Ontario Marriage Documents Explained
MARRIAGE LICENCE
Before you marry
A marriage licence is an official document issued by the government that allows two people to get legally married. It ensures that both of you have met the necessary requirements to marry, such as age and eligibility, and that you intend to have your marriage solemnized by an authorized Marriage Officiant. A marriage licence must be obtained within 90 days of your wedding. Upon obtaining your marriage licence, you can proceed with your wedding and become legally married.
Click on this link How to Obtain a Marriage Licence to learn how to apply for a marriage licence.
After your wedding has taken place
1. Upon completion of your marriage service by your Officiant (e.g. Humanist Officiant, priest, justice of the peace, etc...), your Officiant will ensure that the licence is filled in and signed correctly, and will mail your completed marriage licence to the Registrar General (in Thunder Bay) to be registered and filed.
2. After your marriage licence has been received by the Registrar General, your licence is registered and filed. This is a government filing process and takes approximately 12 weeks.
--> Here is a sample marriage licence
RECORD OF MARRIAGE
This is the tear-away part of the marriage licence, located on page 2. The Record of Marriage (also known as the Solemnization Record, or Record of Solemnization of Marriage). This document shows the name of the wedded partners, the date and location of the marriage, and it is signed by the witnesses and the Officiant. It is NOT the same thing as a Marriage Certificate.
--> Here is a sample record of marriage
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
A marriage certificate is an official document, issued by the Government of Ontario, that serves as evidence of a marriage. This certificate provides vital information about a marriage, including the legal names of both partners, the date of the marriage, the city or town where the wedding took place, and the registration number. While a marriage certificate is optional, many couples obtain one if they want to assume their partner's surname or apply for a legal name change, or for other administrative or legal purposes.
NOTE 1: A marriage certificate is NOT automatically sent out. It must ordered from Service Ontario (in paper form or online) and the fee is $15 per certificate. Here is the online link: Order a Marriage Certificate.
NOTE 2: A marriage certificate can ONLY be sent to you AFTER the Registrar General has processed and filed your marriage with the Province of Ontario, and this takes many weeks. For this reason, the government advises waiting 6 to 8 weeks AFTER your wedding day to order a marriage certificate. If you order your certificate before this timeframe, your marriage will NOT appear on Service Ontario’s website, and furthermore, your order might be queued and backlogged.
--> Here is a sample marriage certificate
Which government department handles what service?
Marriage LICENCES are registered and filed by the Office of the Registrar General, which is located in Thunder Bay.
Marriage CERTIFICATES are optional and may be ordered by couples or other designated persons. Certificate orders are handled by Service Ontario clerks, who are province-wide.