Marriage Certificate Translation in California
California issues two kinds of marriage licence. A public licence produces a public record, filed with the county recorder. A confidential licence - available to couples who already live together - produces a record that is not open to the public at all.
Both are fully valid marriages. The difference that matters when a certificate has to travel is who is allowed to order a copy.
Filing details for California
- Marriage records held by
- County recorder / county clerk of the county where the licence was issued
- Apostille authority
- California Secretary of State
We serve California remotely from our office in Edgewater, New Jersey.
Getting a copy of a confidential marriage certificate
A confidential marriage certificate is held by the county clerk rather than the recorder, and a certified copy is issued only to the spouses themselves or under a court order. Requests are made in person with photo ID, or by mail with a notarized application. A relative, a lawyer or a translation company cannot order it for you.
That matters when one spouse is abroad, or when a marriage has to be proved years later: plan on the couple ordering the copy themselves, then sending it on for apostille and translation.
Iranian marriage certificates
Los Angeles has the largest Iranian community outside Iran. An Iranian marriage certificate is a booklet issued by a registered marriage notary office, and it records far more than the fact of the marriage: the mehrieh, the marriage portion owed to the wife and often stated in gold coins, and any conditions the couple agreed. In a California divorce or estate those terms can matter, and they are translated in full with the notary office's registration details.
Срок выполнения
24 hours standard; 6-8 hours (+50%) or 1-3 hours (+100%) expedited
Price
$49 first page, then $0.12/word. Details
Языки
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Часто задаваемые вопросы
Who can order a confidential marriage certificate?
Only the spouses, or someone with a court order. The county clerk holds it, not the recorder.
Is a confidential marriage legally different?
No. It is a valid California marriage; only access to the record differs.
Do you translate the mehrieh terms on an Iranian certificate?
Yes - every term, including amounts and conditions, exactly as written.
The full Marriage Certificate Translation guide →
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