How to Order an Ontario Marriage Certificate After Getting Married

You do not receive a marriage certificate automatically

Getting married in Ontario does not automatically produce a marriage certificate for you. After the ceremony, the person who performed the marriage sends the completed and signed marriage licence to ServiceOntario so the marriage can be registered by the Office of the Registrar General.

Once the marriage is registered, an eligible person can order an official Ontario marriage certificate. The certificate shows details of the marriage, including the date and place of marriage and the names of the people who were married.

The record of solemnization of marriage you may receive around the time of your ceremony is not the same document as an official marriage certificate.

When can you order the certificate after getting married?

You can apply for a marriage certificate following your marriage ceremony, but the marriage must be registered before the certificate can be issued. ServiceOntario states that an application for a recent marriage may take up to 8 weeks after the marriage is registered to be processed.

If you have just been married and urgently need proof of marriage, keep this registration requirement in mind before paying for expedited service. Premium or emergency processing cannot bypass the requirement that the marriage first be registered.

Who can order an Ontario marriage certificate?

Ontario permits a marriage certificate to be ordered by:

• one of the people who got married;
• a child of the married couple;
• a parent of either person in the marriage; or
• an authorized representative acting for an entitled person, with proof of authorization.

Ontario's Vital Statistics Act also provides for a person approved by the Registrar General to obtain a marriage certificate.

What if one or both spouses are deceased?

For a certificate or certified copy involving a deceased person, Ontario applies additional eligibility rules. A surviving next of kin may apply, including parents of either party, children of the married couple and siblings of either party. An authorized representative of an entitled person may also apply. If all next of kin are deceased, specified extended next of kin may be eligible.

What information do you need to order online?

Before starting the ServiceOntario application, have the identifying details for the marriage ready. You need:

• the first and last names or single names of both parties to the marriage;
• the dates of birth of both people who got married;
• the date of marriage; and
• the city, reserve or town in Ontario where the marriage took place.

The marriage itself must already be registered in Ontario.

How much does an Ontario marriage certificate cost?

ServiceOntario publishes three service options for a standard marriage certificate:

• Regular online service: $15 — estimated processing is 15 business days, plus delivery by Canada Post.
• Premium online service: $45 — estimated at 5 business days, including courier delivery.
• Emergency service: $45 — available in person for qualifying urgent requests, with an estimated 5 business days including courier delivery and proof of urgency required.

ServiceOntario notes that higher-than-normal request volumes can cause delays.

What if you need a certified copy of the marriage registration?

A certified copy of the marriage registration is a different document and costs more:

• $22 for regular online service, estimated at 15 business days plus Canada Post delivery;
• $52 for premium online service, estimated at 5 business days including courier delivery; or
• $52 for qualifying emergency in-person service, estimated at 5 business days including courier delivery and requiring proof of urgency.

Only the married couple can normally apply for a certified copy of the marriage registration unless a court order permits another person to apply. If you are unsure which document an organization requires, ServiceOntario recommends checking with the ministry, government agency or person requesting it before ordering.

How to order your marriage certificate online

The regular and premium services can be requested through the official ServiceOntario online certificate application. There is no need to use a private certificate-ordering company.

1. Confirm that the marriage has been registered in Ontario.
2. Choose whether you need a standard marriage certificate or a certified copy of the marriage registration.
3. Enter the requested information about both spouses and the marriage.
4. Select the available service level that fits your needs.
5. Pay the applicable fee and submit the application.
6. Keep your order or file information so you can check the status later.

For online orders, ServiceOntario accepts Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard and Debit Mastercard.

How to check the status of your certificate order

You can check the status of an online application 1 business day after submitting it. To check the order, you may need the type of certificate requested, the applicant's name and telephone number, the name of the person listed on the certificate, the date of the event and the order or file number if available.

If you did not receive a payment receipt after applying online, ServiceOntario advises contacting it after one full business day. If you encountered a problem before entering payment information, the application likely did not go through and you may need to start again.

Can you get an urgent Ontario marriage certificate?

Ontario provides an emergency or expedited route for urgent requests, but the marriage must already be registered in Ontario. Proof of urgency is required.

Examples of documents that may support urgency include documentation of a medical emergency, a letter confirming new employment, a consulate or embassy appointment letter, travel reservations, an immigration hearing appointment letter or other evidence accepted after review.

For an emergency request, ServiceOntario instructs applicants to complete the marriage certificate application and the applicable certificate-services request, attach the required proof of urgency and supporting documents, and pay the required fee. Emergency marriage certificates are delivered within an estimated 5 business days once the marriage is registered. ServiceOntario states that no service guarantee applies to this emergency route.

Marriage certificate vs. record of solemnization vs. certified registration

These documents are not interchangeable:

• Marriage certificate: the official certificate containing details of a marriage registered in Ontario. This is the document commonly ordered after marriage.
• Record of solemnization of marriage: not the same as an official marriage certificate.
• Certified copy of marriage registration: a certified copy of the underlying registration with stricter access rules and a higher fee.

Before ordering the more expensive certified copy, confirm exactly which document the organization dealing with your application requires.

What can you use the marriage certificate for?

An Ontario marriage certificate can provide legal proof that you are married. ServiceOntario identifies uses that include applying for certain social benefits, settling an estate, changing or assuming a last name after marriage and providing a marriage record for other administrative purposes.

If your marriage leads to a separation later, Helpydo explains how to apply for a divorce in Canada after separation. For support arrangements involving another province or country, see the guide to applying for or changing child or spousal support when the other person lives elsewhere.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Ordering too soon and expecting immediate issuance: the marriage has to be registered first, and a recent-marriage application may take up to 8 weeks after registration to be processed.
• Using the record of solemnization as the official certificate: Ontario expressly states that these are not the same document.
• Ordering the wrong document: confirm whether the organization needs a marriage certificate or a certified copy of the marriage registration.
• Paying a third-party website unnecessarily: order directly through ServiceOntario for the official government service and published government fees.
• Assuming premium service registers the marriage faster: expedited certificate service does not remove the requirement for the marriage to have been registered.
• Applying for emergency service without evidence: urgent requests require proof of urgency.

What happens after you order?

ServiceOntario processes the request through the Office of the Registrar General and sends the certificate using the delivery method associated with the service selected. Regular online service is estimated at 15 business days plus Canada Post delivery, while premium online service is estimated at 5 business days including courier delivery.

Once received, keep the original certificate secure. If you later lose it or need another copy, you can order another Ontario marriage certificate through the same official certificate service.