5. Get a marriage certificate if you need it
Question & Answer
How do we get married in Ontario?A marriage certificate is the legal record of a marriage. It lists the names of the people who were , the date, and the place of the marriage.
A marriage certificate is not the same as a Record of Solemnization of Marriage, which the person who performed your ceremony might give you afterwards. You can keep this record as a souvenir but it is not legal proof of your marriage.
A marriage certificate is not the same as a marriage licence. You apply for a marriage licence before you get married. But you apply for a marriage certificate after you get married.
Why you might need a marriage certificate
You need your marriage certificate to:
- show legal proof you are married
- get divorced
- apply for certain social benefits
- settle an estate after someone dies
- change your last name
How to get a marriage certificate
If you got married in Ontario, you can order a marriage certificate:
- online
- by mail or fax
- in person
- by telephone
You have to give the following information when you order it:
- you and your partner’s first and last names
- the date you got married, and
- the name of the city or town you got married in
You have to pay a fee when you order a marriage certificate.
Online
Fill out ServiceOntario’s online application form and pay the fee with your credit card.
By mail or fax
Download a Marriage Certificate Application Form or pick one up from a municipal office or city hall. Or call the Office of the Registrar General at 1-800-461-2156 (toll-free) or 416-325-8305 (within Toronto) and ask to have the form mailed to you.
Fill out the form, and mail it to the address below. If you want to pay the fee by cheque, make the cheque out to “Minister of Finance”. If you want to pay the fee by credit card, write your credit card number on the form.
Office of the Registrar General
PO Box 4600
189 Red River Road
Thunder Bay
P7B 6L8
Or, you can fax the form and your credit card number to 1-807-343-7459.
In person
You can apply in person in Toronto and Ottawa only.
Download a Marriage Certificate Application Form or pick one up from a municipal office or city hall.
Fill out the form and take it to the address on the application form. If you want to pay the fee by cheque, make the cheque out to “Minister of Finance”. If you want to pay the fee by credit card, write your credit card number on the form.
By telephone
Call:
- ServiceOntario at 1-800-267-8097 (toll-free) or 416-326-1234 (within Toronto), or
- the Registrar General of Ontario at 1-800-461-2156 (toll-free) or 416-325-8305 (within Toronto).
Pay the fee with your credit card.
