How to get married in Ontario
To ensure that your marriage is performed properly and legally:
- you must be at least 16 yrs old (parental consent required if you are under 18)
- a licensed official needs to marry you
- you require a marriage license
To get a marriage licence, you will need to:
1. Fill out a marriage license application.
A marriage licence is only valid for 90 days from the date it was issued so wait to do this until about a month before the ceremony. Before you go to your local City Hall, you can save time and download the Marriage Licence Application form in advance, or depending on the municipality, complete it online (you still need to go in person to process it). Once filled in, only one applicant needs to take the application to City Hall so long as you have your partner's original signatures on the form, and bring their original pieces of ID. Exception to this: If either party is not based in Canada or is a new arrival, it is better that both go in person.
2. Bring 2 pieces of government-issued ID for each person getting married.
One piece of identification must include a photo. Examples of government-issued identification:
- government-issued birth certificate, including any change of name certificates
- valid passport
- record of immigrant landing
- Canadian Citizenship Card
- valid driver’s licence
- valid Ontario Photo Card
3. Pay a fee.
Please note: There is no set fee for a Marriage License and some municipalities offer better pricing than others - ie Toronto is more expensive than Ajax or Oshawa. It may be worth your time to shop around.
Please check the municipality’s website to ensure you have all of the information required to purchase a marriage licence.
Photo Credit:
Molly Johnson