KTLA

It could be weeks before legal marriages can resume in L.A. County

Russel and Kathleen Sion of Torrance were married at the Honda Center in Anaheim, where the Orange County clerk recorder is holding weddings and issuing licenses. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles County clerk’s office closed March 16 because of the spreading coronavirus, and it hasn’t issued a marriage license since, leaving many couples wondering when they can tie the knot.

Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed an executive order allowing couples to legally wed through videoconferencing during the coronavirus pandemic, but unlike several other counties in Southern California, L.A. County is weeks away from having a system in place to accommodate that. One might not arrive until June, according to Mike Sanchez, a spokesman for the county clerk.


“It’s something we’re developing actively,” he said. “We know people are anxious to marry their loved ones, and we’re doing the best to our ability.”

Several officiants and wedding chapel operators in the county expressed frustration over the continued delay. A scarcity of marriage licenses means fewer marriages. And that means minimal work during what would have been the beginning of peak wedding season.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.