Thinking of getting married? Get ready to dig deeper into your wallet as it may cost you more than $400 for the licenses and fees to tie the knot in Los Angeles County.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted to raise marriage license fees by as much as 160%. Higher prices for county-officiated civil wedding ceremonies and witness services may also force couples to break open their piggy banks.
The fees increases go into effect Oct. 17.
The decision to boost such fees comes as the cost to perform all Register-Recorder/County Clerk’s office services has increased, according to a board letter signed by L.A. County Clerk Dean Logan. In the letter, Logan said the funds “no longer reflect the actual costs to perform these services and do not take into account inflationary factors or mandated minimum wage increases.”
The county clerk’s office, which files marriage licenses, also oversees election administration, voter file maintenance, real property document recording, and vital records custody and maintenance. The agency received a budget of more than $338 million to perform its election services for a county with more than a million registered voters, according to the 2023-24 fiscal year budget. But the agency has been running a deficit that has grown over the last few years, according to budget records.
As a result, county officials are hoping to collect more from would-be newlyweds to help close the financial gap.
A public marriage license, which allows your marriage record to be accessed by anyone, will increase from $91 to $176 — a 93% increase. A confidential marriage license, which currently costs you $85, will jump to $220, a spike of about 160%. A marriage ceremony fee will now cost $44, an increase from $35, and witness services will rise from $20 to $26.
The total price for a public marriage license, and a county-officiated marriage ceremony with witnesses, will cost a total of about $422 — not including other niceties such as flowers, tuxedos and gowns. Still, the licenses and fees are only a fraction of the $41,000 an average wedding costs in California.
The fee changes are expected to generate more than $5 million in additional revenue, according to the board letter. L.A. County officials defend the increase, noting that marriage fees are slightly higher in neighboring counties.
The average cost for a marriage license in San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Contra Costa, San Bernardino, San Francisco and Ventura counties is $100, while a confidential marriage license costs you an average of about $107 in those counties, according to the L.A. County clerk’s office.
San Diego County charges the highest fees: $129 for a public license and $144 for its confidential option. Orange County has the lowest fees at $61 and $66, respectively, according to the L.A. County clerk’s office. Riverside County raised its licensing fees to $111 and $122 in August, according to county records.
L.A. County last increased its marriage services fees in 2009 to $85 and $90, according to a 2010 news release. In 2004, the public and confidential fees were $70 for each.
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