Marriage License vs Marriage Certificate: What Is the Difference?

A marriage license is the permit you get before the wedding; the marriage certificate is the record that proves it happened. In Los Angeles County, California, a certified copy of that record costs $19.

Across the 231 counties we cover with a posted copy fee, a certified copy costs $10 at the midpoint, on top of the license itself ($53 in the middle state).

You need the certified copy to change your name, update Social Security and passports, or add a spouse to insurance.

How it works, step by step

1. Apply for the license at the county office and pay the fee.
2. Wait out any waiting period, then marry before the license expires.
3. Your officiant signs and returns the license to the county.
4. The county records the marriage, and you order certified copies.

What counties charge for a certified copy

1. Under $556 counties
2. $5–9.9956 counties
3. $10–19.9985 counties
4. $20 or more34 counties

Counties with the highest copy fees

Order two or three copies at once if you are changing your name, since several offices may want an original. Your county page shows the copy fee where the county posts it.

See the validity guide for how long the license lasts before the ceremony, and the fee by state guide for license prices.