County Clerk-Recorder

Authorized Individuals to Receive a Certified Copy of a Marriage Record

By law, only authorized individuals may receive a certified copy of a birth, death, or public marriage record (H&S Code 103526). The law describes an authorized person as:

• The registrant, a parent or legal guardian of the registrant.
• A party entitled to receive the record by court order, or an attorney or a licensed adoption agency seeking the birth record to comply with the requirements of Section 3140 or 7603 of the Family Code.
• A member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting official business.
• A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of the registrant.
• An attorney representing the registrant or the registrant's estate, or any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the registrant or the registrant's estate.
• Any funeral director ordering certified copies of a death certificate on behalf of any individual specified in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 7100 of the Health and Safety Code.
• Applicable for confidential marriage records only: The applicant must be a party to the confidential marriage or by presenting a certified copy of a court order (Family Code Section 511). A valid government issued ID is required. Informational certified copies of confidential marriage records cannot be issued.

Those who do not qualify as authorized individuals may receive an Informational certified copy. An Informational certified copy shows the words "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY" printed across the record.

Ways to Order a Marriage Certificate

Our office maintains marriage records if the marriage license was purchased in Stanislaus County.

In-Person

• Visit our office.
  • Location: 1021 I Street, Suite 101, Modesto, CA 95354
  • Business Hours: Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (excluding holidays)
• Walk-ins only.
• Complete the application in advance. Click Here
• Fee: $17 per copy

  Fees must be paid in our office to receive the record(s). Only cash, check or money order is accepted. We do not accept debit or credit cards. An ATM machine is available in the lobby but it’s best to come prepared.

Online

For your convenience, you can process online requests through an independent company that we have partnered with to provide this service:

VitalChek Network, Inc.
www.vitalchek.com

An additional fee is charged by VitalChek for using this service. All major credit and debit cards.

When ordering an authorized certified copy through VitalChek, you must return your notarized Sworn Statement by:

• Mail: Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder
  P.O. Box 1670 Modesto, CA 95353-1670

• Fax: (209) 525-5804
• Email: stanclerk@stancounty.com

Authorized certified copies cannot be issued without a notarized Sworn Statement. California Civil Code 1189(b) states: "Any certificate of acknowledgment taken in another place shall be sufficient in this state if it is taken in accordance with the laws of the place where the acknowledgment is made."

By Mail

• Complete the Marriage Certificate Application. English Spanish
• Return the completed application with payment and notarized Sworn Statement to:

  • Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder
    P.O. Box 1670 Modesto, CA 95353-1670

Marriage Keepsakes

Individuals authorized to receive a certified copy of a public marriage record can purchase a decorative keepsake for marriage licenses issued in Stanislaus County.

• Fee: $10 per copy
• Visit our office to purchase a copy.

Amending a Marriage Record

Please note: Amendments or corrections to a marriage record are not handled by the County Clerk-Recorder's Office.

For further assistance, seek legal advice or contact CDPH directly: