The duties of a Deputy Marriage Commissioner vary from county to county and from state to state within the United States but are generally empowered to perform Civil Marriage ceremonies during a fixed time and/or in a fixed place. Often, they are officials for a specific marriage where the couple wants someone special to perform the ceremony, after which their appointment expires.
Other times, however, a deputy can be employed by the county clerk to perform civil ceremonies when regular staff are unable to do so or are overwhelmed. Such was the case in February–March 2004 in San Francisco, California where dozens of volunteers helped alleviate the backlog of same-sex couples seeking marriages. (see:Same-Sex Marriage)
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