To be married in Ontario, you must fill out a marriage license. You can get one from the municipal clerk office of your city, town, village or township OR download the marriage license application.

Once you have filled out the application, apply for the marriage license in person. Make sure you and your partner bring original identification, such as a birth certificate (along with any change of name certificates), current passport, Record of Immigrant Landing or Canadian citizenship card, along with photo identification.

There is a fee for purchasing a marriage license. Contact your municipal office for the current fee. The marriage license is valid anywhere in Ontario for three months from the date of purchase.

Record of Solemnization:

On the day of the wedding you will receive a Record of Solemnization of Marriage. The officiant forwards a copy of this to the province to record the marriage. It used to be that this Record of Solemnization was sufficient to change your name and to prove you are married, these days I’m hearing that’s not always the case.

Marriage Certificate:

Only after the marriage has been registered with the province (I believe 12 weeks after) can you apply for a marriage certificate.

This is the legal record of marriage and is required in certain situations such as pension survivor benefits and divorce applications.

Here are some links for other provinces:

Apologies to those in Nunavut and NWT, couldn't find too much on the websites.

Hope this helps!

Leah