Diverting Money from Marriages

Getting married soon? A percentage of your marriage license fees will go to domestic violence shelters.

Funds for battered women's shelters and domestic violence centers have been raised through California marriage license fees since 1980, when the coalition-group California Alliance Against Domestic Violence advocated for a portion of license fees to be diverted to shelters and anti-violence programs.

Individual counties within California have the authority to decide how much to divert from the overall license cost.

This past year, Alameda County increased the license fee by $2, totaling $84. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors estimates over $160,000 will be raised for domestic violence shelters.

--By Laurie Burkitt

Here is a copy of Alameda County's license fee law, section 26840.10:

(a) The Alameda County Board of Supervisors, upon making
findings and declarations for the need for governmental oversight and
coordination of the multiple agencies dealing with domestic
violence, may authorize an increase in the fees for marriage licenses
and confidential marriage licenses, up to a maximum increase of two
dollars ($2).
(b) Effective July 1 of each year, the Alameda County Board of
Supervisors may authorize an increase in these fees by an amount
equal to the increase in the Consumer Price Index for the San
Francisco metropolitan area for the preceding calendar year, rounded
to the nearest half-dollar ($0.50).  The fees shall be allocated
pursuant to Section 18309 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(c) In addition to the fee prescribed by Section 26840.1, in
Alameda County, the person issuing authorization for the performance
of a marriage or confidential marriage, or the county clerk upon
providing a blank authorization form pursuant to Part 4 (commencing
with Section 500) of Division 3 of the Family Code, shall collect the
fees specified in subdivisions (a) and (b), at the time of providing
the authorization.
(d) The Alameda County Board of Supervisors shall submit to the
Assembly Judiciary Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, no
later than July 1, 2009, a report containing the following
information:
(1) The annual amounts of funds received and expended from fee
increases for the purpose of governmental oversight and coordination
of domestic violence prevention, intervention, and prosecution
efforts in the county.
(2) Outcomes achieved as a result of the activities associated
with the implementation of this section.
(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2010, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
deletes or extends that date.