The article explains the process of obtaining a marriage certificate and its associated procedures. It also lists the documents required to be filed with an official marriage certificate application
A marriage certificate is an official document that reflects the marital status of a couple. In most countries, a marriage certificate is issued by a government official after the civil registration of the marriage. According to religious marriage and special marriage acts, a district marriage registrar generally issues a marriage certificate. Marriage certificates are the only official records that show two adults taking up marriage. Save yourself the hassle of traditional methods and get your marriage certificate online in just a few clicks!”
A marriage certificate is an essential document. This is important evidence for the change of a partner’s name to prove the legitimacy of a child born to a couple, at the time of getting divorced, as a part of family and heredity. Apart from these reasons, a marriage certificate is also necessary when claiming a family pension, fixed deposits, and insurance claims if the insurer dies without nominating anyone.
Process of Acquiring a Marriage Certificate
In almost every country worldwide, marriage registration is a mandatory process. In our country, marriage laws are laid down to be followed from a legal perspective. Legal experts reveal that marriage between two individuals in India can happen according to the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 or the Special Marriage Act of 1954.
In the Hindu marriage act, the bride and groom should be from the Hindu, Buddhist, Jains, and Sikhs communities, whereas under the Special Marriage Act, the bride and groom can be from any religion. This Special marriage act is also applicable to NRIs too.
To get a marriage certificate in India, the age of the female should be 18 years or above, and the male should be 21 years or above. Then only the marriage can be considered a legitimate one. You need to follow the given steps in getting a marriage certificate in India:
- Visit the sub-divisional Magistrate’s office, under which the marriage venue has resided or which both the bride and the groom stayed for a minimum of six months before the marriage registration has been done
- Schedule an appointment. If the proposed marriage falls under the Hindu marriage act, it usually takes 15 days to get this appointment. On the other hand, if the marriage comes under the Special marriage act, it requires 60 days to get an appointment
- A witness is needed from either or both sides of the couple, who must be an adult. On the scheduled day, the partners, the witnesses, and the Gazetted officer who conducted the marriage should be present at the scheduled time. The marriage certificate will be provided on the same day.
The basic procedure of obtaining a marriage certificate is not that complicated. But the initial paperwork related to the submission of various documents is tricky. If you do not have any legal exposure, then it is easier to hire a third-party legal advisor who can, on your behalf, get this paperwork done smoothly.
Procedures for Getting Online Marriage Registration
The easiest way to get a marriage certificate is to apply online at your preferred state’s registration website. The required steps are as follows:
- Select your state and district. Submit all the necessary details about both of you and your marriage.
- Submitting this registration form online will receive an acknowledgment, reference number, and schedule date. You have to visit the concerned Sub-Divisional Magistrate on that appointment date and the hard copy of all specified documents you have submitted online.
Registration as per the Special Marriage Act of 1954
When the marriage registration application is submitted under the special marriage act 1954, there usually exists a notice period of 30 days to see whether anybody has any objection regarding this marriage proposal. A copy of this marriage registration notice and the couple’s photographs will be displayed on the notice board of the concerned marriage registration office. Another copy of the same will be sent to both partners’ houses. Finally, the marriage registration will happen after these 30 days of the notice period. On that day, both the partners have to present with three witnesses from either side.
Application Fee for the Registration of Marriage
When the marriage falls under the Hindu marriage act, then the registration fee is ₹100, whereas, for the special marriage act, the registration charge is ₹150. The fees have to be deposited either online or offline. The fees must be deposited with the district cashier with the acknowledgment of the application form. There is another way of getting your marriage registration certificate urgently. This service is known as ‘Tatkal Service.’ Here you have to pay ₹10,000 to get a marriage registration certificate within 24 hours from the time of application.
For further details regarding the process of getting an Online Marriage certificate and the fees involved, you can go through the relevant government website/s.
List of Documents Needed to Get Marriage Certificate
- Fill out the application form: https://services.india.gov.in/service/detail/online-application-of-marriage-certificate –for both partners
- Formal wedding invitation cards
- Any documents carrying age proof of both the parties like birth certificates, passports, Voter cards, Pan cards, etc
- Any document showing the partners are staying in the mentioned address for a minimum of 6 months. Such as electricity bills, rental agreements, Aadhar cards, driving licenses, bank passbooks, etc.
- Pictures of both bride and the groom.
The government has formed all these stringent rules to prevent the misuse of marriage. Child marriage, fake marriage, and cheating in the name of marriage are common problems in a cultured society. Marriage laws are made to protect our citizens from these types of misfortune. So getting your marriage registered is very much necessary to give insurance coverage to your marital status.
Conclusion
Getting a marriage certificate is a tedious process, and an official application must be done. Such kind of an application procedure requires necessary documents as listed below. The readers need to note that a marriage certificate is a legal document, as it is the only document to prove the marriage between two individuals in the context of the legal framework. If you have any queries reach out to our experts in Vakilsearch.
Read more:-
