Getting a Marriage License in Placer County
Marriage licenses in Placer County are issued by the Placer County Clerk-Recorder, not the Superior Court. Ryan Ronco serves as County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters. The main office sits at 3715 Atherton Road in Rocklin. A satellite office is open in Auburn at 2954 Richardson Drive. Both counters run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tahoe marriage license appointments are also offered. Those are by appointment only and run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on weekdays. Couples planning a lake-side wedding should book the slot well ahead.
California offers two kinds of license. A public marriage license becomes a public record once the officiant returns it and the Clerk registers it. A confidential marriage license has restricted copy access and may only be obtained by the spouses or by court order. Both forms are valid for 90 days from the issue date. No blood test is required in California. There is no formal waiting period between the license issue and the ceremony, so a couple can apply and marry on the same day if an officiant is ready. Both parties must appear in person to apply. Each must show valid photo ID such as a current driver license, state ID card, passport, or military ID.
Officiants include judges, certain public officials, deputy commissioners of marriage, and authorized religious officials under the California Family Code. After the ceremony, the officiant must return the signed license to the Clerk-Recorder for registration. Return is generally within 10 days of the wedding.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The application process is short, but both partners must come to the counter together. Plan to spend about 30 to 60 minutes at the office. Bring cash, a check, or a card to cover the license fee. The steps below follow the Clerk-Recorder process for Rocklin, Auburn, and Tahoe service points.
- Start at the Clerk-Recorder marriage license page and review eligibility, fees, and ID rules. Choose either the public or the confidential license type.
- Schedule an appointment if you plan to apply at the Tahoe site. Walk-ins are accepted at the Rocklin main office and the Auburn satellite at 2954 Richardson Drive during the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. window.
- Bring valid photo ID for each party. Acceptable IDs include a driver license, state ID, U.S. passport, or military ID. If a prior marriage ended in the last 90 days, bring the final divorce decree.
- Both parties sign the application in front of the deputy clerk. Confidential licenses require both spouses to be living together at the time of the application and to sign a statement to that effect.
- Pay the license fee at the counter. The clerk prints the license on the spot and hands it to the couple.
- Hold a ceremony with a qualified officiant within the 90-day window. The Clerk-Recorder also performs civil ceremonies in English on request.
- The officiant returns the signed license to the Clerk-Recorder within 10 days of the wedding. Once recorded, certified copies may be ordered.
Note: A confidential marriage license is recorded but is not part of the public index, so only the spouses or a court order can pull a copy later.
Marriage License Application Fields
The Clerk-Recorder collects a standard set of facts from each applicant. Every box on the form must be filled in. Errors made at the counter can be hard to correct after the license is printed, so review each entry before signing. The list below maps the fields you should expect to provide.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full Legal Name | Yes | As printed on the photo ID. Middle names spelled out. |
| Date of Birth | Yes | Both parties must be at least 18 unless a court order is on file. |
| Place of Birth | Yes | City, state, and country of birth for each applicant. |
| Current Mailing Address | Yes | Street, city, state, and ZIP for each party. |
| Parents' Names and Birth States | Yes | Mother's birth surname and father's name as printed at the time of birth. |
| SSN | Yes for public license | Collected under state law for child support enforcement; not printed on the public record. |
| Prior Marriages | Yes | Date and manner each prior marriage ended (death, divorce, annulment). |
| New Married Name (if changing) | Optional | Each party can choose a new last name on the license itself. |
| Living Together Statement | Confidential only | Required for confidential licenses; both parties sign under penalty of perjury. |
| Photo ID Type and Number | Yes | Driver license, state ID, passport, or military ID. |
Placer County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Two fee groups apply. The Clerk-Recorder sells vital record copies at the prices set by the state and county. Family Court filing fees follow the Superior Court statewide civil fee schedule. The table below shows the certified copy fees posted on the official vital records page. License issuance fees, ceremony fees, and divorce filing fees are set elsewhere and should be checked on the day of service.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified copy of birth certificate | $34.00 |
| Certified copy of death certificate | $26.00 |
| Certified copy of public marriage certificate | $19.00 |
| Certified copy of confidential marriage certificate | $24.00 |
| Court name search over 10 minutes of clerk time | $15.00 per name |
| Court record copies | $0.50 per page |
| Court certification (no fee otherwise fixed) | $40.00 |
Note: Marriage license issuance and Family Court filing fees are not in the table above; the Clerk-Recorder and the Superior Court each post their own license and filing fee sheet.
How to Look Up Placer County Marriage Records
The Clerk-Recorder holds the marriage record index for Placer County. Marriage records reach back to 1852. There are three ways to pull a copy. The first is in person at the Rocklin or Auburn counter. Bring a photo ID. Bring the names and the date of the marriage. The clerk can run a search and print a certified copy while you wait.
The second is by mail. Send a completed sworn statement, a notarized signature for an authorized copy, the fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to 3715 Atherton Road, Rocklin, CA 95765. The third is through the California Department of Public Health Office of Vital Records, which holds a duplicate index for state-level requests. For a CDPH order, see the CDPH Vital Records page.
To get a clean search hit, have the full name of each spouse at the time of marriage on hand. The wedding date helps, but the county can search a date range. A confidential marriage license cannot be pulled by a third party. Only the two spouses or a court order can release one of those.
How to Find Placer County Divorce Records
Divorce records are filed and stored by the Placer Family Court, a division of the Superior Court. The case file is the official record. The Clerk-Recorder does not issue divorce decrees. Family case numbers in Placer carry an S-FS or S-DR prefix. An S-FS case is a family support matter. An S-DR case is a dissolution, legal separation, nullity, or domestic violence file.
Two search paths are open. The Placer eCourt public portal lists family case index entries by last name, first name, or case number. Most document images for Family Code cases are not available for remote view by the public. California Rules of Court, Rule 2.503, limits remote public access to family records. To read the documents themselves, go to a public access terminal at the courthouse or be a party or attorney of record with portal document access. Self-represented parties can use the Placer Self-Help Center and the Odyssey Guide and File tool to start a dissolution.
A divorce file holds the petition, the response, financial disclosures, custody and support orders, the final judgment, and any later motions. Sealed parts may include child welfare reports, mental health records, and private financial schedules. The judgment of dissolution is the document most people request. A certified copy of the judgment is the proof of divorce that banks, employers, and the Social Security Administration accept.
Getting Certified Copies
Certified copies are needed when a record will be used in court, for a name change, for Social Security, for a passport, for an immigration matter, or for an insurance claim. A plain copy will not work for those uses. For marriage certificates, the Clerk-Recorder issues both authorized and informational certified copies. An authorized copy can be used to establish identity. An informational copy is marked as such and cannot be used to prove identity. The fee is the same.
For a court file such as a divorce judgment, the Superior Court Clerk's Office issues the certified copy on form PL-CW001, the Records and Copy Request. Filing methods are in person or by mail. Phone, email, and fax requests are not accepted by the court. Pay by check or money order made out to Placer Superior Court. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return mail. The clerk charges $0.50 per page plus a $40 certification fee in most cases. See the Clerk of the Superior Court page for the full request workflow.
California State Vital Records Office
The California Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records, holds a state-level index for marriages, divorces, births, and deaths. Many older marriages and a sample of dissolutions are searchable through CDPH if the Clerk-Recorder cannot locate the file. CDPH is also the office of last resort for out-of-county requests.
Take a look at the Placer County vital records page for the certified copy fees and pick-up rules, then compare with the CDPH process for state-level requests. CDPH order forms, sworn statements, and turn-around times are posted on the state site below.
Placer County Clerk-Recorder
3715 Atherton Road
Rocklin, CA 95765
530-886-5610 (Clerk)
530-886-5600 (Recorder)
The Clerk-Recorder office is the fastest route for a Placer marriage record. The county vital records page shown below lists the date ranges, certified copy fees, and office hours in one place.
The page shows marriage records from 1852 to the present and lists the $19 public marriage and $24 confidential marriage copy fees. Confidential license requests use a separate sworn statement.
Public vs Confidential Marriage Licenses
California is one of the few states that offers a confidential marriage license. The choice has real effects on who can later view the file. The table below shows the key differences.
| Feature | Public License | Confidential License |
|---|---|---|
| Witness at ceremony | One required | Not required |
| Living together rule | Not required | Both spouses must live together at the time of application |
| Record access | Open to the public | Restricted to spouses or court order |
| Certified copy fee | $19.00 | $24.00 |
| Index search | Listed in public index | Not in the public index |
A confidential license is filed and is fully valid for all legal purposes. It just sits outside of the public copy stream. Couples who want privacy often pick this option. Couples who want a record that family can later order should pick the public version.
Where to File for Divorce in Placer County
Divorce, legal separation, nullity, paternity, custody, support, and domestic violence matters are filed in the Placer Superior Court Family Division. The court runs a Self-Help Center for parties without lawyers. The center offers form review, packet help, and referrals.
To file, at least one spouse must meet the California residency rule. That rule is six months in California and three months in Placer County before filing. The petition is filed at the courthouse along with the filing fee or an approved fee waiver. The petitioner then serves the other spouse. A six-month minimum waiting period applies before a judgment can be entered. For background on case records, see Placer County court records and the public records page for non-court vital files.