Did you know that a marriage licence is required to get married in Ontario?
You can obtain a marriage licence by completing the marriage licence application form and bringing the form and the required documents with you to the Clerk's department at Town Hall.
The licence can be used anywhere in Ontario, but must be used within 90 days from the date it was issued.
The marriage licence is issued on the same day and the process should take 20 to 30 minutes if you have made an appointment, all your documentation is complete, and you provide acceptable identification. No photocopies or scanned documents will be accepted.
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. If either applicant is 16 or 17 years of age, the parents of the under-age person must be in attendance when the licence is being applied for. If only one parent has custody or the applicant is adopted, then custody or adoption papers must be presented. The Consent of Parent or Guardian to Marriage form (available at our office) will have to be completed and signed by the parents in front of a Commissioner of Oaths. The parents must produce original and valid photo identification showing a signature, such as a driver's licence.
If you or your partner were previously married and the marriage was dissolved or annulled within Canada, the original or court-certified copy of the Decree Absolute or Certificate of Divorce must be presented with your application when applying for a marriage licence. A divorce judgment or order is not acceptable. If you do not have the Certificate of Divorce, you will need to contact the court where the divorce was granted in order to obtain one. Visit the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General for a full list of Ontario court addresses.
If you or your partner were previously divorced outside of Canada, authorization from the Office of the Registrar General must be obtained before a marriage licence can be issued. Please visit ServiceOntario for more information or visit the Clerk's department to pick up a foreign divorce package.
Applicants are required to provide two pieces of original, current and valid identification. One of the acceptable pieces of government-issued ID must include a current photo and signature. Accepted pieces of ID include:
It is very important that the first and last names match exactly on the two pieces of ID that are being presented for each applicant (this includes spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes). To have your middle name included on your marriage licence it must also appear on both pieces of ID. Initials used as a first name cannot be accepted.
If you do not understand or read English, you must provide your own interpreter. The interpreter must provide identification and cannot be a family member. Documents in another language must be supported by a translation prepared by a certified translator.
Did you know that the town performs civil (non-religious) marriage ceremonies? Visit the Civil Marriage Ceremonies page to find out what you need to know to plan yours.
For information on who can perform religious ceremonies, visit Service Ontario.
Town Hall has a small meeting room that is available to hold a civil marriage ceremony, providing the Town's officiant is performing the ceremony. Visit the Civil Marriage Ceremonies page for booking details.
Visit the Recreation and Culture page if you're interested in booking another Town of Oakville property.
Be sure to check out all of the breath-taking options for wedding photography locations at the many parks and green spaces in the town. Visit the Greenhouse and Photography in Parks pages for details.
Couples must wait a minimum of 11 to 13 weeks after the marriage ceremony to request the marriage certificate from the Province of Ontario. The province does not send the certificate automatically. This is the legal record of the marriage. The couple must initiate the request for a marriage certificate by visiting the ServiceOntario website. A hard copy of the request form is also available for pickup from our Clerk’s department.