Ontario Marriage Legalities

You must be married by an officiant who is licensed in your province. To verify, click here:

https://www.ontario.ca/data/registered-religious-officials  

Use the “CSV” link for an alphabetic list, by location. For example, we’re in Ajax, so that’s where we appear on the list. You can also do a search for our last name (Grenier.)

Getting a Marriage License

You must have a marriage license. To get a marriage license, you will need  2 pieces of government-issued identification for each person getting married. One piece of identification must include your photo. Examples of government-issued identification include:

  • government-issued birth certificate, including any change of name certificates
  • valid passport
  • record of immigrant landing
  • Canadian Citizenship Card
  • valid driver’s license
  • valid Ontario Photo Card

Fees vary and depend on the municipality. Please check your municipality’s website to ensure you have all of the information required to purchase a marriage license.

For more information, or to download a Marriage License Application Form: https://www.ontario.ca/page/getting-married#section-3

If you were divorced in Canada you will need to bring official proof of the divorce with you when you apply for a marriage licence. This can be the original or a court-certified copy of one of three documents:

  • the final decree
  • the final judgment
  • a certificate of divorce

If you were divorced outside of Canada, you will need to provide a document from your lawyer, certifying that your divorce is valid in Canada.  This process can take up to 4 weeks. 

When to obtain your marriage license you will need to bring the following with you:

  • marriage licence application form: completed and signed
  • 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

The Marriage Certificate

The marriage certificate is the legal record of a marriage.  Please note that the Record of Solemnization of Marriage we give you after the ceremony is not the same thing as a marriage certificate. Before you can get a marriage certificate, the marriage needs to be registered, which we will do by sending a complete and signed marriage license to ServiceOntario. Depending on the time of year, it could take up to 3 months for the government official to register your marriage, after which you can order the marriage certificate online. You need this document to:

  • show legal proof you are married
  • apply for certain social benefits
  • settle an estate
  • change a last name

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE SIMPLY REGISTER YOUR MARRIAGE WITH THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO. APPLYING FOR THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.