With wedding plans being altered amid to the coronavirus pandemic, couples will now have the option to obtain marriage licenses and partake in civil marriage ceremonies at the Honda Center in Anaheim starting Friday.
The Orange County Clerk-Recorder Department is offering the services to couples whose marriage appointments were postponed due to closures and stay-at-home orders, according to the department’s Thursday news release. The Clerk Recorder’s offices closed to the public on March 17 do to stay-at-home orders.
Marriage services will be available at the Honda Center located at 2695 E. Katella Ave., on the corner of Katella Avenue and South Douglass Road, by appointment only from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The public can call the department’s Marriage Service Hotline at 714-834-2740 starting Monday, April 20, to make an appointment. Couples must complete their marriage license application on the county recorder’s website prior to calling the hotline, and when making the appointment, both individuals have to be on the phone.
“I am excited to be able to offer marriage services again during these challenging times,” Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen said. “We looked into ways of providing these services in the safest way possible due to the demand and feel that this is a great solution.”
There will only be 60 appointments per day and strict social distancing guidelines will be implemented, the department said. Staff will be inside booths to ensure that a protective barrier exists between them and the couples.
Additionally, there will be the following limitations:
- For those seeking a marriage license, only the couple can be present and no guests.
- For those seeking a public marriage license and a ceremony, only the couple and one witness may be present.
- For those looking to obtain a confidential marriage license and have a ceremony performed, only the couple can be present and no guests.
Couples will need to pay fees with a check or money order made payable to the Orange County Clerk-Recorder, as no cash or credit card payments will be accepted. And, they must present a valid government issued photo ID.
