Marriage & Civil Ceremonies

You must have a marriage licence before you can be legally married in the Province of Ontario. You can apply for a marriage licence or civil marriage solemnization at the Municipal Office. Marriage certificates are issued by the Province of Ontario.

To schedule an appointment to obtain a marriage licence please contact the Clerk's Department at 1-833-793-3537 ext. 260 or by email. An appointment is recommended to ensure authorized staff is available to meet with you.

Application

You must complete a Marriage Licence Application Form. It must be signed by both parties to the marriage. The original application must be provided at your appointment. Faxed or scanned forms are not accepted.

Appointment Requirements

At least one of the applicants must be present in order to obtain the marriage licence.

You must bring:

the original application;
the fee (cash, cheque or debit) $140;
2 pieces of government issued identification for each applicant.

One piece of identification must include your photo. Examples of government issued identification are:

government issued birth certificate, including any change of name certificates;
valid passport;
record of immigrant landing;
Canadian Citizenship Card;
valid Driver's Licence.

We are unable to accept a Health Card as identification in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act.

If either applicant is divorced, please see the requirements for Marriage After Divorce below.

If a person is under the age of 18, consent from both parents is required using Form 6 – Consent to Marriage – Sworn Affidavit. Further information regarding underage applicants is available from the Clerk.

Marriage After Divorce

Canadian divorce

Where an applicant has been divorced, and the divorce was granted in Canada, you will need to bring official proof of the divorce with you when you apply for the marriage licence. This can be the original or court-certified copy of one of three documents:

the final decree;
the final judgement;
a certificate of divorce.

Out-of-country divorce

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. Please visit Service Ontario for details on what is required.

Issuance of Licence

The marriage licence will be issued at the appointment, provided all documentation is complete.

You will be required to certify information under oath. If you do not understand or are not able to read English, you must bring an interpreter to assist you.

The marriage licence is valid only in the Province of Ontario and for a period of three months from the date of issue.

The issuer of the licence is responsible to ensure all requirements of the Marriage Act are fulfilled and has the authority to not issue a licence if warranted.

Civil Ceremonies

The Municipality of Northern Bruce offers Civil Ceremonies for couples wishing to marry in a non-religious ceremony.

To book a civil wedding ceremony, contact the Clerk's Department at 1-833-793-3537 ext. 260 or email us.