California - Free Public Marriage Records

Posted by The Popular News Today on Friday, September 14, 2012

By Claire Dowell


California marriage records are one of the most accessed public documents of the state. The office of the Vital Records Section manages marriage records of the California.

Genealogy research is just one of the reasons why marriage records in California are being accessed. It is also used when processing legal matters such as insurance and property declaration. Ironically, it is the primary document required when going through a divorce procedure.

One can find details about the marriage of a couple on a marriage record. The place as well as the date and time of the marriage ceremony are indicated on the certificate. Important names of the people that have been a part of the ceremony such as the witnesses and the names of the parents of the couple are also indicated on the file. Personal details about the bride and groom are also cited on the document such as their names prior to the marriage, place and date of birth.

Not just anybody can obtain the marriage certificate of somebody. The office only releases the marriage certificate to the person whose name is on the certificate. Authorized person can also file the request as long as they provide the authorization letter signed by the couple themselves. The cost for the retrieval of the certificate is only $14. It is not refundable which means that you still have to pay for the service even if there were no records found on the archive. If the request was done at the Vital Records office, the retrieval process takes up to six months. This can be hastened if you go to the county where the marriage took place. It will only take the County Clerk 2 months to get the record.

There are several ways to obtain a copy of a marriage certificate. One can go or mail the request to the office of the Vital Records Section of the state where all of the public documents are being stored. If you cannot go to the office, it can be requested at the county where the couple was wed. Third party providers also offer their services to obtain the certificate for you. The Internet is latest method used by the government to allow the residents to look up for their files on their own.

Marriage records are now accessible thanks to the development of the Internet. The government is looking at this tool to make search even better for the residents. It has eliminated the need to fall in line and wait for 6 months just to get a single copy of the record. The search can now be done at home and the results are displayed in just seconds.




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