Marriage

Marriage licence appointment eligibility

You must schedule an appointment to receive your marriage licence. To be eligible for an appointment, please ensure that the intended date of your marriage is finalized and you have an officiant that has agreed to perform the marriage.

If your marriage service is cancelled and you are unable to reschedule, you will need to purchase a new marriage licence if the licence is not used within 90 days from the date it was issued. If your marriage licence was purchased between December 1, 2019 and July 24, 2020 it is valid until July 24, 2022.  If it was purchased between July 25, 2020 and September 30, 2020 it is valid for 90 days from the issue date. Licences issued between October 1, 2020 and December 21, 2020 it is valid until February 10, 2023. Licenses issued between January 1, 2021 and June 4, 2021 it is valid until June 4, 2023.

Before town staff schedule your appointment, you will need to answer some eligibility questions by email to ensure that your application can be processed. 

When you arrive at Town Hall for your scheduled appointment, you will be required to complete a COVID-19 self-assessment. If you do not successfully meet the screening criteria, you will not be allowed to enter the building and your appointment will be cancelled.

Apply for your marriage licence and book your appointment

You will receive your marriage licence at the end of your appointment, which usually takes 20 to 30 minutes, if all of your documentation is complete and you provide acceptable identification. No photocopies or scanned documents will be accepted.

To apply for and receive your marriage licence, please follow these steps:

1. Visit the ServiceOntario website to download the marriage licence application form.
2. Complete, sign* (with original signatures) and date the application form. *Both applicants must complete and sign the form.
3. Book an appointment to complete the application process and receive your marriage licence by contacting the Clerk’s department at 905-815-6015 or publicinquiries-clerks@oakville.ca.
4. Attend your scheduled appointment at Town Hall. You MUST bring the following documents to your appointment:
   • Completed application form, with original signatures
   • Supporting original divorce documents, if applicable
   • Application fee of $155 payable by debit, MasterCard, Visa, American Express (cash will not be accepted)
   • Two pieces of original identification for each applicant (see approved list of ID in the Required Identification section)

Required identification (ID)

Two pieces of original, current and valid identification must be presented for each applicant at the appointment. One of the acceptable pieces of government-issued ID must include a current photo and signature. Accepted pieces of ID include:

• Passport
• Drivers’ Licence
• Ontario Photo ID Card
• Birth Certificate
• Canadian Citizenship/Permanent Resident Card
• Record of Immigrant Landing

It is very important that the first and last names match exactly on the two pieces of ID that are 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.

Age requirement

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. Under-age applicants 16 or 17 years of age, require both parents/guardian to complete Form 6 – Consent of Parent or Guardian to Marriage, which must be completed and signed in front of a Commissioner of Oaths. The applicant must bring this commissioned form to their scheduled appointment.

Previous marriages

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 send an email to publicinquiries-clerks@oakville.ca.

Interpreter

Given the COVID-19 precautions we have put in place to issue marriage licences in a safe way, only one person is permitted to attend appointments. Interpreter services will be available to the applicant through Language Line if required.

The Town of Oakville is pleased to begin offering civil ceremonies again.

Ceremonies are currently available and offered outdoors on town hall property at the southwest corner of town hall and will proceed regardless of weather until October 29, 2021. Appointments are booked on the hour on Thursdays and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., schedule permitting. Beginning November 4, 2021, ceremonies will be held in the North Atrium inside town hall. 

In order to ensure that we have adequate time to prepare your ceremony, booking arrangements must occur a minimum of 5 business days prior to your ceremony. 

Due to COVID-19 protocols, proof of full vaccination is required to enter town hall for all patrons.

Your municipal Officiant, the applicants and two witnesses are required. Should you require an interpreter, please indicate this when submitting your formal request. Witnesses and interpreters are required to wear a mask. The couple may do so should they wish. 

Witnesses

Two witnesses are required to be present during the ceremony. The witnesses must be a minimum of 14 years of age and should be able to understand and appreciate what is taking place and be able to give evidence of such at a later date, if required.

Interpreter

It is the responsibility of the applicants to provide an interpreter if they do not speak English and/or require language assistance.  The interpreter may not be one of the witnesses.  The interpreter will be required to sign a form confirming that he/she has accurately interpreted the wedding ceremony.

To request a civil ceremony please provide the following by email to PublicInquiries-Clerks@oakville.ca :

• A scanned copy of your valid Ontario marriage licence
• Preferred date and time frame being requested 

Once your appointment is scheduled:

• Payment of $367.25 by credit card will be requested by telephone within 24 hours.
  • Any revisions made to a civil marriage service date or time are subject to an additional $56.50 revision fee and may be made no later than 3 business days prior to the ceremony.
  • Changes may only occur in the booked calendar month
  • Any request for cancellation made with less than 3 business days’ notice will forfeit any fees paid
  • Any request for cancellation with more than 3 business days’ notice will result in a refund of $226.00 paid by cheque within 6 – 8 weeks ($367.25 booking fees less the administrative fee of $141.25)
    • Cancellation requests must be made in writing including your scheduled date, time, the names of both parties and current and valid mailing address
• You will be asked for the name and address of your confirmed witnesses so that it may be added to the official register 

On the day of your ceremony you will be required to bring:

• Your original and valid marriage license
• One piece of current, original and valid photo identification (passport, drivers licence, Ontario photo ID card) for the couple

For more information about planning a Wedding on town property, at a location other than at Town Hall, visit our Weddings page. 

For information on who can perform religious ceremonies, visit ServiceOntario.

Ceremony location: Southwest corner of Town Hall

Due to COVID-19, the town is only issuing permits to conduct wedding ceremonies at Nottinghill Park.

For information visit the weddings page.

Due to COVID-19, the town is only issuing permits for wedding photography for Erchless Estate and Gairloch Gardens.

Learn more by visiting the photography in parks page.

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.