Considering of getting married? Get able to dig deeper into your pockets as it could price you greater than $400 for the licenses and charges to tie the knot in Los Angeles County.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted to boost marriage license charges by as a lot as 160%. Increased costs for county-officiated civil marriage ceremony ceremonies and witness companies may power {couples} to interrupt open their piggy banks.
The charges will increase go into impact Oct. 17.
The choice to spice up such charges comes as the associated fee to carry out all Register-Recorder/County Clerk’s workplace companies has elevated, in keeping with a board letter signed by L.A. County Clerk Dean Logan. Within the letter, Logan mentioned the funds “not mirror the precise prices to carry out these companies and don’t bear in mind inflationary components or mandated minimal wage will increase.”
The county clerk’s workplace, which information marriage licenses, additionally oversees election administration, voter file upkeep, actual property doc recording, and very important information custody and upkeep. The company acquired a funds of greater than $338 million to carry out its election companies for a county with greater than one million registered voters, in keeping with the 2023-24 fiscal 12 months funds. However the company has been operating a deficit that has grown over the previous few years, in keeping with funds information.
In consequence, county officers are hoping to gather extra from would-be newlyweds to assist shut the monetary hole.
A public marriage license, which permits your marriage document to be accessed by anybody, will enhance from $91 to $176 — a 93% enhance. A confidential marriage license, which at present prices you $85, will bounce to $220, a spike of about 160%. A wedding ceremony price will now price $44, a rise from $35, and witness companies will rise from $20 to $26.
The overall value for a public marriage license, and a county-officiated wedding ceremony with witnesses, will price a complete of about $422 — not together with different niceties comparable to flowers, tuxedos and robes. Nonetheless, the licenses and charges are solely a fraction of the $41,000 a mean marriage ceremony prices in California.
The price modifications are anticipated to generate greater than $5 million in further income, in keeping with the board letter. L.A. County officers defend the rise, noting that marriage charges are barely larger in neighboring counties.
The typical price for a wedding license in San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Contra Costa, San Bernardino, San Francisco and Ventura counties is $100, whereas a confidential marriage license prices you a mean of about $107 in these counties, in keeping with the L.A. County clerk’s workplace.
San Diego County costs the best charges: $129 for a public license and $144 for its confidential possibility. Orange County has the bottom charges at $61 and $66, respectively, in keeping with the L.A. County clerk’s workplace. Riverside County raised its licensing charges to $111 and $122 in August, in keeping with county information.
L.A. County final elevated its marriage companies charges in 2009 to $85 and $90, in keeping with a 2010 information launch. In 2004, the general public and confidential charges have been $70 for every.
