If two unmarried adults live together like a married couple, they can have their relationship officially recognized as marriage by someone legally allowed to conduct wedding ceremonies.

This law section explains that when a county clerk gives you a document to get married, it's called a marriage license. Once you register it with the county clerk, it officially becomes a marriage certificate.

Starting from January 1, 2024, if a couple wants a confidential marriage license in certain circumstances, they must appear together in person at the county clerk's office and pay the necessary fees.

This section outlines the conditions under which a confidential marriage license can be issued even if the couple can't show up in person due to reasons like hospitalization or incarceration. To get the license, the officiant must present an affidavit explaining why the couple can't appear, and this affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury by the officiant and both parties, needs to be submitted to the county clerk. Any absent party's signature must be authenticated by a notary or court.

If a notary public is approved by the county clerk, they can request and obtain a confidential marriage license from the clerk. The notary must pay certain fees, and the couple getting married has to reimburse the notary for those fees.

This law section outlines the requirements for the confidential marriage license form in California. The State Registrar of Vital Statistics creates the form, which must include a declaration that the couple meets all legal marriage requirements. It also contains an affidavit that the bride and groom need to sign, confirming they have received a specific brochure required by another part of the law.

When two people get married using a confidential marriage license in California, the person who is performing the wedding must do a few important things. First, they need to have the confidential marriage license with them. After the ceremony, they need to fill out the part of the license that shows the marriage was completed. Finally, within 10 days, this person has to return the completed license to the county clerk's office where it was originally obtained.

This law states that when you get a confidential marriage license, you'll receive an application to get a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the county clerk.

If you're married under a confidential marriage in California, you can get a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the county clerk where it was filed. To do that, just fill out an application as per certain health and safety regulations. You'll need to pay a fee, which is the same as what others pay to get a regular marriage certificate copy.

If a confidential marriage license gets lost, damaged, or destroyed after a wedding but before it is filed with the county clerk, the person who officiated the wedding must get a duplicate license from the county clerk by explaining the situation. They need to do so within a year after the wedding. There may be a fee for the duplicate. If the license is lost, damaged, or destroyed before the wedding, the couple must get a new one, and the old one is canceled.

This law explains how confidential marriage records are handled by the county clerk and the State Registrar of Vital Statistics. Confidential marriage records are generally not open to public inspection and can only be accessed with a court order showing good reason. The county clerk keeps the original records for one year before they can be reproduced and the originals disposed of. Any reproduction is considered to be the same as an original. The county clerk can confirm a marriage's existence without revealing details like the date unless ordered by a court. Copies of these records are sent to the State Registrar, who can confirm a marriage without disclosing its date.