Overview
Marriage Licences are issued in the Customer Service Centre located on the 1st Floor at City Hall between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday thru Friday (excluding statutory holidays) no appointment necessary.
- A marriage licence can only be issued to the applicant(s).
- Both parties must sign the marriage licence application form. **NOTE: Under ‘Parent’s name and place of birth’ please include parents maiden name, if applicable. **
- A marriage licence is valid within Ontario, for 3 months from date of purchase.
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or over. Applicants who are 16 or 17 years of age must have parental consent. Contact Customer Service for additional information. No person under the age of 16 years may be married in the Province of Ontario.
- The 2019 Licence Fee is $145.00 made payable by cash, debit or credit and is non-refundable.
Required Documentation
In order to be eligible for a Marriage Licence, each applicant must provide 2 pieces of VALID and ORIGINAL identification confirming name, date of birth and signature. One peice of identification must include your photo.
Valid forms of identification include:
- Birth Certificate
- Current Passport
- Record of Immigrant Landing
- Canadian Citizenship Card
- Driver’s Licence
- Ontario Photo Card
- Native Status Card
- Permanent Residency Card
- Nexus Card
Please note: The name on both pieces of your ID must be the same. The first and last names must match on the two pieces of ID you are presenting. To have your middle name included on your marriage licence it must also appear on both pieces of ID.
***NOTE: Under ‘Parent’s name and place of birth’ please include parents maiden name, if applicable.
Getting married – How to get the government documents you need if you plan to marry in Ontario.
Widowed or Divorced
If an applicant is a widow or widower they are not required to produce a death certificate to obtain a marriage license.
Divorced in Canada
The original or Court certified copy of the Certificate of Divorce or a Decree Absolute must be shown to the licence issuer. A Judgement or Court Order issued by the Court is not acceptable proof of divorce. **Photocopies or certificates certified by a Lawyer or Notary Public will not be accepted.
Divorced Outside of Canada
If you were divorced outside of Canada, you will need to provide certain documents to prove that you are no longer married. The government needs to validate these documents. This process can take up to 4 weeks.
You will need to send the following documents to Service Ontario:
- Marriage Licence Application Form, completed and signed. **NOTE: Under ‘Parent’s name and place of birth’ please include parents maiden name, if applicable. **
- Statement of Sole Responsibility: for each divorce (signed by both applicants who are planning to get married, and a witness)
- Legal Opinion Letter: from an Ontario lawyer, addressed to both people who plan to get married, giving reasons why the divorce or annulment should be recognized in Ontario
- Divorce Decree or Annulment: an original or court-certified copy in English or French. If the decree is in another language, you will need to include a translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator
Note: Completed Foreign Divorce Authorizations are sent to applicants by courier. It is important that your full mailing address including suite/unit/apartment and buzzer number is included on the marriage licence application form, or the courier package cannot be delivered and will be returned to Service Ontario.
Please mail these documents directly to:
Service Ontario
Marriage Office PO Box 4600
189 Red River Road
Thunder Bay ON P7B 6L8
For more information call Service Ontario: 1-800-461-2156 (toll-free)