You’ve heard of the marriage tax penalty – but what about the wedding fee?

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider raising the amount of money brides and grooms pay for civil marriage ceremonies.

If approved, the fee for a marriage ceremony will rise to $35 from the current $25, while the witness service fee will increase to $20 from $18.

According to county records, the last time the marriage ceremony fee was raised was in 1995. The $18 marriage ceremony witness service fee was introduced in 2009 and hasn’t changed.

Staff costs have increased since 2009, according to the Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk, necessitating the fee hike.

Other large counties in California charge more, according to the registrar’s office – from $63 to $88.

If approved, the higher fees will take effect Aug. 3 and should generate additional revenue of about $180,000 annually.

From the County Registrar-Recorder:

The L.A. County RR/CC provides marriage licenses to couples getting married in the near future and even performs civil ceremonies for a small fee. Once a couple has obtained their marriage license and participated in a qualified ceremony, the marriage license becomes a marriage certificate that must be sent back to the RR/CC to be recorded.

The L.A. County RR/CC only records marriage certificates for marriage licenses that were obtained in Los Angeles County. If you obtained your marriage license in another state or California county, the RR/CC will not record your marriage certificate, nor will have your marriage record on file.