County Clerk vs Assessor-Recorder in San Francisco
San Francisco is one consolidated city and county. Vital and clerk services split across two offices. The San Francisco County Clerk sits in City Hall, Room 160, One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102. The Clerk issues marriage licenses, confidential marriage certificates, domestic partnership filings, fictitious business names, City IDs, and notary filings. The phone line is 415-554-4950 and the processing hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Assessor-Recorder, led by Joaquín Torres, works out of City Hall Room 190. The Recorder side records the public marriage license after the ceremony and sells public marriage certificate copies. So the Clerk hands out the license; the Recorder turns the signed license into a public record. Confidential marriage certificates stay with the Clerk in Room 160. Public marriage certificates come from Room 190.
The Clerk's department page lays out every service the office handles. The San Francisco County Clerk department page lists marriage licenses, certificates, domestic partnerships, and notary filings.
Confirm hours, fees, and appointment booking through this page before walking into Room 160 for a San Francisco County marriage record service.
Public vs Confidential Marriage Licenses
California offers two kinds of marriage license. A public marriage license becomes part of the public record after recording. A confidential marriage license is sealed under state law and only authorized people can request copies. The split matters because a generic search will not turn up every San Francisco marriage. The marriage license page at sf.gov walks through both options.
Public licenses get recorded with the Assessor-Recorder. After that, anyone may buy a certified copy from the Recorder window at City Hall, Room 190, for $17 per copy. Confidential certificates are different. The Application for Certified Copy of a Confidential Marriage Certificate limits copies to the parties to the marriage and to people with a court order. The Clerk requires ID and may require a sworn statement under penalty of perjury. So the first question on any marriage record request is: was the license public or confidential, and is the requester an authorized person.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The marriage license workflow starts at the County Clerk and ends at the Assessor-Recorder. Both parties must show up in person at City Hall, Room 160, for the license itself. The ceremony can take place in the building, in the rotunda, or anywhere else with an authorized officiant. Bring valid government-issued photo ID. If a prior marriage ended less than 90 days before the appointment, bring a certified copy of the divorce, annulment, termination, or death record.
- Review the requirements on the marriage license service page and book a County Clerk appointment for the license.
- Bring valid government-issued photo identification for both parties and any prior-marriage documents needed if the last marriage ended within 90 days.
- Pay the County Clerk fee at the Room 160 window. Cash, credit card, personal check, money order, or cashier's check are accepted.
- Have the ceremony performed by an authorized officiant. Do not alter, strike over, write over, erase, use correction fluid on, or damage the license.
- Return the signed public license to the Assessor-Recorder at City Hall, Room 190, within 10 days after the ceremony.
- Order public marriage certificate copies 10 days after recording, or use same-day newlywed service at Room 190 if eligible.
The Clerk's office serves walk-ins as space allows, but appointments cut the wait. Plan a full hour for the Room 160 visit, plus the trip back across to Room 190 after the wedding.
The city's service page covers both public and confidential license tracks in plain text. The Get a marriage license page at sf.gov is the recommended starting point.
Read the requirements page before booking, since the Clerk will not issue a San Francisco County marriage license without matching ID and any prior-marriage documents.
Public Marriage License Application Fields
The Public Marriage License Application asks each party for the same basic vital-record data. The fields below come from the official PDF. Both parties sign under penalty of perjury, and the Name Equality Act warning applies if either party plans to change a name through the license.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Party A/B legal name | text | Required | Full names as shown on ID documents. |
| Birth name / last name at birth | text | Required | Used for the vital record entry. |
| Date of birth | date | Required | Used to check age eligibility. |
| State or country of birth | text or dropdown | Required | Birthplace data field. |
| Residence address | text | Required | Street, city, state, and country. |
| Number of prior marriages or registered partnerships | number | Required | Prior relationship disclosure. |
| How last marriage ended | checkbox | Conditional | Divorce, annulment, death, or termination. |
| Date last marriage ended | date | Conditional | Certified proof needed if within 90 days. |
| Parents' names and birthplaces | text | Required | Standard vital record fields. |
| New name after marriage | text | Optional | Name Equality Act warning applies. |
| Signatures | signature | Required | Parties sign under penalty of perjury. |
Fill the form out at the window. The Clerk staff will check the ID match before the license is printed.
San Francisco Marriage and Recorder Fees
Known fees for marriage records and recorded documents come from the Assessor-Recorder fee schedule and the Civil Records request form. The County Clerk service fee for the license itself is set on the County Clerk page and should be checked at booking, since the schedule is updated by the office. Use the table below for the fees that are public and confirmed.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified copy of a public marriage certificate (Assessor-Recorder) | $17 per copy |
| Recorder official record, self-service online copy (electronic only) | $1.81 per document |
| Confidential marriage certificate copy (County Clerk) | See current County Clerk fee schedule |
| Civil plain copies (Civil Records, court files) | $0.50 per page |
| Civil certification fee (court file copy) | Listed on the request form; confirm current rate |
| Public records request copies under CPRA | Direct duplication cost unless another statute applies |
The Recorder accepts cash, credit or debit (Visa, Mastercard, Discover), personal check, or money order made out to SF Assessor-Recorder for same-day newlywed certificate service. Mail requests need payment plus a self-addressed stamped envelope. For divorce file copies, see the court records page.
Recording a Marriage at Room 190 City Hall
Room 190 is the Recorder window. The signed public marriage license must come back within 10 days of the ceremony. The recording page warns couples to keep the license clean. Do not alter, strike over, write over, erase, use correction fluid on, or damage the document. A damaged license can hold up recording and force a corrective process. Once recorded, the certificate becomes a public record and any person may buy a certified copy. The Assessor-Recorder's December 23, 2024 release noted a new free public online viewing service for recorded documents from 1990 to present, holding over 7 million unique documents and cutting typical online purchase fees by more than 80%.
The Recorder publishes the 10-day rule and the clean-document warning on a dedicated city page. The Record your public marriage license page covers the Room 190 process for newlyweds.
Bring the signed license to Room 190 within 10 days to turn it into a San Francisco County public marriage record.
Ordering Public Marriage Certificate Copies
The Recorder accepts three submission methods for public marriage certificates. Online orders run through the Get a Copy of Your Marriage Certificate page. Mail orders require a notarized application, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. In-person service at Room 190 is the fastest, and same-day newlywed service is offered after a public license has just been recorded. Confidential certificates take longer. The Clerk asks for the Application for Certified Copy of a Confidential Marriage Certificate and proof that the requester is an authorized party. Mail orders need a notarized sworn statement. Processing may run about four weeks.
Note: A public certificate is open to anyone, but a confidential certificate is open only to the spouses or a person with a court order.
The Recorder's online copy service is the fastest path for a certified public marriage certificate. The Get a copy of your marriage certificate page covers online, mail, and in-person orders.
Use this page to order a San Francisco County public marriage certificate copy without making a trip to City Hall.
Divorce Records Are Court Records
Divorce in San Francisco is a court case, not a vital record. Files live with the Superior Court Civil Records office at 400 McAllister Street, Room 103, San Francisco, CA 94102. The records desk email is CCCRecordsDepartment@sftc.org and the phone line is 415-551-3802. Unified Family Court on the 4th floor hears divorce, legal separation, annulment, custody, visitation, child support, parentage, and domestic restraining orders. A "divorce certificate" in California is really the court judgment or decree, not a vital-record card. To get a certified decree, file the Civil Records Request Form. Plain copies run $0.50 per page; exemplified copies take 12 to 15 working days.
Family Law Online Search Limits
The court does offer an online query, but family law has tight rules. The court's Name Query PDF is clear: Family Law registers of action are viewable online only when the user has the case number. Family Law imaged documents are not viewable online at all. A name-only search will not work for a divorce file. To look up a divorce on the San Francisco court docket system, the searcher needs the case number. Without it, the next step is a phone call or in-person visit to Civil Records. The viewing room in Room 103 is first come, first served. Custody, child support, domestic violence, financial disclosure, and minor-related materials may be sealed by statute or court order.
How to File for Divorce in San Francisco
California uses no-fault divorce. The usual ground is irreconcilable differences. The case starts with Judicial Council forms and runs through Unified Family Court. Service of process, financial disclosures, and a statutory waiting period all apply before the judgment is final.
- Check California and San Francisco residency rules through California Courts Self-Help.
- Prepare the Judicial Council divorce forms and any local San Francisco forms.
- File the case at the Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister Street, if venue is proper in San Francisco.
- Pay the filing fee at the window, or file a fee-waiver request if income limits apply.
- Serve the other spouse or registered partner under California rules.
- Exchange the required financial disclosures, unless waived by law in narrow cases.
- Resolve custody, support, property, and debt by agreement, mediation, or a court hearing.
- Submit judgment paperwork. The divorce is not final until the court enters judgment and the waiting period is met.
For arrest issues that overlap with a family case, see San Francisco criminal records. Domestic violence restraining orders can run alongside the divorce case.
ACCESS Center Self-Help for Divorce
San Francisco Superior Court runs a court-operated self-help office called the ACCESS Center. The name stands for Assisting Court Customers with Education and Self-Help Services. It sits at 400 McAllister Street, Room 509. Staff give legal information, hand out forms, and refer people to legal aid groups. They cannot give legal advice, represent a party, keep things confidential, or speak to a judge for a user.
ACCESS helps with divorce, legal separation, annulment, parentage, custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, domestic partnership dissolution, name and gender change, civil restraining orders, small claims, unlawful detainer, and CARE Act matters. Live phone help runs Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. LiveChat for dissolution and domestic partnership runs Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Referrals include Bay Area Legal Aid at 800-551-5554 and the Bar Association of San Francisco LRIS at sfbar.org/lris.
San Francisco Marriage and Divorce Contacts
Three offices cover almost every marriage and divorce errand in San Francisco.
San Francisco County Clerk
City Hall, Room 160
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-554-4950
Assessor-Recorder (Recorder Window)
City Hall, Room 190
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Marriage cert: $17 per copy
Superior Court Civil Records
Civic Center Courthouse, Room 103
400 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-551-3802