Life Events

The City of Brantford is using a new service provision for Marriage Licence application and issuance.

This service is offered by appointment and requires that documents be provided in advance for review, before an appointment is booked.

Once a staff member has reviewed your submission as per the application form, you will be contacted by phone or email to schedule an appointment during City Hall business hours, at your convenience.

To be eligible for an appointment to obtain a marriage licence, the intended date of your marriage must be finalized and you must have an officiant that has agreed to perform the marriage. If your marriage licence is not used within 90 days from the date it was issued it will expire and you will need to purchase a new marriage licence.

Before your appointment will be scheduled, you will need to complete the following application and answer some eligibility questions by phone or email to ensure that your application can be processed.

If all of your documentation is in its original form (not a copy), complete, and you provide acceptable identification, you should receive your marriage licence at the end of your appointment, which may take up to 30 minutes to process. No photocopies or scanned documents will be accepted at the time of your appointment.

To apply for a marriage licence appointment, please follow these steps:

1. Visit the ServiceOntario website to download the marriage licence application in pdf format. Alternatively you can visit City Hall to obtain a paper copy.
2. Complete and sign the application. Acceptable signatures include typed, scanned, handwritten, or digital.
   
3. Complete the online form and upload all required documents:
   • Marriage Licence Application
   • Certificate(s) of Divorce (if applicable)
   • Native affidavit providing residence on the reserve (if applicable)

4. A City representative will contact you to schedule an appointment during City Hall business hours, at your convenience.

5. Attend your scheduled appointment at City Hall. Please note that both people do not need to attend at the appointment, provided that the person in attendance still brings all of the required documents.
   
   You MUST bring the following documents in their original form (not a copy) to your appointment:

• Completed and signed application form.
• Original divorce certificate(s) (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.
  Application fee of $152.34 payable by debit, MasterCard, Visa or cash, if not already paid online during the application process.

• Two pieces of original identification for each applicant (see approved list of ID in the Required Identification section)

Required Identification

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, signature and may be from another country.

Accepted piece of ID include:

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

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.

Once the document is completed book an appointment to have it commissioned by the City 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 note this will significantly delay the process of obtaining a marriage licence. Please visit ServiceOntario for more information.

58 Dalhousie Street, Brantford, N3T 2J2. If any person who's consent is required is unavailable or refuses to consent, an application may be made to a judge to dispense with consent. For further information regarding consent, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 519-759-4150.

58 Dalhousie Street, Brantford, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Marriage licenses are issued Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. It is not necessary to book an appointment in advance.

The original or Court certified copy of the Certificate of Divorce or Decree Absolute is required at the time of that a new license is issued. A copy of the divorce document can be obtained from the Court where the divorce was finalized. There will be a fee applied by the Court in order to issue and certify the divorce document.

If you were divorced outside of Canada, you will need to provide certain documents to prove that you are no longer married. The government needs to validate these documents. This process can take up to 4 weeks.

You will need to send the following documents to ServiceOntario:

• marriage licence application form: completed and signed
• statement of sole responsibility: for each divorce (signed by both people who are planning to get married and a witness)
• legal opinion letter: from an Ontario lawyer, addressed to both people who plan to get married, giving reasons why the divorce or annulment should be recognized in Ontario
• divorce decree or annulment: an original or court-certified copy in English or French. If the decree is in another language, you will need to include a translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator

If you are getting married in Ontario, you may have a religious or civil marriage ceremony. A religious ceremony is performed by a religious official of a recognized religious organization who has received authorization from the Office of the Registrar General to perform marriages in Ontario under the Marriage Act. A civil marriage can be performed by an Ontario judge, justice of the peace or municipal clerk under the authority of a marriage license. The date and time of the ceremony must be arranged by the applicant. The applicants must also arrange for 2 witnesses to be present at the ceremony. An additional fee is applied to a civil marriage ceremony. Civil marriage ceremonies are now performed at City Hall by the City's Clerks Department.

The application must be signed by both parties and presented with two pieces of original valid identification for both parties. Copies will not be accepted. If any of your identification is in a language other than English or French, you must present it with an official translation of the document. One piece of photo identification is required. The identification accepted is: Birth Certificate, Valid Passport, Valid Driver's licence, Canadian citizenship card, Canadian Government refugee travel document, Conditional release identification card, United States green card, Native status card, Record of immigration landing, Permanent Residency Card, Citizenship card from any country, Ontario photo card. One party present to purchase license: Divorce Papers to be produced: - If either party has been previously married and divorced in Ontario, the ORIGINAL or CERTIFIED COPY of the Decree Absolute or Certificate of Divorced must be produced prior to the issuance of the license. However, no verification is required for a widow or widower.

After your marriage ceremony, the person who performed the marriage must forward the completed and signed marriage license to the Office of the Registrar General for registration. Ten to twelve weeks after your marriage, you may apply to the Ontario Government for a copy of your marriage certificate. You may apply online at Service Ontario or by submitting a paper form to the Office of the Registrar General in Thunder Bay. This document will prove that the person who performed your marriage has filed the necessary papers with the Ontario Government and that the marriage has been officially registered. When you receive your marriage license you should also receive an application to apply for a copy of your marriage certificate and a Notice to Applicants outlining general marriage information.

A 7” x 8/25” marriage certificate is $15.00. An 8.5” x 14” certified copy is $22.00. A Confirmation letter is $15.00. Delayed registration is $22.00. An amendment to original registration is $22.00. There is an additional $30.00 surcharge for each document requested for Emergency Service and Premium Online Service. Proof of urgency is required for the Emergency Service. Fees are subject to change by Service Ontario.

The Office of the Registrar General maintains records of marriages that were officiated in Ontario during the past 80 years. Records beyond 80 years old are sent to the Archives of Ontario for public accessibility. To obtain a marriage certificate for an event prior to 1925, visit Archives of Ontario for more information.

Service Ontario, in co-operation with Service Canada offer parents a fast and easy to register your child’s birth online and apply for a birth certificate and Social Insurance Number at the same time. Registering using a paper process is also an option. The signature(s) of each parent named on the statement must be on the form. Where a parent(s) opt to register a child using a paper format, the statement must be sent directly to the Office of the Registrar General, 189 Red River Road, PO Box 4600, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6L8. Do not mail the paper form to City Hall, Brantford. To complete the paper format a blank Statement of Live Birth may be accessed: a) By contacting the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 100 Wellington Square, Brantford - 519-759-4150; or b) Online at Service Ontario. Questions about the registration process can be directed to the Office of the Registrar General at 1-800-461-2156 or 1-416-325-8305.

The Office of the Registrar General offers special service when a birth certificate must be issued immediately. Immediate Service takes 2 business days for a $30.00 surcharge plus delivery. Proof of Urgency must be provided before an application will be processed and must be applied for in person at the Toronto Office located at: ServiceOntario College Park, 777 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C8 Business Hours are: Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Proof of Urgency may include:

• a medical emergency
• a letter confirming new employment
• a letter from a consulate or embassy confirming an appointment
• airline tickets
• a letter confirming an appointment for an immigration hearing
• a wedding invitation where the applicant is the bride or groom.

Premium online service is also available guaranteeing the certificate in 5 business days including shipping time.