Find Free San Diego County Marriage Records (Document Access)

Look up free San Diego County marriage records to find out about matrimonies held locally. People can get this data on marriage licenses and certificates according to the California Public Record Act (CPRA). This law allows citizens to check and copy marital records.

Different government offices provide information on San Diego County’s marriages. This resource gives helpful guidance and provides links for obtaining these records at low or no cost.

How To Acquire San Diego County Marriage Records on Anyone

Understanding how to acquire San Diego County marital records is crucial in obtaining knowledge about anyone’s matrimony. The San Diego County Clerk-Recorder meticulously preserves these vital documents.¹ They make them available to the public 10 business days after the wedding ceremony.

Non-confidential certificates of marriage are easily accessible to the general public, those with court access, and attorneys who represent involved subjects. Authorized government or law enforcement bodies can also retrieve this information if it pertains to official matters.

When dealing with confidential records, however, only the certificate recipients and those granted court orders can gain access. These rule-abiding parties must provide an order copy as proof to county officials.

Citizens have plenty of means, such as making an in-person visit, mail-in requests, and online methods through which they can retrieve this valuable information from San Diego County’s extensive set of archives.

Visiting any of the Clerk-Recorder Office locations across San Diego is the first method.² Here individuals are required to fill and sign the Application for Marriage Certificate.³ They must also bring any government form of identification that could be shown to the Clerk-Recorder. The main office of the Recorder is as follows:

San Diego County Clerk-Recorder – Main Office
1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 260,
San Diego, CA, 92101

Phone: (616)237-0502
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: Monday – Friday (8 AM – 5 PM)

With payment of $17.00 per certificate valid by cash or check, the officials process and settle the request. Credit card users incur a $2.50 extra charge.

Interested individuals can also request marriage records through the mail. They simply need to complete the application form mentioned above, attach the required amount ($17.00) by money order or check payable to ‘San Diego Recorder/County Clerk’ and send it to the following address:

San Diego County Clerk-Recorder
Vital Records
Post Office Box, 121750
San Diego, CA, 92112 – 1750

For certified copies, ensure additional sections are filled out and verified by a Notary Public before dispatching.

Lastly, requesters can also make use of online methods for retrieving marriage records. The Clerk-Recorder’s Office outsources the accessibility for securing marriage records to VitalChek. However, accessing records this way comes with an extra cost of $12.95 (on shipping), above the normal fee of $17.00 charged for the documents.

To find marriage records in any city of San Diego County, individuals will have to get in contact with the County’s Recorder’s Office, as these records are not available at city level. Archived marriage records are also accessible to the public for viewing purposes. The methods of finding these records is discussed in the subsequent sections below.

How To Look Up Archived Marriage Records in San Diego County California

The San Diego County Archives program runs under the Office of Recorder/County Clerk.^{4, 5} This program stores all archives and records related to San Diego County since it emerged in 1850.

Along with other documents, San Diego County marital records are also kept here—the marriage documents date from as far back as 1856 till 1956. However, some records are sealed.

Active record seekers can view these files electronically without any cost on the public screens available at every Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Office (ARCC) throughout the county.² If they find a record that interests them, they can contact the archives through email at [email protected] and provide them with the specifics about those document(s).

The record officials will confirm if they have that original document and verify its availability for public display before scheduling an appointment to view the chosen materials personally. Citizens may also contact the county archives with any research or visit queries.

San Diego County Archives
10144 Mission Gorge Road,
Santee, California, 92071

Phone: 619-237-0502
Email: [email protected]

The California State Archives (CSA) also holds marriage records for family history research.⁷ The CSA holds a small number of vital records from certain countries for people to study. However, these don’t include common-law marriages, as the state doesn’t recognize them.

Yet, it recognizes such unions formed under the laws of other states due to the Full Faith and Credit Clause in the U.S. Constitution.⁸ It also accepts partnerships outside formal marriage, like domestic arrangements and cohabitation agreements.

How To Access California Marital Records Outside of San Diego County

When searching for San Diego County marital records, citizens may find that the union took place in a different county or somewhere else in California. If this happens, the keepers of records of San Diego County can’t help. However, don’t worry, the state’s vital office has broader access and can assist.

In such situations, the California Department of Public Health Vital Records (CDPH) can be contacted.⁹ This department holds official copies of all public marriages from 1905 to 1999 and from 2008 to 2022.

If the search spans between these years, then requesters can contact their County-Recorder’s Office to fill up any gap left by CDPH-VR.

To request an official record, either pay a visit or send a mail to the following CDPH office with their required Application for a Certified Copy of Marriage Record Form.¹⁰

California Department of Public Health
Post Office Box 997410,
Sacramento, California, 95899-7410

Phone: 916-445-2684
Email: [email protected]

It is also important to note that citizens will need to pay a nominal fee for this service.¹¹ They will have to pay $17.00 per copy for the document – only payable through check or money order. Third-party websites also serve as other means utilized by CDPH-VR for delivering marriage records.

How To Request a San Diego County Marriage License

Securing a marriage license in San Diego County begins by first booking an appointment with the County Clerk’s Office.¹² Citizens will then need to create and complete the Marriage License Application¹³. The application then undergoes a review process, which has to be attended in person before receiving any license.

A government-issued photo ID that’s both valid and current is required from each applicant at this point. Once the wedding license is obtained, the individuals can arrange for a ceremony within 90 days, but remember it must be held within California borders.

Following the ceremony, ensure that the officiant signs off on the license and sends it back to the office for registration procedures. The process has several fees attached:

• $ 129 Public Marriage License fee
• $ 144 Confidential Marriage License fee
• $ 107 Civil Ceremony Fee if desired
• $58 if you need a witness provided by the County Clerk’s Office

Payment can be made through cash, check money order or debit/credit card which bears an extra surcharge of $2.50. However, these charges are payable directly to the San Diego Recorder/County Clerk. A quick note: licenses come with non-refundable fees so plan accordingly, as appointments up to seven weeks in advance often fill up quickly.

Once the license gets registered, it officially becomes a part of San Diego County marriage records and then remains accessible to the general public.