Logo courtesy of Butte County

OROVILLE, CA (MPG) – Butte County residents and businesses will pay more for marriage licenses, building permits and other county services beginning Jan. 1 under changes approved by Butte County supervisors.

The board adopted the revised fee schedule following an Oct. 27 public hearing. Eligible fees will increase 1.87% in departments such as the Clerk-Recorder’s Office and Sheriff’s Office, and 1.37% for land-use services.

County Administration Management Analyst Heather Mutony said the adjustments follow a policy adopted in 2017 that ties annual increases to the federal Employment Cost Index.

“This annual adjustment ensures continuous cost recovery and prevents sudden large fee hikes between comprehensive fee studies,” Mutony said.

For couples obtaining a marriage license, the fee will increase from $99 to $100. A confidential marriage license will rise from $110 to $111.

Homeowners seeking permits for improvements will also see changes. The listed fee for replacing up to 10 windows, skylights, doors or sliders will increase from $195 to $197. A permit for an in-ground gunite swimming pool will rise from $1,186 to $1,202.

Not every charge will increase. Annual dog licenses will remain $25 for spayed or neutered animals and $50 for unaltered dogs.

County officials said departments may round adjusted fees down to whole-dollar amounts. Where that practice applies, the percentages are too small to increase non-land-use fees of $53 or less and land-use fees of $72 or less.

The adjustments follow a comprehensive fee study approved by supervisors in May 2025. Those changes took effect in July and October of that year, depending on the department.

The different starting dates account for the two percentage increases, officials said. Both are based on changes in the Employment Cost Index, which tracks compensation costs.

County officials said comprehensive studies generally occur every five to seven years. The fees help recover the expense of providing services to individual customers.

The changes are expected to generate an additional $48,225 annually for the General Fund and $17,828 for the Public Health Fund.