Marriage and Weddings

Please note: We are currently fully booked for Civil Marriage Ceremonies until March 2023.

Your marriage licence will expire three months from the date of issue. The licence is non-refundable. No appointment is required to apply for a marriage licence.

If you wish to hold your Civil Marriage Ceremony at the City of Richmond Hill municipal offices, please contact us prior to applying for your marriage licence.

Applicants can visit Access Richmond Hill in-person from Monday to Friday, between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to purchase a marriage licence. Our municipal offices are located at 225 East Beaver Creek Road in Richmond Hill.

Obtain a Marriage Licence

Online Marriage Licence Application Form

Once you have completed the form, you must:

Print the completed application form submitted on-line
Sign the application (both applicants with original signatures)
Show two pieces of original government-issued identification for both applicants. Photocopies are not accepted.

We accept:

Birth Certificate
Current Passport
Record of Immigrant Landing
Driver's Licence
Canadian Citizenship Card
Permanent Resident's Card
Change of Name Certificate

Effective January 2023 the licence fee is $166.00 and can be paid by money order (payable to the City of Richmond Hill), Cash, Debit Card, Visa or MasterCard. Cheques are not accepted for marriage licence payments.

Divorce (if applicable)

Provide an original or court-certified copy of the Certificate of Divorce.
Divorce Orders are not accepted. You can purchase a Certificate of Divorce from the court that granted the divorce.

Divorce Outside of Canada (if applicable)

If your divorce was granted outside of Canada, you must apply for foreign divorce authorization through Service Ontario. Application instructions and detailed information can be found at the Ontario Government's website, ontario.ca

Marriage Licence Validity

Date issued	Valid until
December 1, 2019 to July 24, 2020	July 24, 2022
July 25, 2020 to September 30, 2020	3 months from date issued (not extended)
October 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020	February 10, 2023
January 1, 2021 to June 4, 2021	June 4, 2023
June 5, 2021	3 months from date issued (not extended)
November 1, 2021 to February 24, 2022	February 24, 2024

Virtual Marriages

Couples cannot be married virtually (e.g., where the marriage officiant solemnizes a marriage though an online communication tool like Skype or Zoom). The Marriage Act requires every Ontario marriage to be solemnized in the presence of the parties to the marriage, at least two witnesses, and the marriage officiant – which makes a total of 5 individuals that need to be present at the ceremony.

As well, rules on physical distancing and face coverings must be followed. Reference in the rules on the Ontario.ca website for the province-wide shutdown to virtual services being permitted does not apply for marriage ceremonies as these 5 individuals must be present; however, guests may attend virtually.

Marriage Ceremonies

Under the Marriage Act, Municipal Clerks are able to perform marriage ceremonies. This means that you can have a convenient and affordable wedding ceremony at Richmond Hill's Municipal Offices located at:

225 East Beaver Creek Road
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4

Please call the Office of the Clerk at 905-771-8800 or email clerks@richmondhill.ca for more information or to schedule an appointment. The main Municipal Offices are closed on statutory holidays.

Age Requirements

Both parties participating in the wedding ceremony must be at least 18 years old to get married in Ontario. Written consent from both parents is needed for those who are 16 or 17 years old. Consent forms are available at all municipal offices within the province.

Ceremony

Ceremonies are performed by Office of the Clerk staff by appointment only. We perform simple, non-denominational ceremonies that take about 15 minutes. The ceremonies are performed on Fridays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The maximum number of guests allowed to attend ceremonies is 15.

Ceremonies are performed in English. You must arrange for an interpreter if you need one.

Call the Office of the Clerk at 905-771-8800 to book your ceremony or for more information about civil marriage ceremonies.

Please Note: If you have had a religious ceremony performed, in any country, a marriage licence cannot be issued to you as you are considered married.

Exceptions

Office of the Clerk staff will not perform ceremonies if:

One or both parties are under physical or mental force
One or both parties fail to meet the age requirements
The parties are related as grandparent, parent, child, grandchild, brother or sister
One or both parties are currently married
One or both parties are mentally ill or under the influence of alcohol or drugs and not able to understand the nature of the marriage contract and the duties, obligations and responsibilities that result from marriage

Cost

Effective January 2023 the cost of a civil ceremony is $343.00, plus taxes. The Marriage Licence fee is an additional $166. You can pay the ceremony fees at the time of your pre-wedding meeting. We accept cash, debit, personal cheque, Visa or MasterCard.

Photography

Feel free to bring a photographer to your civil marriage ceremony.

There are also a lot of great locations in Richmond Hill for wedding, engagement and family photos. Learn more about photography locations and permits.

Pre-Wedding Meeting

You need to arrange a pre-wedding meeting before the date of your ceremony. Both applicants for the marriage must attend this meeting.

Witnesses

Two witnesses must be present at your wedding ceremony. The Office of the Clerk can provide witnesses for a fee.

Your marriage licence will expire three months from the date of issue. To receive a marriage licence, you must follow these steps:

Complete a marriage application online and print it. Do not use all capital letters – information should be entered using both capital and lower case letters.
Email access@richmondhill.ca with your name, phone number and application number to make an appointment at our municipal office to complete the processing. Only one person can attend the appointment. Call 905-771-8800 for further information.
At your appointment, you will need to:
Provide the completed application form, signed by both applicants
Show two pieces of original government-issued identification for both applicants. Photocopies are not accepted. We accept:
- Birth Certificate
- Current Passport
- Record of Immigrant Landing
- Driver’s Licence
- Canadian Citizenship Card
- Permanent Resident’s Card
- Change of Name Certificate
Pay the licence fee of $160 by cheque or money order (payable to the City of Richmond Hill)

Access Richmond Hill

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