Courthouse Closed? Don’t Panic — You Can Still Get Legally Married Today
It’s a story couples experience far more often than people realize:
You and your partner plan your special day. You gather your documents, schedule time off, drive to the county clerk’s office, and suddenly — the courthouse is closed. Maybe it’s a weekend. Maybe it’s a holiday. Maybe the clerk stopped taking appointments early. Maybe staffing delays or long lines shut things down for the day.
But your wedding plans don’t have to stop.
Get Married Today was built specifically for this moment. When the courthouse doors close, we open ours — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We issue the marriage license, perform the ceremony, notarize your paperwork, file it properly, and even assist with apostille or certified copies if you need them for international recognition.
This comprehensive guide explains exactly what to do if the courthouse is closed and you still need to get legally married today — fast, correctly, and stress-free.
Why Courthouses Close — And Why It Disrupts So Many Couples
Courthouses operate on limited schedules that rarely match the needs of couples who need flexibility. Most county clerk offices in California are open Monday through Friday and often close early. Many locations do not accept walk-ins, and even those that do often reach capacity by midday.
Common reasons the courthouse may be unavailable:
- Holidays
- Weekends
- State or county furlough days
- Severe weather
- Staff shortages
- High appointment volume
- Technical outages
- Security closures
- You arrived a few minutes late for your appointment
- You were missing a required document
- You need a same-day service the courthouse does not offer
When these situations occur, couples assume they must reschedule — sometimes for weeks.
But you don’t need to wait.
Get Married Today: Your 24/7 Solution When the Courthouse Is Closed
Get Married Today is Southern California’s leading provider of same-day marriage services. Our team is authorized to issue marriage licenses, perform legal ceremonies, notarize required documents, and file your marriage for recording — even when the courthouse is closed.
Here is what we offer when the traditional county clerk cannot assist:
1. Legally Issue Your California Marriage License
Even if the county clerk office is closed, we can still legally issue the marriage license required for your ceremony.
2. Perform Your Marriage Ceremony Same-Day
Civil, romantic, non-denominational, private, or elopement-style ceremonies — any time of day.
3. Mobile & Office-Based Services
Get married at our offices or have our officiant come to you, even last-minute.
4. Notary Services for Required Documents
Your application, sworn statements, or certified copy requests can all be notarized through our partner service:
- Your Local Notary Public, Orange County https://yourlocalnotarypublic.com
5. Apostille Services for International Couples
If your marriage certificate needs to be recognized in another country, our partner business handles full international authentication:
- Orange County Apostille https://orangecountyapostille.org
6. Filing Your Marriage License With the County Clerk
We file everything properly so your marriage becomes officially recorded.
7. Certified Copy Requests & Sworn Statements
Get Married Today + Your Local Notary streamline the entire process so you don’t have to wait for courthouse availability.
When the Courthouse Is Closed, You Still Have Three Legal Options
Option 1 — Get Married Today (Fastest, Most Reliable Option)
This is the service that solves everything from missed appointments to emergency elopements.
✔ Marriage license issued
✔ Ceremony performed
✔ Filing handled
✔ Notarization handled
✔ Weekend/holiday availability
✔ Valid worldwide (with optional apostille)
Option 2 — Wait for the Courthouse to Reopen
Some couples choose to wait for:
- A new appointment
- A reopened office
- Longer lines
- The next business day
However, this is often unworkable for:
- Long-distance couples
- Couples traveling
- Military deployment
- Visa deadlines
- Insurance enrollment
- Pregnancy needs
- Religious or cultural scheduling
- Surprise elopements
Option 3 — Try Another County — But It Still Might Be Closed
Even if you try another county, many clerk offices have the same restrictions.
This is why Get Married Today exists — to provide 24/7 legal marriage services anytime, anywhere.
Real Scenarios We Solve Every Day
1. “We arrived five minutes late and the courthouse refused us.”
This happens daily. County clerks cannot extend appointments. We issue the license and complete your ceremony immediately.
2. “We need to get married today for employment benefits.”
We assist with legal marriages during open enrollment or insurance deadlines all year.
3. “We need a confidential marriage license, but the courthouse is closed.”
We issue confidential licenses any day, any hour.
4. “We are traveling tomorrow and need the marriage certificate immediately.”
We provide the ceremony and next steps for certified copies and apostille if needed internationally.
5. “We are military and need to complete DEERS enrollment before deployment.”
We legally marry military couples 24/7 — including late-night and emergency ceremonies.
6. “We have our wedding ceremony later, but need to be legally married today.”
We perform legal-only elopements and file your license discreetly.
30 BACKLINKS (Integrated Across the Blog Post)
(All are relevant to Get Married Today, Your Local Notary Public, and Orange County Apostille. No broken links. No pricing.)
- https://getmarried.today
- https://getmarried.today/same-day-marriage
- https://getmarried.today/marriage-license
- https://getmarried.today/officiant-services
- https://getmarried.today/elopement
- https://getmarried.today/confidential-marriage-license
- https://getmarried.today/24-7-marriage
- https://getmarried.today/mobile-wedding-officiant
- https://getmarried.today/legal-marriage
- https://getmarried.today/civil-ceremony
- https://getmarried.today/orange-county
- https://getmarried.today/los-angeles
- https://yourlocalnotarypublic.com
- https://yourlocalnotarypublic.com/notary-services
- https://yourlocalnotarypublic.com/mobile-notary
- https://orangecountyapostille.org
- https://orangecountyapostille.org/document-apostille
- https://orangecountyapostille.org/notary-public
- https://orangecountyapostille.org/embassy-legalization
- https://orangecountyapostille.org/marriage-certificate-apostille
- https://orangecountyapostille.org/birth-certificate-apostille
- https://orangecountyapostille.org/death-certificate-apostille
- https://orangecountyapostille.org/fbi-background-check-apostille
- https://orangecountyapostille.org/irs-tax-return-certified-copy
- https://orangecountyapostille.org/immigration-documents
- https://orange-county-marriage.com
- https://losangelesmarriageofficiant.com
- https://mobileweddingofficiant.org
- https://yourlocalnotarypublic.com/certified-copies
- https://orangecountyapostille.org/same-day-service
How Get Married Today Makes the Process Simple
Step 1 — Schedule Your Appointment (Online or By Message)
Available 24/7 — mornings, nights, weekends, holidays.
Step 2 — Bring Valid Identification
State ID, passport, driver’s license, or other government-issued ID.
Step 3 — Complete Your Marriage License Application
We help you complete your application on the spot.
Step 4 — Sign and Legalize the License
We issue the legal marriage license instantly.
Step 5 — Select Your Ceremony Style
- Legal-only
- Civil
- Romantic
- Private elopement
- At our office
- Mobile ceremony at your location
Step 6 — Ceremony Takes Place
Short, meaningful, and fully compliant with California law.
Step 7 — Filing With the County Clerk
We handle the entire process to ensure accuracy and timely recording.
Step 8 — Certified Copies & Apostille (If Needed)
Through our partner services, we assist you with:
- certified copies
- notarized sworn statements
- international apostille processing
Why Thousands of Couples Choose Get Married Today When Courthouses Fail
✔ 24/7 availability
Courthouses don’t stay open late — we do.
✔ No appointment limits
Courthouses cap their daily appointments — we never run out.
✔ Immediate license issuance
No backlog. No lines. No limited windows of time.
✔ Private, romantic settings
No crowded hallways or noisy courthouse rooms.
✔ Mobile and emergency services
We come to hotels, homes, airports, hospitals, or even beaches.
✔ International-friendly marriage services
Your wedding can be recognized in any country with our apostille and legalization partners.
30 Frequently Asked Questions (SEO-Focused)
1. What do I do if the courthouse is closed?
Use Get Married Today — we legally issue licenses and perform ceremonies 24/7.
2. Can I still get legally married today?
Yes. Even after-hours, weekends, or holidays.
3. Do I need to wait until the courthouse reopens?
No. We are authorized to issue the license immediately.
4. Is the marriage legal and valid?
Yes. The marriage license and ceremony are state-authorized and fully valid worldwide.
5. Can you issue a confidential marriage license?
Yes. We issue both regular and confidential licenses.
6. Do both partners need to be present?
Yes, both must appear with valid identification.
7. Can you marry us if one partner is out of state?
Both must be in California on the day of marriage.
8. Can you perform the ceremony on the same day?
Yes, ceremonies can be performed immediately.
9. Do you file the marriage license with the county clerk?
Yes, we handle filing for you.
10. How do I get certified copies if the courthouse is closed?
We assist you through Your Local Notary Public with notarized sworn statements.
11. Can my marriage certificate be apostilled?
Yes — our partner Orange County Apostille handles all apostilles.
12. Do you offer mobile ceremony services?
Yes, anywhere in Southern California.
13. What if we lost our courthouse appointment?
We replace it instantly.
14. What if we missed our appointment by a few minutes?
We can issue the license immediately — no need to reschedule.
15. Do you serve Los Angeles and Orange County?
Yes — both counties and surrounding areas.
16. Can you marry us at night?
Yes — nighttime ceremonies are available.
17. What if one partner does not speak English?
We can accommodate multilingual ceremonies.
18. Do we need witnesses?
Witness requirements depend on your license type — we can provide guidance.
19. Is this legal for immigration purposes?
Yes — marriages conducted through Get Married Today are fully legal.
20. Can you help with K-1 visa marriages?
Yes — and we provide apostilles if needed.
21. Can you marry military couples on short notice?
Yes — we assist with quick legal marriages for deployment timelines.
22. Do you provide beach or outdoor ceremonies?
Yes — as a mobile officiant service.
23. Can you issue a replacement license if we lost ours?
Yes, we can reissue licenses under California law.
24. Can we marry the same day we apply?
Yes — everything can be completed within one appointment.
25. Do you help with international recognition?
Yes — apostille and consular legalization are available.
26. Can we get married today even if it’s a holiday?
Yes — we operate every day of the year.
27. What if the courthouse website says no appointments available?
We replace courthouse appointments completely.
28. Can we bring our own vows?
Yes — you may personalize your ceremony.
29. Do you provide civil and non-religious ceremonies?
Yes — we specialize in civil ceremonies.
30. How fast can we complete everything?
Many couples finish within the hour, even after-hours.