Recognition of Online Utah Marriage in California

If the requirements are met, yes. We break down the details in the follow-up points.

Yes, the marriage will also be recognized federally for immigration purposes once it has been consummated. For further explanation, read the following points.

Since 2020, Utah County has authorized a fully remote marriage process. Pursuant to Utah Code §§ 30-1-6 and 30-1-7, marriage licenses may be issued electronically, and the ceremony may be conducted by live video. Neither the officiant nor the parties are required to be physically present in Utah. Once solemnized and recorded, such a marriage is deemed to have been lawfully celebrated within Utah.

California adheres to the long-established rule that a marriage valid where celebrated is valid everywhere, unless it contravenes a strong public policy. California Family Code § 308 codifies this principle:

“A marriage contracted outside this state that would be valid by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the marriage was contracted is valid in California.”

Accordingly, a marriage validly solemnized in Utah—including one performed online—is recognized in California, provided it does not violate California’s prohibitions against bigamy, close consanguinity, fraud, or lack of consent (Fam. Code §§ 2200–2212).

For immigration purposes, federal law applies the same “place-of-celebration” rule: a marriage valid where performed is valid under U.S. immigration law. However, under 8 C.F.R. § 204.2(a)(1)(i)(A), the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires that the marriage must be either consummated or followed by physical cohabitation between the spouses.

Therefore, a Utah online marriage will be recognized by USCIS once the parties have met or cohabited after the ceremony. At that point, the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse may file the standard Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) to initiate the Green Card process.