Clerk-Recorder
Find recorded documents, recording requirements and certified copies. Find marriage licensing and county clerk services. Find fictitious business name (FBN / DBA) filing and renewal instructions. Business licenses are a separate service.
Source checked October 12, 2026[1]www.contracostavote.gov
Opens this office’s own website. CountyWiki does not process applications, take payments or provide personal records.
Contact details & office locations ↓Online services & information
These links were found on official source pages. Each service is handled by the office.
Official county instructions for obtaining a new marriage license. Online application entry alone does not issue a license or replace the required appearance; confirm the license type, documents and visit arrangements.
Before you start
- Information & documents · New marriage license — standard in-person application
- Both parties must possess a valid government issued picture identification that includes the full legal name and date of birth. [5]
- Information & documents · New marriage license — standard in-person application
- If either party has been granted a marriage dissolution (divorce) within the last three (3) months, a copy of the final judgment is required. [6]
- Payments · New marriage license — standard in-person application
- Applicable fees – checks are not accepted. [7]
- Appointments · County-provided civil ceremonies — walk-ins
- Walk-ins are welcome from 8:00 am until 3:30 pm daily. [8]
County requirements for documents presented for recording, including return information, original signatures and language-related rules. Search existing documents through the separate property-document index.
Before you start
- Information & documents · Recording — signatures and public-record copies
- The county requires original signatures unless the document is a certified copy issued by the appropriate public-record custodian. [26]
- Information & documents · Recording — requesting party and return address
- Provide the return name and address in the document’s upper-left area; the county also specifies the person requesting recording. [27]
Official official instructions for requesting certificates. Read the office’s current requirements before continuing.
Prepare the form online, then print, sign and submit it with payment in person, by mail or in the office inbox. Online preparation alone does not complete the filing.
Before you start
- Availability · Online preparation does not complete filing
- Prepare online, then print and sign the form and submit it with the required check or money order. [20]
- Information & documents · LP, corporation or LLC
- Include a copy of the entity’s filed California Secretary of State articles. [21]
- Deadlines · Initial filing — state deadline
- File within 40 days after starting business under the fictitious name. [9]
- Eligibility & access · Where to file — principal place of business
- File in the county of your principal California business location. If you have no California business location, file in Sacramento County. [10]
- Deadlines · New or changed filing — newspaper publication
- Start publication within 45 days after filing. Use a qualifying newspaper in the filing county, or an adjoining county if no qualifying newspaper exists there. [11]
- Information & documents · Newspaper notice — publication frequency
- Publish once a week for four successive weeks. [12]
- Deadlines · After publication — file the affidavit
- File the publication affidavit with the County Clerk within 45 days after publication is completed. Check whether your newspaper files it for you. [13]
- Deadlines · Expiration — earlier changes or abandonment can end the statement
- A statement generally lasts five years, but changes or abandonment can end it earlier. [14]
- Eligibility & access · No-change renewal — publication exception
- An unchanged renewal filed within 40 days after expiration does not need republication. Changes can require a new publication. [15]
- Information & documents · California principal business location
- Provide the street address and county of the principal business location. A registrant’s separate mailing-address rule does not remove this requirement. [16]
- Information & documents · Individual registrant — owner mailing address
- For an individual owner, provide the full name and business mailing address if different from the business address. Do not apply older blanket residence-address instructions. [17]
Prepare the application, then print, sign and submit it with payment. Online entry alone does not complete filing.
County-linked access page for existing recorded property documents. Read the provider’s disclaimer before choosing whether to continue.
County recording-fee information; document, page and other charges may differ.
County-linked fraud-protection information; distinct from searching or recording a document.
Fees
Fees are quoted only when a source document supports the amount and conditions.
Check the official website for its current fee schedule. No fee should be assumed to be free.
Forms & documents
Official forms and document pages for this office’s services.
Sources & last checked11 source pages · 28 citations
Sources were checked by an AI-assisted research process. A checked website does not mean every service or fee on it has been reviewed.
- [1] Contra Costa County — departments directory (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County · Department directory: Clerk-Recorder
Source reviewed October 12, 2026View supporting excerpt
Clerk-Recorder
- [2] Contra Costa County — clerk recorder (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County · Service link: Birth Certificates
Source reviewed October 12, 2026View supporting excerpt
Birth Certificates
- [3] Contra Costa — marriage licensing information (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County — Clerk marriage services · Official marriage licensing information — Marriage License and Ceremony Information
Source reviewed October 14, 2026View supporting excerpt
Marriage License and Ceremony Information
- [4] Contra Costa — marriage licensing information (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County — Clerk marriage services · Marriage service contact — Marriage licensing — arrival cutoff — hours
Source reviewed October 14, 2026View supporting excerpt
please arrive no later than 4:00 PM.
- [5] Contra Costa — marriage licensing information (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County — Clerk marriage services · Official marriage licensing information — Both parties must possess a valid government issued picture identification that includes the full le
Source reviewed October 14, 2026View supporting excerpt
Both parties must possess a valid government issued picture identification that includes the full legal name and date of birth.
- [6] Contra Costa — marriage licensing information (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County — Clerk marriage services · Official marriage licensing information — If either party has been granted a marriage dissolution (divorce) within the last three (3) months,
Source reviewed October 14, 2026View supporting excerpt
If either party has been granted a marriage dissolution (divorce) within the last three (3) months, a copy of the final judgment is required.
- [7] Contra Costa — marriage licensing information (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County — Clerk marriage services · Official marriage licensing information — Applicable fees – checks are not accepted.
Source reviewed October 14, 2026View supporting excerpt
Applicable fees – checks are not accepted.
- [8] Contra Costa — marriage licensing information (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County — Clerk marriage services · Official marriage licensing information — Walk-ins are welcome from 8:00 am until 3:30 pm daily.
Source reviewed October 14, 2026View supporting excerpt
Walk-ins are welcome from 8:00 am until 3:30 pm daily.
- [9] Business and Professions Code 17910 — fictitious business names (opens in a new tab)
California Legislature · BPC §17910(a)
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
File a fictitious business name statement in accordance with this chapter not later than 40 days from the time the registrant commences to transact such business.
- [10] Business and Professions Code 17915 — fictitious business names (opens in a new tab)
California Legislature · BPC §17915
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
A fictitious business name statement shall be filed with the clerk of the county in which the registrant has his or her principal place of business in this state or, if the registrant has no place of business in this state, with the Clerk of Sacramento County.
- [11] Business and Professions Code 17917 — fictitious business names (opens in a new tab)
California Legislature · BPC §17917(a)
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Within 45 days after a fictitious business name statement has been filed pursuant to this chapter, the registrant shall cause a statement in the form prescribed by subdivision (a) of Section 17913 to be published pursuant to Section 6064 of the Government Code in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the fictitious business name statement was filed or, if there is no such newspaper in that county, in a newspaper of general circulation in an adjoining county.
- [12] California — FBN publication-frequency (opens in a new tab)
California Legislature · Government Code §6064
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Publication of notice pursuant to this section shall be once a week for four successive weeks.
- [13] Business and Professions Code 17917 — fictitious business names (opens in a new tab)
California Legislature · BPC §17917(d)
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
An affidavit showing the publication of the statement shall be filed with the county clerk where the fictitious business name statement was filed within 45 days after the completion of the publication.
- [14] Business and Professions Code 17920 — fictitious business names (opens in a new tab)
California Legislature · BPC §17920(a)
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Unless the statement expires earlier under subdivision (b) or (c), a fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk.
- [15] Business and Professions Code 17917 — fictitious business names (opens in a new tab)
California Legislature · BPC §17917(c)
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
If a refiling is required because the prior statement has expired, the refiling need not be published unless there has been a change in the information required in the expired statement, provided the refiling is filed within 40 days of the date the statement expired.
- [16] Business and Professions Code 17913 — fictitious business names (opens in a new tab)
California Legislature · BPC §17913(b)(2)
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
If the registrant has a place of business in this state, insert the street address, and county, of the registrant’s principal place of business in this state.
- [17] Business and Professions Code 17913 — fictitious business names (opens in a new tab)
California Legislature · BPC §17913(b)(3)
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
If the registrant is an individual, insert the registrant’s full name and business mailing address if it differs from the business address.
- [18] Contra Costa — fictitious business name instructions (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County — business name filing · Fictitious business name — Fictitious Business Name
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Fictitious Business Name
- [19] Contra Costa — fictitious business name instructions (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County — business name filing · Fictitious business name — Fictitious Business Name Application(Opens in a new window)
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Fictitious Business Name Application(Opens in a new window)
- [20] Contra Costa — fictitious business name instructions (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County — business name filing · FBN requirement — Online preparation does not complete filing
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
A Fictitious Business Name Statement, Abandonment, and Withdrawal of Partnership may be completed online, but the form must be printed out, signed, and submitted to our office with a check or money order payable to “Clerk-Recorder” for the fees.
- [21] Contra Costa — fictitious business name instructions (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County — business name filing · FBN requirement — LP, corporation or LLC
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
If you are a limited partnership, corporation, or limited liability company, you must also submit a copy of your filed articles from the California Secretary of State.
- [22] Contra Costa — property records (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County official service / referred provider · County Recorder — Recording requirements
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Basic Recording Requirements
- [23] Contra Costa — property records (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County official service / referred provider · County Recorder — Search property documents — disclaimer and access
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Search Property Documents
- [24] Contra Costa — property records (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County official service / referred provider · County Recorder — Current recording-fee information
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Recording Fees
- [25] Contra Costa — property records (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County official service / referred provider · County Recorder — Property-record fraud-protection resources
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Fraud Protection
- [26] Contra Costa — property records (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County official service / referred provider · County Recorder — Recording — signatures and public-record copies
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Signatures must be original unless the document is a certified copy issued by the appropriate custodian of the public record.
- [27] Contra Costa — property records (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County official service / referred provider · County Recorder — Recording — requesting party and return address
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
The upper left-hand corner of each document is intended for use by the public to show the name and address to whom the document should be returned.
- [28] Contra Costa — property records (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa County official service / referred provider · County Recorder — Recorder forms
Source reviewed October 15, 2026View supporting excerpt
Recorder Forms