A Practical Guide to Getting Married at the Beverly Hills Courthouse: Marriage License Info, Ceremony Details, and City Hall Photo Permits

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

Beverly Hills Courthouse ≠ Beverly Hills City Hall

Although often spoken about as if they’re one and the same, the Beverly Hills Courthouse and Beverly Hills City Hall are not the same building. Adding to the confusion, an image search for both Beverly Hills Courthouse Wedding and Beverly Hills Elopement mostly show photos of newlyweds in front of the iconic Art Deco City Hall building. But! No one gets married there. People get married at the courthouse which, not gonna lie, looks like any other DMV office. In fact, I think the DMV looks better than the ceremony space, which why you rarely see photos from inside the courthouse.

That said, getting married at the Beverly Hills Courthouse does not automatically grant you permission to take photos at the City Hall building or nearby landmarks. A filming permit is required for professional wedding photography at the City Hall’s Palm Court, the Civic Center Plaza, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Gardens Park, and even outside the courthouse itself. You can probably get away with a few iPhone snaps, but taking professional photos at City Hall without a permit will get you stopped by security.

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.

・・・

Beverly Hills Courthouse Wedding Ceremony: Appointment Scheduling, Costs, and Marriage License Details

The process of getting married at the Beverly Hills Courthouse is similar to the other six L.A. 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 two to three trips to apply and pick up your marriage license. Of course, you can do most of it online.

Apply for Your Marriage License: The cost is $91 for a public license or $85 for a confidential license, and you can apply online HERE or in person at any of the seven county clerk offices.
Schedule Your Civil Ceremony: After purchasing your marriage license, you can schedule your civil ceremony 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.
Schedule Limitations: Ceremonies are held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. You can book your ceremony 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.
City Hall/Palm Court Ceremonies: This option comes at an additional cost with a special permit from the city of Beverly Hills. Contact the city directly HERE.

* MARRIAGE LICENSE PRICE INCREASE *

On October 17, 2025, the standard public marriage license cost will increase from $91 to $176, and the confidential marriage license will jump from $85 to $220. Likewise, the civil wedding ceremony fee will go from $35 to $44, and $20 to $26 for the ceremony witness fee.

Civil Ceremony vs Express Marriage

While both ceremony options legally marry you for $35, each offers a slightly different experience.

Civil Ceremony: Lasts around 15 minutes and allows you to have guests with you in the ceremony room. 20 people max.
Express Marriage: You get married at the clerk’s window in minutes however, guests are not allowed with you, but can catch you outside afterward.
Availability: Civil ceremonies are offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, while express marriages are available throughout the week.

Pro Tip: Appointment slots for both ceremony options open at the beginning of each month, for that month. Keep this in mind if you’re planning to book during the summer, peak wedding season. Also, while both ceremony options lasts 10–15 minutes, you’ll spend more time waiting in the hallway. If possible, schedule the first or last ceremony of the day.

・・・

Ceremony Witness and Guest Limit

Having family with you on your wedding is important, but when it comes to this courthouse, I recommend keeping it small and avoid maxing out your 20-guest limit. The marriage department is tiny, gets crowded on the quickness, and the hallway waiting area gets warm when the sun blasts through the glass windows. Plus, there’s nowhere to sit except outside in the sun, so it can get uncomfortable at times.

Likewise, if you're planning on taking photos at City Hall afterward, it gets very hot out there. There’s no shade and nowhere to put your bags and props, so keep that in mind if you have elderly family or children with you. Add in the fact that your two-hour permit window will fly by faster than you think especially if you do group combinations. You can take as many family photos as you want later at lunch or dinner, when everyone’s more relaxed and out of the heat.

Witness Requirement: A witness for the civil ceremony is mandatory. One can be provided for you for an additional $20, but your photographer, can serve as your witness with a government issued photo ID.
Guest Limit: Is 20 per party, including both of you and your photographer. So technically, you're allowed 17 guests. However, it's best to keep the number of guests to an absolute minimum because, as I mentioned earlier, the hallway waiting area can get warm and stuffy on the quickness.

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.

・・・

Beverly Hills City Hall Photography Permit: Application Process, Fees, and Insurance Requirements

As I mentioned earlier, just because you get married at the courthouse doesn’t mean you’re automatically allowed to take photos at the City Hall property. You will need a separate permit from the city plus proof of insurance coverage. Don’t worry, though, so long as your photographer has the required insurance, it’s not hard to get the permit. That said, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Photography Permit Cost

The application and processing fee, as of July 1, 2025, is $69. Processing takes five business days.
The cost of the photography permit for either wedding or family photos is $83 per hour, with a maximum of two hours, totaling $235.
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.

・・・

Parking Cost

Final bit of advice: arrive early. Beverly Hills is in a constant state of road construction, new building projects, and random events mixed in with daily local traffic, so it’s easy to run late even if you're on time by getting redirected, or, in rare cases, be denied road access altogether. I recommend parking at the structure behind the courthouse on Civic Center Drive. It’s reliable 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.