Find Free Orange County Marriage Records (Resource)

Search free Orange County marriage records and uncover valuable information about any individual’s marital status in California.

The California Public Records Act guarantees that information must be readily available to all who seek it. Searchers can find if someone is married, when the nuptials took place, who they’re married to, and many more details just by using one of the tools available to them in Orange County and in the State of California.

Records such as those are made public so that people can be informed; transparency is important, and if anyone needs to search for information about someone they know or may be connected with, they should never hesitate to do so.

This resource walks interested citizens through every step of obtaining marriage records in Orange County, using many convenient tools.

How To Look Up Orange County Marriage Records (California)

Anyone can request a copy of any vital records in Orange County, California. However, the type of document they will be able to obtain may vary depending on how connected to the event they are and what kind of copies they’re authorized to get.

There are two types of copies that can be provided to people in California: certified copies and informational copies.

Certified copies are official and can be used for official purposes, such as proving someone’s identity or a lawsuit. Those can only be requested by individuals who are authorized to do so. The full list of authorized individuals is readily available online, and it includes, for example, the married parties, law enforcement, and those authorized by a court order, among others.¹

Persons who aren’t authorized to obtain a certified copy of a marriage record can request an informational copy. This type of certificate will include the same information seen on a certified copy but contain a message stating that this copy is merely information and not valid to establish someone’s identity, for example. Informational copies can’t be used for official purposes.

Also, individuals searching for marriage records should know that the state of California allows private or confidential marriages. Those marriages don’t require witnesses: all it’s needed for it to happen is two unmarried individuals and an officiant. The records for those marriages aren’t public and may be much harder to uncover.

Citizens interested in Orange County marital records can order the certificates they seek from the Clerk-Recorder Vital Records Office.² It’s possible to work with them by mail or in person, and citizens can call the office at 714.834.2500 if they need any further support.

Every individual placing a request needs to fill out an Application for Certified Copy of a Vital Record, and the certificates cost $17, regardless of what type of copies will be obtained. In other words, certified and informational copies will be provided to those who are entitled to them according to the rules, but the process of obtaining them is the same.

To place an order via mail, this is where the application and payment (in the form of a money order) must be sent to:

Orange County Clerk-Recorder
Vital Records Office
P.O. Box 238
Santa Ana, CA 92702

To be assisted in person, there are three offices available in Orange County. These are their addresses:

In Orange County, vital records are handled and provided to interested citizens at the Vital Records Office and not by the local cities. They keep marriage records that go all the way back to 1850, which is helpful when performing a genealogical search, too.

However, if historical records are needed and not found with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder, there are other tools that can be utilized, which will be mentioned below.

How Do I Search Historical or Archived Marriage Records in Orange County?

There are instances when a marriage records search is performed to try and determine facts about a family’s history, and not because the certificate is needed for an official purpose in the present.

Genealogical searches are quite common, especially because this kind of information is becoming more accessible. Many people wish to uncover their family’s history.

In California (and consequently, in Orange County), the State Archives are the repository of plenty of records and information.⁴ Their website contains a variety of collections and catalogs that can be accessed and contain documents, records, newspapers, historical registries, and many other resources that can help find information about ancient marriages.⁵

Interested citizens can also contact the State Archives directly using the following information:⁶

California Secretary of State
State Archives
1020 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

General information phone: 916.653.7715
Reference desk phone: 916.653.2246

As an alternative resource, the Library of Congress provides searchers with an index of tools that can be used to uncover historical marriage information.⁷

Individuals interested in them can use the links on the page or contact the Library of Congress resources for help. There are clear instructions on the website on how to use this platform and a means to ask a librarian questions.⁸

How To View California Marriage Records that Took Place in Surrounding Counties

Sometimes, a search for marriage records in Orange County isn’t effective and yields no results. In that case, it’s important to consider that the marriage in question happened in a different jurisdiction or that a license may have been obtained in a different Clerk’s Office, even if the wedding itself happened in Orange County.

Instead of searching every single county in California and spending too much time trying to uncover any information, citizens can take advantage of tools offered by the state that allow them to look up marriage throughout the state.

The State Vital Records Office has the following marriage records available to the public:⁹

• 1905 to 1999
• 2008 to 2022

A request for a certified or informational marriage record can be placed online or via mail. Online requests can be made with one of the partners associated with the state. There’s a list with links on the website for people to choose their preferred provider. Those partners are third parties and may charge extra fees, such as handling and processing fees.

Mail in orders can be placed by using the address below. Citizens making an order must send the application, a sworn statement (when needed) and the $17 payment in order for the certificate to be mailed out. The application and detailed instructions are available online to facilitate the request.

California Department of Public Health
Vital Records Office
PO Box-997410
Sacramento, California 95 899-7410

Phone: 916.445.2684
Email: [email protected]

To find records about marriages that happened between 2000 and 2007, citizens must contact the local county Clerk-Recorders. That is the only way for that period of time.

One thing to keep in mind in that California doesn’t recognize common-law marriages in any circumstance. Therefore, there are no records to be found related to those marriages which haven’t been properly officiated and recorded anywhere in the state.

For those who wish to marry and make that commitment, below it’ll be discussed how to obtain a marriage license in Orange County.

How To Apply for an Orange County Marriage License

Couples can obtain a marriage license in Orange County with the Clerk-Recorder Office. Both individuals must be over 18 years of age and be able to present a valid ID.¹² Also, they must appear at the office in person, together.

The Clerk-Recorder sees walk-ins, but it’s possible to schedule an appointment, too (which can be quite convenient). In every case, grooms and brides-to-be must complete an application online before appearing in person.

Both the application and appointment scheduling can be made by creating an account and adding all required information. Regular marriage licenses cost $61, while confidential marriage licenses cost $66. To obtain a confidential marriage license, the couple have been living together before the application and show proof of that to the clerk.

Licenses in Orange County are valid to be used anywhere in the State of California for 90 days, and the Clerk-Recorder provides no refund if the license isn’t used (regardless of reason). For those who wish to be married at the office, they allow up to 20 guests to the ceremony.

This is the main address for the Orange County Clerk-Recorder Central Office:¹⁴

Orange County Clerk-Recorder
Central Office
601 N. Ross St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Marriage records contain valuable information that can be relevant in many situations. Whatever the circumstances, citizens should always feel free to perform a search for Orange County marriage records and determine the facts about any couple or individual and their marital status.