Fees for civil marriage ceremonies could be raised by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

If approved, the fee for a marriage ceremony will rise to $35 from the current $25, while the witness service fee will increase to $20 from $18.

According to county records, the last time the marriage ceremony fee was raised was in 1995. The $18 marriage ceremony witness service fee was introduced in 2009 and hasn’t changed.

Staff costs have increased since 2009, according to the Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk, necessitating the fee hike.

Other large counties in California charge more, according to the registrar’s office – from $63 to $88.

If approved, the higher fees will take effect Aug. 3 and should generate additional revenue of about $180,000 annually.

From the County Registrar-Recorder:

The L.A. County RR/CC provides marriage licenses to couples getting married in the near future and even performs civil ceremonies for a small fee. Once a couple has obtained their marriage license and participated in a qualified ceremony, the marriage license becomes a marriage certificate that must be sent back to the RR/CC to be recorded.

The L.A. County RR/CC only records marriage certificates for marriage licenses that were obtained in Los Angeles County. If you obtained your marriage license in another state or California county, the RR/CC will not record your marriage certificate, nor will have your marriage record on file.

To obtain a marriage license in Los Angeles County:

1. Both parties must be present together and provide “Proof of Identity” and age documents. Photo and age verification is mandatory. All documents must be in English. Documents in any other language must be submitted with an English translation by a certified translator. Translations must be notarized. Documents that have expired will not be accepted. Acceptable forms of I.D. are:

• driver’s license
• passport
• alien resident card

1. Parties must be unmarried. A previous marriage is valid until the final date of dissolution.
2. Written proof of a divorce or the dissolution of a previous marriage is required if the event occurred within the last two years or less. If the final dissolution was more than two years ago, written proof may not be required, but the date of the final dissolution must be provided at the same time the license is requested.
3. Parties who have entered into a State Register Domestic Partnership must provide proof of termination, if the termination occurred within the last two years or less.
4. If the termination was more than two years, written proof may not be required, but the date of the termination must be provided at the same time the license is requested.
5. Parties marrying the same partner, who each entered into a State Register Domestic Partnership, must present a copy of the Declaration of Domestic Partnership.
6. Parties living together as spouses who meet the required conditions may request a confidential marriage license.
7. Proxy marriages are not legal.
8. A blood test and health certificate are not required to obtain a marriage license.
9. There is no residence or citizenship status requirement.