NOTICE: COVID-19 Administrative Action
The purpose of this notice is to notify the public of the precautionary administrative action that the County Clerk/Recorder/Elections Department (CRE) will be taking effective Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Given the nature of the administrative actions and the need for further information, the plan and dates are likely to evolve, and we will update the public accordingly.
Administrative Action 1: CRE will close its over-the-counter services. Members of the public will have the option to take care of their business over the phone, online, mail or by office drop box.
Administrative Action 2 : CRE will restrict public services to ONLY San Benito County residents, or those whose birth, marriage or death records are recorded in San Benito County.
This is not a decision we take lightly. We know that these precautionary actions have a tremendous impact on the public. The safety of the public and staff remains our top priority, and we have confidence that this is the proper course of action. For more information, call (831) 636-4029.
Latest News (5/4/2020):
Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that will allow adults to obtain marriage licenses via videoconference rather than in person amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, adults who wish to be married can conduct a ceremony to solemnize the marriage via videoconference. The provisions will be in place for the next 60 days.
For more information, please read the following instructions here and call the County Clerk Office to set an appointment at (831) 636-4029.
It is the County Clerk’s mission to provide competent and quality service to all citizens, as well as visitors, by providing a well-trained, informed and competent staff who have access to and use of current and accurate technology. Further, our goal is and has always been to provide this service and technology at a minimum cost to the taxpayers of San Benito County while preserving its’ vast and rich history.
Statement of Mandates
This Division performs a variety of mandated duties. These include issuing marriage licenses, filing and indexing confidential marriage certificates, and issuing certified copies of such marriage certificates to persons after proper identification is produced. This Division accepts for filing fictitious business name statements, abandonments, proofs of publication of such statements and withdrawal of partnership statements. An index to these filings is maintained and copies are provided to the public, when requested, for a fee.
This Division accepts notary bonds for filing, maintains records of those filed, and certifies to the authenticity of a notary, when requested, for a fee.
This Division accepts oaths of office for filing and maintains the roster of public officers for the County. Powers of Attorney, appointments of Humane Officers, registrations of Private Professional Photocopiers, Process Servers and Unlawful Detainer Assistants and county inventories are filed and maintained as public records.
This Division collects a fee for the filing of Notices of Determination under the state Environmental Quality Act that is transmitted monthly to the Department of Fish and Game and collects an administrative fee to cover the cost of processing these papers.
The County Clerk is a Commissioner of Civil Marriages pursuant to state statute and as such may perform marriage ceremonies.
The County Clerk is the filing officer for Conflict of Interest Statements for county departments, agencies, boards and commissions and as such distributes and accepts for filing such statements.
