Non-Confidential Marriage Certificates

Effective January 1, 2010, the California Health and Safety Code, Section 103526, will permit only authorized individuals to receive certified copies of non-confidential marriage records. Those who are not authorized by law to receive a certified copy will receive a certified copy marked "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY." 

The new law describes an authorized person as: 

• The registrant or a parent or legal guardian of the registrant. 
• A party entitled to receive the record as a result of a court order, or an attorney or a licensed adoption agency seeking the birth record in order to comply with the requirements of Section 3140 or 7603 of the Family Code. 
• A member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting official business. 
• A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of the registrant. 
• An attorney representing the registrant or the registrant's estate, or any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the registrant or the registrant's estate.

NON-CONFIDENTIAL MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE:

You have a Monterey County non-confidential (regular) marriage license if you purchased your marriage license at the Monterey County Clerk’s Office and did not request a confidential marriage license.

NON-CONFIDENTIAL MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES:

Fee for obtaining a certified non-confidential marriage certificate: $17.00

(Please note requests must be for marriages for which the marriage license was issued in Monterey County.)

IN-PERSON APPLICATION FOR AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED COPY OF A NON-CONFIDENTIAL MARRIAGE RECORD:

1. You may complete the application via the internet and transmit it directly to the Recorder's Office. You will need to come into the Recorder's Office to pick up the certified copy within two weeks or the request will be deleted, click here to submit a request online.

OR

2. You can come into the Recorder's Office to submit the request on the kiosk and complete the process.

(In both cases above, when requesting a certificate in person, the sworn statement on the application must be signed in the presence of a staff member and a photo i.d. will be requested.)

MAIL-IN APPLICATION FOR AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED COPY OF A NON-CONFIDENTIAL MARRIAGE RECORD:

The application must be downloaded, completed, notarized, and mailed with the $17 fee (please do not send cash, check or money order only), click here to download the application.

SEND TO:  Monterey County Recorder, P.O. Box 29, Salinas, CA 93902 

ON-LINE VIA VITALCHEK (Fee is $17.00 per certification plus a $12.95 Vitalchek processing fee per transaction.)

Please be sure to follow the instructions on the Vitalchek site. Monterey County contracts with Vitalchek, a private company, to take orders for certified copies of vital records online by credit card. Vitalchek charges a $12.95 processing fee per transaction; this fee is in addition to the Recorder's vital record fee of $17.00 per certificate. To be taken to the Vitalchek website click here.

NOTE: Marriage records are maintained only if the marriage license was issued in Monterey County.

NON-CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATIONAL MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES:

(If you are not authorized to receive a certified copy of a non-confidential marriage certificate, you may request an informational certified copy.  The words, “INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY” will be printed across the face of the certified copy and statutorily required information will be redacted from the certificate.)

Fee for obtaining a certified non-confidential informational marriage certificate: $17.00

(Please note requests must be for marriages for which the marriage license was issued in Monterey County.)

IN-PERSON APPLICATION FOR AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED COPY OF A NON-CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATIONAL MARRIAGE RECORD:

1. You may complete the application via the internet and transmit it directly to the Recorder's Office. You will need to come into the Recorder's Office to pick up the certified copy within two weeks or the request will be deleted, click here to submit a request online.

OR

2. You can come into the Recorder's Office to submit the request on the kiosk and complete the process.

(In both cases above, when requesting a certificate in person, the sworn statement on the application must be signed in the presence of a staff member and a photo i.d. will be requested.)

MAIL-IN APPLICATION FOR AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED COPY OF A NON-CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATIONAL MARRIAGE RECORD:

The application must be downloaded, completed, notarized, and mailed with the $17.00 fee (please do not send cash, check or money order only), click here to download the application.

SEND TO: Monterey County Recorder, P.O. Box 29, Salinas, CA 93902         

ON-LINE VIA VITALCHEK (Fee is $17.00 per certification plus a $12.95 Vitalchek processing fee per transaction.)

Monterey County contracts with Vitalchek, a private company, to take orders for certified copies of vital records online by credit card. Vitalchek charges a $12.95 processing fee per transaction; this fee is in addition to the Recorder's vital record fee of $17.00 per certificate. To be taken to the Vitalchek website click here.