Marriage Licence Applications
 

Enquiries

What's Involved

This page provides information on the following aspects of the marriage licence application process:

• Licence Fee
• Blood Tests
• Both Signatures Required
• Marriage Licence Application
• Obtaining Licence when one Party is absent
• Applicants Age 16 and 17
• Widowed Applicants
• Divorced Applicants
• Three Month Validity
• On-Line Marriage Certificate Application
• Marriage and the Change of Name Act

Licence Fee (as of March 3, 2008)

The licence fee is $135.00, taxes included (cash,  debit, Visa or MasterCard).

Blood Tests

Not required in Ontario prior to the issuance of a Marriage Licence

Both Signatures Required

The Marriage Licence Application form must be completed and signed by both parties to the marriage (the applicant and the joint applicant).

Marriage Licence Application

The form will only be accepted by completing and signing the application and taking it in person to an Ontario Marriage Licence Issuer. The Marriage Licence application is available as a pdf document as is the listing of Accepted I.D. for Marriage Licences. To view and print this type of file you need a program such as Adobe  Reader. This software is available free of charge and can be obtained by clicking the graphic to the right.

The marriage licence application is the copyrighted property of the Queen's Printer for Ontario.

Obtaining Licence When One Party Is Absent

One party to the marriage (either the bride or the groom) may submit the completed application form to the City Clerk's Office in order to obtain the Marriage Licence, provided that a primary and secondary piece of identification is submitted. The listing of Accepted I.D. for Marriage Licences is available as a pdf document.  Note:  Identification presented must be ORIGINAL.  This identification must be provided for both individuals.  Documents in a language other than English or French must be translated by a certified translator.

Applicants Age 16 and 17

Applicants age 16 and 17 must have the consent of their parents. Further information with respect to these situations is available from the City Clerk's Office.

Widowed Applicants

Applicants who are widowed are not required to provide proof of the death of their spouse.

Divorced Applicants

Within Canada: Applicants who have been divorced within Canada are required to produce either the original or a certified copy of the Decree Absolute or Certificate of Divorce. Certification may be obtained through the Courts.

Outside Canada: Applicants who have been divorced outside of Canada are required to follow a different process in order to ensure that their divorce is honoured in this Country. Further information on this divorce process can be found on the Provincial website at  www.serviceontario.ca.

Three Month Validity

Once issued, the Marriage Licence is valid for three months and may be used at any location within the Province of Ontario.

On-Line Applications for Marriage Certificates

On July 17, 2006 the Ministry of Government Services expanded its on-line certificate application service to include marriage certificate applications. Clients can now order certificates on-line by filling out an interactive form with help features to guide people through the process. As with the existing on-line birth certificates applications and on-line death applications, payment for on-line applications must be made by credit card. When completed, the form is sent electronically to the ORG.

The on-line application is accessible through both the ServiceOntario website at www.serviceontario.ca as well as the Ministry of Government Services website at www.mgs.gov.on.ca.

Marriage and the Change of Name Act

After the marriage ceremony, there are three options either spouse may consider in regards to retaining, assuming, or legally changing his/her last name.

Option 1: Continue to use his/her last name

Under this course of action, the spouse who wishes to keep his/her current last name needs to take no action. Ontario law does NOT require a spouse to change his/her last name upon marriage.

Option 2: Assume the use of the Spouse's last name

An assumed name is a name which a person uses or adopts although it is not their legal name. It is not against the law to simply use another name, provided it is not for fraudulent purposes. Upon marriage, a person may choose to "assume" the last name of his/her spouse and use it. Most government organizations, credit card firms, etc will accept a copy of the marriage certificate issued by the Office of the Registrar General as proof of marriage, and issue revised identification. With this option, your birth certificate remains in your maiden or birth name.

Option 3: Legally change his/her last name

A legal name is the name by which the person is entitled to be recognized for the purposes of Ontario law. Either spouse can use the spousal elections provisions to legally change their last name to what his/her spouse's last name was before marriage or a hyphenated or combined last name incorporating the last name of both spouses. In this instance, a person will elect the option under the Change of Name Act, complete the appropriate forms and submit them to the Office of the Registrar General. The office will amend the person's birth registration, replacing his/her last name on the record with his/her new last name, retaining the name at birth in brackets.

If the person is born in Ontario, the birth registration is notated, and a birth certificate in the new name is issued, as well as a change of name certificate. If this is done within 90 days of marriage, there is no charge, otherwise a fee is charged.

If at some time a divorce takes place, or the other spouse dies, and the spouse wishes to return to the use of his/her former name, he/she must apply once more for a change of name. If he/she applies within 90 days of the divorce, the processing fee is $25.00, otherwise the spouse must make a formal application under Section 4 of the Change of Name Act and pay a fee of $137.00.

Example:

For example, Margaret Jones married Bob Smith in 2000 but did not make the spousal election. She now signs all her cheques, letters and other documents "Margaret Smith". Therefore her legal name is Margaret Jones but her assumed name is Margaret Smith.

Name change check list:

The following are some suggested agencies or services that you may consider updating with your new name: