Wedding Licences Extended in Ontario

To assist the many couples who have had to postpone their plans and wedding ceremonies due to the Covid- 19 outbreak, the Ontario government has issued an extension for marriage licenses and made amendments to Ontario’s Marriage Act.

If you obtained your licence any time after December 1, 2019, or while the State of Emergency is still in force, it will be valid for up to 24 months after the state of emergency ends.  You won’t need to get a new licence unless you’ve misplaced the document or have changed address or marital status.

This does not include licences where there has been a change to critical licence information after the date it was issued (such as if either of the parties to the marriage has changed their name, or

Where information is no longer accurate (such as address) or the licence has been lost of mislaid, couples may be able to replace the licence without the usual $75 fee, although the particular municipality may charge for administration costs. If a new licence is required, they should seek a replacement only within three months of the scheduled ceremony.

State of Emergency/Stay at Home Orders and Wedding Licenses—

While the state of emergency and stay at home orders are in effect: “As part of Toronto’s COVID-19 response, Registry Services counters at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall and the North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough Civic Centres are closed for walk-in services. Marriage licences will be issued by appointment only.” You must first submit an online application; you will receive an application number; and will submit this when applying for your license.

Apply for your marriage license here in the General Toronto Area; otherwise, apply for your license in your local municipality.

Note, new licences purchased after the province-wide state of emergency ends must still be used within the three-months, as before.

More information on requirements affecting weddings in Ontario.

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