What are the laws regarding common law marriages in my state?

In California, there is no such thing as a common law marriage. The law in California states that a couple must be legally married in order for the marriage to be recognized. In other words, a couple cannot be married just by living together or intending to be married. They must obtain a marriage license from a county clerk or another authorized official and have a ceremony in order for their marriage to be recognized. The only exceptions to this rule are couples who married prior to January 1, 1995 in a state that recognized common law marriage. If this applies to you, then your marriage will be considered valid in California. Additionally, California recognizes marriages that were validly entered into in other jurisdictions, regardless of whether or not that jurisdiction recognized common law marriage. In other words, if you were married in a state that recognized common law marriage, your marriage will be recognized in California. In short, in order for a marriage to be legally recognized in California, there must either be a valid marriage ceremony or the marriage must have been validly entered into in another jurisdiction that recognized common law marriage. If neither of these criteria is met, then the marriage will not be recognized in California.

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