How to Get Married at the Beverly Hills Courthouse in 2026: Marriage License and City Hall Photography Permit Process

Skip to ☞ Courthouse Ceremony Appointment・City Hall Photography Permit・Parking Cost

Beverly Hills Courthouse ≠ Beverly Hills City Hall

Before diving in, let's clear up the most common misconception: the Beverly Hills Courthouse and Beverly Hills City Hall are not the same building. Adding to the confusion, an image search for Beverly Hills Courthouse Wedding and Beverly Hills Elopement shows pictures of newlyweds in front of the iconic Art Deco City Hall building. But! No one gets married there. People get married at the courthouse a block away and, not gonna lie, it looks like any other DMV office — which is why you rarely see pictures from inside the courthouse.

More importantly! Getting married at the Beverly Hills Courthouse does not grant you permission to take professional pictures at the City Hall building or even nearby landmarks. A photography permit is required for professional wedding pictures at City Hall's Palm Court, Civic Center Plaza, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Gardens Park, and even outside the courthouse itself. However, you can get away with a few iPhone pics, but taking professional pictures at City Hall without a permit will get you stopped by Saccurity.

Panoramic view of Beverly Hills City Hall framed by palm trees under a blue sky, showing the full entrance and steps leading to the iconic arched doors—frequent location for Beverly Hills courthouse wedding portraits.

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How to Book Your Appointment at the Beverly Hills Courthouse

The process of getting married at the Beverly Hills Courthouse is similar to the other six Los Angles County Clerk offices with a few extra steps. For one, unlike the other offices, Beverly Hills does not accept walk-ins, appointments are required. The entire process can take three to four weeks, including purchasing your marriage license, scheduling your ceremony, and a couple of trips to apply and pick up your marriage license. I recommend you do as much as possible online.

Apply for Your Marriage License: The cost is $91 for a public license or $85 for a confidential license. You can apply online HERE or in person at any of the seven county clerk offices.
Schedule Your Ceremony: After purchasing your marriage license, you can schedule your civil ceremony or express marriage for an additional $35 online HERE, in person at your office of choice, or by calling the Los Angeles County Registar-Recorder/County Clerk directly at (800) 201-8999.
Witness Requirement: A witness for the civil ceremony is mandatory. One can be provided for you for an additional $20, but your photographer (me), can serve as your witness with a government issued photo ID. However, a witness is not required for Confidential Marriages.

Civil Ceremony vs Express Marriage

Civil Ceremonies are held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 9:00am and 3:00pm, lasts 15 minutes and allows you to have up to 20 guests with you in the ceremony room.
The Express Marriage option gets you married at the clerk's window in a few minutes however, guests are not allowed in with you. They have to wait outside. These are available Monday through Friday from 9:00am and 3:00pm.

Both ceremony options can be booked no more than three weeks in advance, and only after purchasing your marriage license. Appointment slots open at the beginning of each month for that month only. I recommend you schedule the first or last ceremony of the day to avoid the crowd.

The Twenty Person Guest Limit

Each wedding party is allowed a maximum of 20 guests, including you, your fiancé, and me, your photographer, so technically it's more like 17 guests. However! I recommend you keep your guest count to a minimum because the hallway waiting area is tiny, gets packed quick, gets hot AF in the summer, and there's nowhere to sit. There are a couple of metal chairs outside, but that doesn't help if the sun is ass blasting them. And if you're gonna take pictures at City Hall afterward, it gets very hot out there too. There's no shade and nowhere to put your bags or props, so keep that in mind if grandma or the kids are gonna be with you.

Bride in a slit wedding gown and groom in a burgundy jacket pose on a pastel-tiled balcony at Beverly Hills City Hall, surrounded by tropical landscaping after their Beverly Hills courthouse marriage ceremony.

Bride and groom pause on the grand staircase outside Beverly Hills City Hall, framed by carved stone columns and archways, just after their Beverly Hills courthouse marriage ceremony.

Close-up of a wrought iron window with art deco details and pastel walls at Beverly Hills City Hall, surrounded by palm trees—a quiet architectural moment before a Beverly Hills courthouse civil ceremony.

Bride and groom holding hands while walking in front of The Beverly Hills Hotel after their Beverly Hills courthouse wedding appointment, dressed in modern wedding attire with towering palms and lush greenery in the background.

Bride and groom pose with their diverse wedding party and dog dressed in wedding attire in the courtyard of Beverly Hills City Hall following a Beverly Hills courthouse wedding ceremony.

A tall palm tree sways in front of Beverly Hills City Hall’s ornate facade, showcasing the architecture often featured in Beverly Hills courthouse wedding photos.

Bride and groom stroll with their dog through the gardens behind Beverly Hills City Hall, surrounded by lush palms and historic architecture after their Beverly Hills courthouse civil ceremony.

The ornate white tower of Beverly Hills City Hall with its domed top and intricate Spanish Revival details, framed by palm trees under a clear blue sky—an iconic backdrop for a Beverly Hills courthouse wedding.

Newlyweds embrace on a teal and white tiled walkway of Beverly Hills City Hall, surrounded by geometric mid-century patterns after their Beverly Hills courthouse wedding.

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How to Apply for the Beverly Hills City Hall Photography Permit

As I mentioned earlier, just because you get married at the courthouse does not mean you're automatically allowed to take pictures at the city hall property. Not to get too geeky with municipal bureaucracy, but the reason is because the city hall building is the property of the City of Beverly Hills, while the courthouse is property of Los Angeles County. Meaning! You will need a separate permit from the city, plus proof of insurance coverage. But so long as your photographer has the required insurance, it's not difficult to get the permit.

Photography Permit Cost

The application and processing fee, as of July 1, 2025, is $69. Processing takes five business days.
The photography permit cost is $83 per hour, two hours max. Book the two hours.
You can apply for the photography permit HERE or by calling the Beverly Hills Film and Photography Permit Office directly at (310) 285-2408.

When to Apply for the Photography Permit

You can apply for the permit 7 business days in advance of your requested date, but no more than 60 days in advance.
The City of Beverly Hills will not grant a permit if you apply less than 2 business days of the requested date.

Late Application Fees

If the application is submitted 2 to 6 business days from the requested date, a $308 fee will apply.
If the application is submitted 2 business days from the requested date, a $308 fee will apply, plus a $137 late permit fee.

Insurance Requirement

You or your photographer MUST provide a certificate of insurance (COI) reflecting proof of general liability (or general aggregate) insurance coverage of $2 million, naming the City of Beverly Hills as additional insured.

Bride and groom share a quiet moment on a white stucco bridge at Beverly Hills City Hall, framed by tall bird of paradise plants after their Beverly Hills courthouse civil ceremony.

A newly married couple stand close in front of Beverly Hills City Hall, looking at each other with joy under the symmetrical palm-lined courtyard, following their Beverly Hills courthouse wedding appointmen

Wedding couple with their blended family in front of the art deco façade of Beverly Hills City Hall after their Beverly Hills courthouse marriage—sunlight pouring through the palm-lined plaza.

Romantic kiss between bride and groom beneath an art deco archway at Beverly Hills City Hall—an intimate moment captured after their Beverly Hills courthouse wedding.

Bride and groom descend the marble staircase inside Beverly Hills City Hall, captured in timeless black and white during their Beverly Hills courthouse wedding appointment.

Bride and groom walk hand-in-hand down a sunlit corridor at Beverly Hills City Hall after their Beverly Hills courthouse civil ceremony, laughing and glowing in soft morning light.

Back view of bride and groom walking together through a manicured courtyard after their Beverly Hills courthouse wedding, her gown trailing behind as they pause in front of the historic city hall windows.

Bride with oversized floral sleeves stands in soft sunlight among banana palms and tropical foliage outside Beverly Hills City Hall after a Beverly Hills courthouse wedding appointment.

Art deco archway with green, pink, and teal tile accents beneath the iconic Beverly Hills sign outside Beverly Hills City Hall, often photographed before or after a Beverly Hills courthouse wedding.

Black-and-white photo of bride and groom descending the steps of Beverly Hills City Hall, captured candidly after their Beverly Hills courthouse civil ceremony.

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Parking Cost

Beverly Hills is in a constant state of road construction, public events, heavy local traffic, add its status as a major tourist destination, and it's easy to run late — even when you leave on time — due to detours, road closures, or accidents on the 405. Plus the Purple Line rail extension project has turned the Wilshire corridor into a nightmare of a zoo, so arrive as early as possible. For convenience, I recommend you park in the parking structure behind the courthouse on Civic Center Drive. It's reliable, always open, and just a block away.

Street Parking: $1 per hour.
Parking Structure: I recommend the one behind the courthouse on Civic Center Dr. First 2 hours are free, then $1 per 30 minutes and daily maximums are $15 to $20.
Courthouse Parking: Underground parking beneath the courthouse is $20 cash only. The entrance is on the east side of the building on Burton Way.

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