Civil Marriage Ceremonies
The County Clerk’s Office is now offering Civil Ceremony services. The fee established for a Civil Ceremony, per the Board of Supervisors’ Resolution No. 23-210, is $100.00.
Ceremonies will be performed by a Deputy Commissioner of Civil Marriages from the Assessor/County Clerk-Recorder’s Office who is deputized specifically for this purpose. Appointments are currently available two days a week during the following times: Thursdays 10:00 am – 11:30 am, and 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm and Fridays 8:30 am to 11:30 am only.
Appointments can be scheduled up to 3 months in advance. Due to the limited availability, please do not request/schedule more than one appointment time on the calendar. If you need to reschedule, you will first need to cancel your current appointment before you can reschedule. If multiple appointments are scheduled for the same parties, all the appointments will be cancelled.
Ceremonies are available in English or Spanish. If either party or a witness to the ceremony does not understand the preferred language that was selected, they will need to provide their own translator.
PLEASE NOTE: You must have a valid California Marriage License before scheduling an appointment and a legible copy will need to be attached to your application.
Under California Law, a Public Marriage License requires at least one witness be present during the ceremony. You will need to provide your own witness. If you obtained a Confidential Marriage License, a witness is not required.
On the day of your ceremony, please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment. You must bring the original marriage license along with a valid photo ID for both parties and have your witness present (for a public marriage license only) or your appointment will be canceled, and the ceremony cannot be performed.
The County Clerk’s office serves customers on a walk-in basis. Arriving the requested 15 minutes early provides enough time for the fee to be processed before your scheduled ceremony. The service fee must be paid before the ceremony can take place. Ceremonies must start promptly to make sure that the process is complete before the next scheduled ceremony. Please take care to plan your time accordingly.
PLEASE NOTE: If you arrive late, or, if the fee cannot be paid before the scheduled ceremony, be prepared to reschedule your appointment for a later date.
The guest count, which includes your witness(es) and any invited guests, will determine which location you can book for your ceremony.
The County Clerk’s office also has Express Ceremonies available at the counter, Monday through Friday, (excluding holidays), from 8:30 am to 11:30 am and 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm (last ceremony must start at least 30 minutes before the ending time to ensure completion of registration process). If the marriage license was purchased in Monterey County, this package includes the registration of your marriage license without delay, making certified copies available for immediate purchase during the office hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (closed for lunch from 12:00 to 1:00 pm). The guest count for an express ceremony is limited to the couple and one witness only. A valid photo ID for both parties and an application is required for all ceremonies.
As a courtesy to other couples, as well as to our office staff, please provide at least 24-hour notice if you will need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.
To select a ceremony, click here
If you are ready to book the appointment for your ceremony, you can use this link: https://na3.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=bb453872-ea57-43ae-8b25-589f001f73b5&env=na3&acct=16dcafcf-9def-47bd-9985-d6a7fb83155c&v=2
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE A PART OF YOUR SPECIAL DAY!