With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Cost of marriage licenses to nearly double in Los Angeles County
Couples in L.A. will be paying more than double for marriage licenses than the current amount.
(
Elly Yu
/
LAist
)
Topline:
The cost of tying the knot is going up in Los Angeles County after the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to nearly double the cost of marriage licenses from $91 to $176.
What’s changing: In a letter to the supervisors ahead of their Tuesday board meeting, Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said nearly half the increase can be attributed to cost-of-living adjustments for county employees since 2009, the last time the marriage license fee went up. The remainder reflects several “operational enhancements” and mandated changes like the addition of same sex marriages in 2013.
Listen
0:40
Cost of marriage licenses to nearly double in Los Angeles County
Sponsor
Current fees “no longer reflect the actual costs to the RR/CC to perform these services and do not take into account inflationary factors or mandated minimum wage increases,” Logan wrote. By comparison, it costs $61 for a marriage license in Orange County.
Other changes: It will also cost more to get married at the L.A. County Clerk's Office in Norwalk. A civil wedding ceremony fee will jump from $35 to $44, and the ceremony witness fee will go from $20 to $26. The cost of a confidential marriage license, which does not require a witness, will increase to $220 from $85. A confidential marriage license is a legally recognized marriage record that is not part of the public record.
What’s next: The fee increase will take effect in 30 days.
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Today, on Giving Tuesday, your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why on this Giving Tuesday, we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Today, on Giving Tuesday, your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why on this Giving Tuesday, we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
