Getting Married in Ontario

Marriage License

To be married in Ontario, you must fill out a marriage license application form.  You can get one from your municipal office of your city, town, village or township if there is a license issuer there OR download the Marriage License Application Form  and bring it with you to a municipal clerk’s office near you.

Once you have filled out the application, apply for the marriage license in person. Make sure you and your partner bring identification, such as a birth certificate (along with any change of name certificates), current passport, Record of Immigrant Landing or Canadian citizenship card, along with photo identification to prove your current legal name and age.

There is a fee for purchasing a marriage license. Contact your Ontario Municipal Office for the current fee. The marriage license is valid anywhere in Ontario for three months from the date of purchase.  If the license expires, it will not be valid and you will have to purchase another license.

Identification
Any one of the following identity documents must be presented for each person. Identity documents must be original; photocopies will not be accepted.

·  Birth Certificate

·  Passport

·  Driver's License

·  Canadian Government Refugee Travel Document

·  Conditional Release Identification Card

·  United States Green Card

·  Native Status Card

·  Record of Immigration Landing

·  Any Country Citizenship Card

Age requirements
Both partners must be 18 years of age or older. If you are 16 or 17 years of age, parental consent is required. If you are under the age of 16 years you may not marry in the Province of Ontario.

Gender
Marriage licenses are issued to all eligible couples. Same-sex couples have been receiving licenses since June 11, 2003, following the June 10, 2003 Ontario Court of Appeal decision making same-sex marriages legal in Ontario.

Marriage after divorce
If you were divorced in Canada, you must provide the original or a court-certified copy of your certificate of divorce, or Decree Absolute. Photocopies will not be accepted. A certified copy of your certificate of divorce may be obtained from the court office that granted the divorce.

If you were divorced, or you marriage dissolved or annulled outside of Canada, you must get authorization from the Minister of Government Services before a marriage license can be issued to you. Visit the Service Ontario website to learn how to obtain this authorization.

Citizenship/Residency
There are no citizenship or residency requirements when applying for a marriage license in Ontario.

Medical requirements
Blood tests or medical certificates are not required for a marriage license in Ontario.

Validity/expiry date
A marriage license is valid anywhere in Ontario for three months from the date of issue.

For more information and to print off forms, visit the Government of Ontario website at: