Fresno County Clerk / Registrar Of Voters

Government gets a bad name because of all the red tape and endless rules. I arrived wanting a passport. The representative told me right away my pictures were not acceptable. I expected to be turned away but instead she checked off the rest of the items, told me about fedex passport pictures, and told me to hurry back. I did so. I came back and within 30 minutes my application was submitted. Bravo to them.

Fridays after noon is the WORST time to come for a wedding license!!! There is a 45 min to an hour wait.
Located in Fresno’s sketchy looking downtown area. Parking is metered so make sure you bring plenty of quarters!
The system is a little disorganized when you come in. Some people are there for a ceremony, so it gets a bit crazy with the couple and their 10 guests. That’s the limit on how many people you can have attend your ceremony here… not sure if everyone followed the rules though. Only the couple is supposed to be in the building waiting since there is limited space. All guests have to wait outside.
You can not make an appointment to avoid the craziness. This is a first come first serve system.
To help you navigate through a wedding license:
1. When you enter, DO NOT get in line. Go to your left where you will find computers. There is where you will start. Enter you and your spouse’s information. If you’re on the fence about what your last name is going to be, you better decide before coming here. I was under the impression that I didn’t have to make any final decisions until after we were married. WRONG. Under the gun, I chose his last name instead of a hyphenated version.
2. Only after you’ve entered your information do you get in line. Make sure you have a photo ID and $ 49 for a public license. They only take card or cash! Once you reach the front, they’ll check your ID’s and give you a number so you can wait for any where from 45min to an hour.
3. You wait until you are called into the back of the room where they verify more information. For example your mom’s maiden name/​middle name, your dad’s middle name, etc. They make you swear at the end and you finally get your license!
4. For those of you wanting a ceremony there, you are then told to wait again until the ceremony room is empty. Each ceremony takes about 8minutes long and they give you time to take pictures.
No, we didn’t opt for a ceremony. We were just there for our license, but we were there long enough to watch how slowly the process took.
If you are not checking by 4pm, they will tell you to come back tomorrow.
Also note that this place also deals with passports, business license, along with the marriage license and ceremony. First come first serve AND they don’t distinguish what you’re here for. The only short wait time is if you need anything notarized — they take those first.