Become a deputy marriage commissioner for a day

Deputization will only be granted on a San Francisco County-issued marriage license.  A photocopy of the marriage license must be presented at the time of deputization.

A marriage ceremony must be performed in California.

Deputization may occur immediately after the San Francisco marriage license is issued to the couple or up to the specific ceremony date (ceremony to be performed thereafter).

Choose someone you know and trust to perform your marriage ceremony. Make sure they are willing to follow the steps to become deputized as a marriage commissioner.

This person must:

• Appear in person in the Office of the County Clerk with valid legal photo identification
• Be at least 18 years old
• Be fluent in English
• Be willing to take the oath of office swearing to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California
• Be willing to perform the ceremony in California for the specific couple and date listed on the oath

The Office of the County Clerk has the right to refuse deputization if the person is unable to complete the paperwork correctly and/or fails to meet the above requirements.

If the requirements above cannot be met, please check other California Counties' websites for their program policies and requirements.

Complete the one-day deputy marriage commissioner form and bring it to the County Clerk's office during deputization hours.

Deputization service is only offered on a walk-in basis Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 11 am. The process takes approximately 30 minutes.