available

The Siskiyou County Clerk office is not currently officiating civil marriage ceremonies. This means you can get your marriage license from the county clerk in Yreka, but you need to find someone else to perform your wedding ceremony. Many California counties offer civil ceremonies as a service, but Siskiyou County does not at this time.

You can hire a private officiant to conduct your wedding. Options include clergy members, judges, or people who are registered as deputy marriage commissioners in California. Some officiants travel to wedding locations throughout Siskiyou County. Others perform ceremonies at their own venues or offices. Search online for wedding officiants in Siskiyou County or nearby areas to find someone who can perform your ceremony.

Your marriage license from Siskiyou County works anywhere in California. You can get the license in Yreka and then have your ceremony in another county if you prefer. The license is valid for 90 days, so you have time to plan your ceremony and find an officiant who meets your needs in or near Siskiyou County.

Applying for Your License

Both people must appear in person at the Siskiyou County Clerk office in Yreka. 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 Siskiyou 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 $71 and confidential licenses cost $79 in Siskiyou County. Check with the office about accepted payment methods when you call ahead. 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.

Marriage License Costs

A public marriage license costs $71 in Siskiyou County. A confidential license costs $79. These fees are moderate compared to other California counties. The fee covers processing your application and issuing the license document. It does not include ceremony costs since the county clerk is not currently performing civil ceremonies in Siskiyou County.

If you need certified copies of your marriage certificate after your wedding, you can order them from the Siskiyou County Clerk office. Copy fees vary by county but typically range from $15 to $25 per certified copy. Call (530) 842-8084 to ask about current copy fees and how to request copies by mail or in person in Siskiyou 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

Siskiyou County issues both public and confidential marriage licenses. A public license costs $71. 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 $79 in Siskiyou 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 that require proof of marriage. Both types are fully legal in California. You cannot change from one type to the other after the license is issued in Siskiyou County.

Who Can Get a Marriage License

Both people must be at least 18 years old to get a marriage license in Siskiyou 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 Siskiyou 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 Yreka. 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 Siskiyou 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 Siskiyou County Clerk office in Yreka. 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 Siskiyou 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 at once. It is easier to get several copies at the same time than to request them separately later in Siskiyou County.

How to Get Certificate Copies

You can request certified copies of your marriage certificate from the Siskiyou County Clerk office at 311 Fourth Street, Room 201, in Yreka. Call (530) 842-8084 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 Siskiyou County records.

Nearby California Counties

Siskiyou County is in far Northern California near the Oregon 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.

Modoc County, Shasta County, Trinity County, Humboldt County, Del Norte County