At Service New Brunswick, we understand that marriage is an exciting time in a couple's life. While there are certain steps you'll need to follow before and after your wedding takes place, our aim is to make this experience as stress-free as possible.
We've prepared this document to help answer questions you may have about getting married in New Brunswick.
A legal marriage may take place as either a religious or civil marriage ceremony. This ceremony may be performed anywhere in New Brunswick, as long as the person performing the marriage is authorized to do so.
Please note that only individuals who are eligible to register as a Civil Officiant, or a registered cleric may solemnize marriage in New Brunswick.
In the province of New Brunswick, every couple must obtain a Marriage Licence before getting married. A Marriage Licence confirms that an engaged couple is legally entitled to wed. You'll need to present this document to the person who is going to perform your marriage before the ceremony takes place.
A couple applying for a Marriage Licence will need to take the following steps.
Only one person may be excused from appearing before the Issuer of Marriage Licences. In the event that either you or your partner must be absent, a “Personal Attendance Excused” form may be obtained from a service centre (www.snb.ca/locations). Whoever appears before the Marriage Licence Issuer must then bring this form and any supporting documentation when applying for the licence.
Marriage Licences are available at service centre locations throughout the province. For further Information go to www.snb.ca/locations to find the nearest centre that offers this service. Or, you may call 1-888-762-8600 toll-free within North America, or 1-506-684-7901 outside North America.
The fee is $115.
A Marriage Licence is valid for three months from its date of issue. If it expires before your marriage ceremony is held, you will be required to apply and paya the fees for another Marriage Licence.
No. You must obtain your Marriage Licence in the province/territory/country where your wedding will take place. For example, if you intend to get married in Hawaii, you will have to acquire a licence from that state. For further information, please contact the authorities where you wish to be married.
No. The Vital Statistics Office only registers marriages that have occurred within New Brunswick, regardless of whether or not you are a New Brunswick resident. This means that the province/territory/country where the marriage took place will register your marriage according to its own laws. In the future, proof of marriage must therefore be obtained from the province/territory/country where your marriage occurred.
Yes. As long as your application is in order, there is no waiting period; your licence will be issued immediately.
If you lose your Marriage Licence or cannot read it clearly due to a stain or tear, please contact the service centre that issued your licence for replacement instructions.
If you would like a cleric who resides outside of New Brunswick to solemnize your marriage, he/she must obtain a temporary registration permit from Service New Brunswick’s Vital Statistics Office.
In order for this to occur, the governing authority of a recognized church or religious denomination will have to make an application to the Vital Statistics Office on behalf of the visiting cleric. We recommend that this application be submitted at least one month prior to the marriage to allow sufficient time for processing.
Please note that not all applicants may be authorized to solemnize a marriage in New Brunswick.
In order to marry without the consent of your parents or guardians, both you and your partner must have been previously married, or be at least 18 years of age.
If you are 16 or 17 years old and have never married, your parents or guardians must sign an affidavit of consent.
No person under the age of 16 years may be married in Canada.
According to the “Prohibited Degrees of Consanguinity Barring Lawful Solemnization of Marriage in Canada,” a person cannot marry their:
| - Mother - Daughter - Sister¹ - Grandmother - Granddaughter |
- Father - Son - Brother² - Grandfather - Grandson |
¹ or half-sister, or sister by adoption
² or half-brother, or brother by adoption
These documents must be signed with the names indicated on your Marriage Licence in order to properly identify who was married. Note that this signature does not reflect your choice of marital surname, if you should decide to change it.
After you have been married, you and/or your spouse may choose to assume a marital surname. You have several options, including:
It should be noted that assuming a spouse’s surname after marriage does not alter your birth certificate. Since it doesn't constitute a legal name change, no notice of a change in surname will be issued by Vital Statistics, or any other government office. However, you may use the Form 10 “Statement of Marriage” given to you by the Marriage Officiant to change your surname on other documentation, such as your provincial driver's licence, vehicle registration or Medicare card. In order to do so, you will need to present your Statement of Marriage at your nearest Service New Brunswick service centre.
Please note that specific offices may require additional documentation to make these changes, and that you are responsible for contacting such offices to determine what additional documents (e.g. a birth, marriage, death or divorce certificate) must be presented in order for the change to be processed.
For more information, please call 1-888-762-8600.
There must be two witnesses to your marriage. When choosing who your witnesses will be, keep in mind that both must be 19 years of age or older, as they will be required to sign the Registration of Marriage form on the day of your wedding.
You are not legally required to have a blood test prior to marriage in New Brunswick.
After the marriage ceremony, you will be given the Form 10 “Statement of Marriage.” You may also require or wish to own a registered copy of your Certificate of Marriage. If this is the case, a certificate may be applied for:
Complete application details may be obtained by visiting www.snb.ca/vs/ or by telephoning 1-888-762-8600 toll-free within North America, or 1-506-684-7901 outside North America.