Marriage Service Offered by County Clerk

RIVERSIDE – In this unique time in our nation’s history, Americans are “attending” government meetings online, running for public office  online and now Riverside County residents can now get a marriage license and civil ceremony online, according to the Riverside County Clerk’s office.

Who needs A Little White Chapel in Las Vegas?

“This is a big win for Riverside County couples looking to get married,” Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder Peter Aldana said in a prepared statement. “Demand for marriage services have remained high throughout this crisis. However, traditional models of delivering public service impaired our ability to provide these services safely. I am proud of my team’s ability to develop creative solutions and implement new delivery models to meet the public’s needs.”

It could be a trend. In mid-April, Orange County officials set-up a pop-up marriage service at the Honda Center for couples whose marriage appointments were postponed due to closures and stay-at-home orders.

Emergency precautions intended to reduce the spread of COVID19 made issuing marriage licenses and conducting civil ceremonies nearly impossible due to state laws that require couples to appear in person before the county clerk.

Looking for innovative solutions, the Riverside County Clerk’s office along with the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials petitioned Governor Newsom to take executive action to permit county clerks to use videoconferencing to issue licenses and perform civil ceremonies online. Newsom signed an order on April 30th.

Online marriage services are only available to Riverside County residents. At least one of the parties to the marriage must reside in Riverside County.

In April California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order, allowing adults to obtain marriage licenses through videoconference amid the COVID-19 pandemic, after stay-at-home orders resulted in the cancellation of weddings statewide.

Couples looking to apply for a marriage license and schedule an online appointment may visit the Riverside County Clerk’s website by clicking here or call 951-955-6200

For those couples who do not have video capabilities, in-person appointments are available on a limited basis, which will be serviced at the ticket booths of two county movie theaters. Those interested in an in-person appointment can email our office at accrmail@asrclkrec.com or call 951-955-6200.