Marriage and Civil Ceremonies

To confirm your Marriage Licence Appointment, you must complete the online application form within 7 days of booking the appointment. A link to the application will be emailed to you when you book your appointment. Failure to complete the required application may result in the forfeiture of your appointment. You must bring all the required documentation to your in-person appointment for visual verification.

1. A completed and signed Marriage Licence Application form.

   • When completing the application form, state all given names.
   • Wet signatures of the Applicant and Joint Applicant are required.

2. Both applicants must provide two (2) pieces of original government-issued identification. One piece of identification must include a photo. Acceptable government-issued identification include:

   • Birth Certificate (including any change of name certificates)
   • Valid Passport
   • Valid Driver’s Licence
   • Valid Ontario Photo Card
   • Record of Immigration Landing
   • Canadian Citizenship Card
   • Permanent Residency Card
   • Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL)

   • Note: You will be required to present the two (2) pieces of government-issued identification for each applicant during your Marriage Licence Appointment. All identification must be original. Photocopies, scanned images, pictures on electronic devices, and expired forms of identification will not be accepted.

3. If either of you were divorced within Canada, the original or court-certified copy of the 'Certificate of Divorce' will be required. A certified copy of the certificate of divorce may be obtained from the court that granted the divorce. A 'Divorce Order' will not be accepted as proof of divorce.

   • If you were divorced or your marriage was dissolved or annulled outside of Canada, a Foreign Divorce Authorization will be required.

4. Both applicants must be at least eighteen (18) years of age. Any applicant aged sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years old will require the consent of both parents or all legal guardians. A completed Consent of Parents or Guardians to Marriage form will be required.

If you have any questions about the submission process, do not have access to a computer or related technology, or require this information in an alternate format, please contact the Clerk's Office by email or 519-271-0250 extension 5237 during business hours.

The fee to obtain a Marriage Licence is $125.00. Payment will be required at the time of your appointment and we are currently accepting the following forms of payment:

• Interac,
• Cash,
• Credit Card, or
• Money Order.

Please note that if your licence expires, another licence must be purchased. No refunds are issued for Marriage Licences.

If you were divorced outside of Canada, you will need to obtain a Foreign Divorce Authorization from the Office of the Registrar General. 

Service Ontario
Marriage Office
PO Box 4600
189 Red River Road
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6L8

You will need to send the following to the address above:

• Completed and signed Marriage Licence Application
• Statement of Sole Responsibility
• Legal Opinion Letter: from an Ontario lawyer
• Original or court-certified copy of the divorce decree or annulment in English or French. If the document is in another language, you will need to include a translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator.

For more information or forms including a sample legal opinion letter please visit the Service Ontario website.

Please note that this process could take up to 4 weeks to complete. If you arrive for your appointment without a Foreign Divorce Authorization your Marriage Licence cannot be issued.

For more information, contact the Office of the Registrar General Marriage Office at 1-800-461-2156 (toll-free) or visit Service Ontario.

If your marriage ceremony took place outside of Ontario, your marriage is not registered in Ontario. Your marriage will be registered in the jurisdiction where your wedding was performed. If you require a Marriage Certificate to prove you are married you will have to contact the Office which issued your licence. The Office of the Registrar General located in Thunder Bay will not have any record of this marriage.

Both applicants must 16 years of age or older on the date that the Marriage Licence is issued.

If one or both of the applicants are are under 18 years of age, you will need to submit a Consent of Parents or Guardians to Marriage form.

After the ceremony, the person who performed your wedding provides you with a record of solemnization as a keepsake. This is not a Marriage Certificate.

You may apply for a marriage certificate from Service Ontario 6 to 8 weeks after your marriage ceremony. Couples can complete a Marriage Certificate Application and mail it directly to the Office of the Registrar General or request the Marriage Certificate online at Service Ontario.

After booking your ceremony, you will receive information on the required steps to confirm your booking. Please note that your Civil Ceremony booking is not confirmed until the Civil Ceremony Package and Civil Ceremony Fee are received by the Clerk's Office. 

Ceremonies are currently being conducted in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The Council Chambers are accessible by elevator.

The fee for a Civil Ceremony is $339.00 ($300.00 plus HST).

You are legally required to have two witnesses during the ceremony. The City of Stratford may provide witnesses for an additional cost of $25.00 per witness.