There are so many factors that go into wedding planning, but the piece of the puzzle that is by far the most important is the legal side of things. No matter what city you get married in—Santa Barbara, Montecito, Carpinteria, or anywhere else in the country—you will need to obtain a marriage license in order to make your marriage official in the eyes of the state and law.

Each county has their own rules on how this process works, and we’re here to walk you through exactly what you will need to do and the documents you will need to provide in Santa Barbara County. This additionally includes any special documentation you will need to perform a courthouse wedding, a wedding on the beach or in other public spaces, and more.

General Marriage License Requirements

Whether eloping or hosting a large wedding in Santa Barbara, all couples are required to apply for a marriage license. The license must be purchased prior to your wedding ceremony.

In order to apply, couples must first fill on the online application for either a Public Marriage Application for an $100 fee or a Confidential Marriage Application for a $111 fee. The first option means your marriage license will be on public record and one ceremony witness is required to sign your license. The Confidential application means copies of the record will not be public and no witness is required. For this second option, both parties must be 18 years old or up, and additionally must be living together as spouses.

Other general Santa Barbara marriage license requirements:

• Both parties must present a valid, government-issued photo identification. This could be one of the following: Driver’s License, Passport, Consular ID Card (Matricula), Military ID, or Permanent Resident Card

• You do not need to be a U.S. citizen or California resident to apply

• You must be currently unmarried, and there may be additional requirements if you were previously married. More info HERE

• Anyone under the age of 18 (even emancipated minors) must also present a certified copy of the court order granting you permission to obtain a marriage license. Minors are also not eligible for Confidential Marriage Applications

After the online application is submitted, it will stay active for 7 days. Couples must appear together at the Clerk Recorder’s office in either Santa Barbara or Santa Maria within this time frame to purchase their license. Photo IDs are required during this step.

Once a license is obtained, couples must have a wedding ceremony within the State of California within 90 days, performed by an authorized officiant such as a priest, rabbi, minister, judge, or civil marriage commissioner. Following the ceremony, the signed license must be returned to the county where it was issued.

Civil Marriages at the County Clerk-Recorder’s Office

Couples have the option to host their ceremony at either County Clerk-Recorder’s office in Santa Barbara or Santa Maria. Ceremonies are held by appointment only and can be in either English or Spanish. A non-refundable $23 fee is required to book an appointment and appointments can be made up to 90 days in advance.

Couples have the following two ceremony options to choose from:

• Option 1: Ceremony Only - 30 minute appointment
  You must purchase your license ahead of time from Santa Barbara County or your local California County Clerk's Office. You must bring your license with you to your appointment

• Option 2: License and Ceremony - 60 minute appointment
  You will purchase your marriage license during your appointment

County Office in Santa Barbara

Address: 1100 Anacapa St Hall of Records Santa Barbara, CA 93101

The County Clerk-Recorder's Office in Santa Barbara is a historical landmark and is a popular place to host a civil wedding ceremony. Deputy Marriage Commissioners are available Monday-Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm to perform ceremonies.

Ceremonies are performed for $104 and held directly outside the Hall of Records archway door, framed by palm trees and looking out into the Sunken Gardens. Ceremonies here are restricted to 10 people max which includes the couple, children, and a photographer. No food or drink is allowed, throwing confetti, petals, or other things is prohibited, and there are no public bathrooms available at the office.

Santa Barbara Marriage Reservation Calendar: https://calendly.com/sb-marriages

County Office in Santa Maria

Address: 511 Lakeside Pkwy Suite 115 Santa Maria, CA 93455-1310

The County Clerk-Recorder's Office at the Betteravia Government Center is located within the Joseph Centeno Administration Building. Civil wedding ceremonies here are performed Monday-Friday from 8 am to 4:30pm.

All ceremonies are performed inside the office for a fee of $104. Ceremonies here are restricted to 10 people max which includes the couple, children, and a photographer. No food or drink is allowed, throwing confetti, petals, or other things is prohibited, and there are no public bathrooms available at the office.

Santa Maria Marriage Reservation Calendar: https://calendly.com/sm-marriage-appointments

Santa Barbara Courthouse Weddings

Couples may also opt to host their wedding ceremony at the iconic Santa Barbara Courthouse, with its Spanish-style architecture and lush landscaping. In addition to bringing a marriage license to the ceremony, there are additional requirements and procedures for weddings both in the gardens you can find HERE and in the Courthouse’s Mural Room.

Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room Weddings

The Mural Room is a lush chamber tucked away inside the Santa Barbara Courthouse which features wall-to-wall canvas murals. The max capacity for this space is 100 people and the fee to reserve the Mural Room is $700 ($200 non-refundable application fee, $500 facility fee).

Couples must also fill out the Santa Barbara Mural Room Agreement in order to apply. The agreement, along with the application/reservation fee, and preferred wedding dates must be submitted to weddingvenues@countyofsb.org.

Couples can check the Courthouse Mural Room’s calendar here to ensure your dates line up with their availability. Weddings that choose the Mural Room reserve the site for a two-hour period: 10 am to Noon (Saturday and Sunday only), Noon to 2 pm (7 days a week), or 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm (7 days a week).

Additional rules for a Courthouse Mural Room Wedding:

• The County of Santa Barbara, its Directors, Employees, and Representatives are not responsible or liable for the actions of the public during Weddings/Receptions/Special Events

• The door to the Mural room must be open at all times and access beyond the roped-off area is strictly prohibited

• Tacks, tape, real flower petals, open flame, standing on or propping anything on the furniture, walls, drapes, or doors is absolutely prohibited

• Candles are not allowed in the building, or anywhere on the property - LED candles are fine

• Sequins, glitter, confetti, rice, or birdseed are not allowed in or around the building

• No Officiant is provided

• Wedding rehearsals are not included with a wedding reservation

• No food or drinks allowed

• Benches are not to be moved

• Drapes are not to be touched

Santa Barbara Courthouse Garden Weddings

The Courthouse gardens has 5 spaces including the Sunken Garden, Palm Terrace, Fiesta Stage, Bird of Paradise, and Rotunda Lawn—all of which are reserved as one and have a max capacity of 250 people. Wedding celebrations of 15 people or less have 6 additional space options, but these are non-reservable.

Find more via our location spotlight of the Sunken Gardens Information, HERE.

The fee to reserve the Exterior Gardens is $1,200 ($1,000 facility fee plus $200 non-refundable application fee.) Couples must also fill out the Santa Barbara Courthouse Gardens Agreement to apply. The agreement, application/reservation fee, and preferred wedding dates must be submitted to weddingvenues@countyofsb.org.

Couples can check the Courthouse’s calendar here to ensure their availability. Weddings that choose the Exterior Gardens have 2 options to reserve the site for three hours: 11 am to 2 pm or 3 pm to 6 pm.

Additional rules for a Santa Barbara Courthouse Garden Wedding. We go into more detail in this blog post about How to Get Married in the Sunken Gardens.

• No amplified sound, but soft acoustic music would be permitted

• All chairs and equipment are to be hand-carried to the wedding site

• No rice, confetti, flower petals, birdseed, or open flames are permitted

• Wedding rehearsals are not included in a wedding reservation

• Taping off or coning any area of Courthouse Grounds is not permitted

• Food or beverages are not allowed for ceremonies

• Water bottles are permitted in exterior venues only (not in the Mural Room) and must be disposed of properly

• Stay out of planting beds

• No officiants provided

Beaches, Parks, or Other Public Spaces

In addition to both County Clerk-Recorders offices and the Santa Barbara Courthouse, there are a also multiple public beach and park locations where couples in Santa Barbara can choose to get married. These are all ran by the City of Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation Department, and each requires its own individual Rental Application.

All available venues and applications can be found here: https://sbparksandrec.santabarbaraca.gov/venues/wedding-and-event-venues

Outdoor Beach and Park Locations include:

• Alice Keck Park - Pond Grass Area or Arbor Area

• Chase Palm Park Great Meadows

• East Beach - Cabrillo West, Calle Puerto Vallarta, and Pavilion Beach

• Leadbetter Beach - Area West and Beach Ceremony Site

• Mission Rose Garden

• Shoreline Park East

These spaces may also require additional licenses such as temporary licenses for alcohol, event permits, catering permits, or even permits for wedding tents over a certain size.

If you choose a privately-owned Santa Barbara venue, each space will additionally have its own requirements and contracts for couples.