Search For Free California Marriage Records

The state that has the most number of people living in it is California. With this, the retrieval of California Marriage Records is also relatively high. The implementation of the California Public Records Act has made marriage licenses available for the benefit of the general public. 
In California, marriage records are retrieved for several purposes. The top reason for requesting the record is to conduct a research on the history of a family. One of the important documents needed when processing a divorce is a marriage license. There are some who would check the marital status of their partner through the marriage records. 
A marriage license would include information about the bride and groom. Their full names are documented on the record. The date of birth of the couple and the date of marriage along with the exact time are detailed on the record. It would also indicate where the couple was wed. Other important information such as the names of the witnesses is also indicated on the record. 
It would only cost $14 to obtain a copy of the marriage license in the state of California. The fee is for the cost of the labor, the time spent and the application used to process the retrieval of the record. A request form has to be filled out at the office of the Vital Records Office Section. Basic information about the person you are looking for is needed in order to process the request. Such information includes the name of the bride or groom and the date of marriage. Unfortunately, records which have been registered from 1987-1995 cannot be requested from the office, it can only be retrieved from the county where the marriage took place. Records which were registered since 1905, except for the mentioned year, can be obtained from the office. 
Requesting for the license can be done via phone call, fax or by sending mail request. Going to the office of the Department of Public Health under the Vital Records Section in California is another option to get a copy of the record. There are also third party companies who offer to search for the record for a certain fee. The Internet is another easy way to get a copy of the license. 
The state of California maintains an online database with which the public can use anytime. This method is faster than the traditional way retrieving the license. There are websites that can provide free marriage record search however the results may contain errors. Paid websites are connected to a lot of database thus you can ensure that the records you have are accurate and complete. Some paid sites even refund the money you spent if the record you are looking for cannot be obtained.