Marriage

Congratulations, you're Getting Married!

To make it legal you will need a valid Ontario marriage licence before your civil or religious marriage ceremony. You can purchase your marriage licence from the Town of Cobourg or another Ontario municipality with the authority to issue marriage licences. A Marriage Licence is valid only for marriages taking place in Ontario and expires ninety (90) days from the date of issue.

Marriage Licence Application:

• Online from ServiceOntario (including general information on marriages)                                            
• Online from the Town of Cobourg Website                                                                                
• In person at the Municipal Office (55 King Street West, Cobourg)                                                           

We provide a same day service for obtaining your Marriage Licence, providing all your documents are in order. 

To get your Licence you will need to complete a hard copy of the Marriage Licence Application Form.

Both you and your partner will need to sign the Marriage Licence Application Form and submit a hard copy of completed and signed form to our Legislative Services Department at Victoria Hall, 55 King Street West, Cobourg. Below outlines the process for attaining a marriage licence:

1. Read the Requirements Respecting Marriage in Ontario
2. Complete the Marriage Licence Application Form, including signatures of both applicants. Both applicants can come in but only one applicant is required to bring in the signed form, identification and documents for both applicants.
3. Bring in your original identification (see Supporting Identification Documents).
4. Bring in your Divorce document, if applicable. We need to see an original (with seal) or court certified copy, of the Decree Absolute or Certificate of Divorce. We cannot accept Divorce Judgements.
5. For divorces granted outside of Canada, please read the Foreign Divorce process.
6. Licence Processing Hours: Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
7. Licence Fee: $125 Payable by cash, cheque or debit.

Supporting Identification Documents

Two (2) pieces of original and current government issued identification for each person getting married. One piece of identification must include your photo.

The first piece of identification must be one of the following:

• Original Birth Certificate
• Current Passport
• Record of Immigrant Landing
• Canadian Citizenship Card
• Native Status Card

 
The second piece of identification must be photo identification, which can be one of the following:

• Driver's Licence
• Passport (providing it is not used as the first piece of identification)
• Provincial Photo I.D
• Any other Canadian government issued photo I.D.

If you have any questions regarding acceptable identification, please contact the Legislative Services Department at 905-372-4301.

Proof of Marriage/Name Change

You will need to apply for a Marriage Certificate if you need to provide proof of marriage or if you are changing your name. The Marriage Certificate can take up to twelve (12) weeks to process. You can apply for a Marriage Certificate:

• Online at Service Ontario.

Our Marriage Officiant is available to officiate your Ceremony at our Municipal Office, in one of our  three Ceremony Locations - Victoria Hall Court Room, Council Chambers, and Mayor's Office. 

Ceremonies at the Municipal Office are available:

• Friday Afternoons 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm. 

Couples must provide

• their Marriage Licence, a minimum of ten (10) days before the Ceremony date
• Photo Identification, if you have obtained your Marriage Licence at another Municipality

• their completed and signed Civil Marriage Ceremony Questionnaire,

• any special requests or announcements to be made at their Ceremony

Couples also require two (2) witnesses for their Ceremony, along with an interpreter if they do not speak English and/or require language assistance. 

Couples can choose from one of the following scripts for their Civil Ceremony

Civil Ceremony Sample Script 1

Civil Ceremony Sample Script 2

You can book a Civil Ceremony by visiting us at our Municipal Offices at 55 King West, Cobourg, or calling us at 905-372-4301.

Civil Ceremony Fees

A Civil Marriage Ceremony at our Municipal Offices is $300.00, payable by cash, cheque or debit. 

This fee must be paid at the time of booking and all fees are subject to the Town of Cobourg Fees and Charges By-law.

Changes and Cancellations:

There is no fee for any changes to your wedding date, but a new date is subject to availability and within ninety (90) days of the date of issue on the Marriage Licence. If you would have to cancel or change a wedding date, please call the Legislative Services Office and 905-372-4301.

Civil Ceremony FAQs

For all your Civil Ceremony and Marriage Licence questions, we've got the answers.

When should I purchase my Marriage Licence?

An Ontario Marriage licence is valid for ninety (90) days after the issue date. For our Civil Ceremonies, we require the couple's Marriage Licence, a minimum of ten (10) days before the Ceremony date.

How many guests may I have?

For marriage ceremonies at our Municipal Offices you may have as many guest as you want as long as each ceremony is complying with the occupancy load of each location. The amount of guests can be up to 118 persons in the Bailey Court Room.

How many witnesses need to be present?

In order to legalize your marriage, two witnesses must be present during the ceremony. The Town of Cobourg can help to supply witnesses at the request of the couple.

How old do my witnesses need to be?

Although there is no minimum age for a witness, it is suggested that they should be at least 14-years of age and should be able to understand and appreciate what is happening and to be able to give evidence of such at a later date if required. 

Can we play music during the ceremony?

Yes! The playing of music at the ceremony is encourgaed, but the couple must supply a music player and the recorded music.