Kern County Assessor-Recorder

Access to certified copies of marriage records are restricted to authorized individuals.

California Health and Safety Code, Section 103526, enacted to prevent identity theft, permits only authorized individuals to receive certified copies of marriage records. Those who are not authorized to receive a certified copy will receive a copy marked "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY." The following are considered authorized individuals:

• The registrant or a parent or legal guardian of the registrant.

• A party entitled to receive the record as a result of a court order, or an attorney or a licensed adoption agency seeking the marriage record in order 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.

Those wishing to obtain a Certified Copy MUST complete the sworn statement included with the marriage certificate application form and sign the statement under penalty of perjury. The sworn statement included with any mailed request must be notarized. Mailed requests for a Certified Copy without a notarized statement sworn under penalty of perjury, will be rejected as incomplete and returned unprocessed.