Getting Married

In the Province of Ontario, a marriage licence is required in order to get married. The Township of Howick issues marriage licences and has five registered marriage officiants available to book for your ceremony. 
We suggest obtaining your marriage licence approximately four to six (4 -6) weeks prior to your ceremony date. Marriage Licences in Ontario cannot be issued more than three (3) months before your ceremony date.

We recommend contacting a marriage officiant to arrange a date for your marriage prior to submitting the marriage licence application to ensure your preferred date is available as the marriage licence application requires the intended date of marriage. 

Marriage Licences - General Information

To get married in Ontario, you will require the following:

1. A Marriage Licence;
2. An authorized Marriage Officiant (Religious or Civil); and
3. Two (2) witnesses.

Marriage Licences are valid for three months (90 days) from the date of its issuance. 

The minimum age requirement for a marriage licence in the Province of Ontario is 18. No person under 16 years of age may marry. Any person who is 16 or 17 years of age may marry, but require the consent of their parent or legal guardians.

If one or both applicants are 16 or 17 years old, written consent from all parents who have decision-making responsibility for you (also known as legal custody) is required. You can either download and complete the Consent of Parents or Guardians to Marriage form and have all parents swear or affirm it before a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits and attach it online; or bring the completed and sworn or affirmed form with you at your appointment to obtain the marriage licence; or bring all parents with you to have it sworn or affirmed when you pick up your licence. 

If you wish to apply in person:

1. Complete the Marriage Licence Application - Marriage Act Form 3  in its entirety, complete with signatures from both the applicant and co-applicant.
2. Contact the Township of Howick Municipal Office at (519) 335-3208 ext. 0 to set up an appointment to obtain a marriage licence.
3. Bring the completed application along with two pieces of government-issued identification for each applicant. One piece of identification for each person getting married must include their photo. See Identification Requirements section below. Expired identification will not be accepted.
4. Provide supporting documentation (for example: proof of divorce/death, if applicable)
5. Have at least one applicant attend in-person to pick up the licence with the two pieces of identification for each person getting married.
6. Pay the licence fee of $130 to the Township of Howick. The fee is payable to the Township of Howick by cash, debit, cheque or online via credit card or etransfer via PaySimply. 

The Township of Howick now offers a convenient online application system for marriage licences in collaboration with ServiceOntario. We encourage applicants to complete the forms and submit the required documents through the ServiceOntario website for a better service experience. 

If you submit your application online through ServiceOntario, you will be contacted to book an appointment to attend the Township Office in order to obtain your marriage licence.

1. Reserve your preferred wedding date with your marriage officiant.
2. Within 3 months of the wedding date, complete a marriage licence application using the Online Marriage Licence Application System.
3. If all necessary documentation has been provided, Municipal Staff in the Clerk's Department will contact you within 5 business days to set up an appointment to issue the marriage licence.
4. Bring two pieces of government-issued identification along with you to the appointment to confirm your identity. One piece of identification must include a photo.
5. Both applicants are not required to attend the appointment to have the marriage licence issued. You do not have to bring the co-applicant's identification to the appointment if the required identification has been uploaded and verified through the Online Marriage Licence Application System.
6. Pay the licence fee of $130 to the Township of Howick.

Two (2) pieces of government-issued identification are required for each person getting married. One piece of identification for each person getting married must include their photo. 

If you have an original birth certificate and valid passport, no other identification is needed.

Acceptable forms of Identification:

• Birth Certificate (Canadian or foreign)
• Passport (Canadian or foreign)
• Driver’s licence (Canadian or foreign
• Ontario Photo Card*
• Photo identity card (other Canadian province/territory or foreign)
• Canadian Citizenship Card
• Canadian Permanent Resident Card
• Canadian record of landing
• Canadian Government Refugee Travel Document
• Canadian Department of National Defence driver’s licence (Form DND 404)
• Canadian Possession and Acquisition Licence
• Canadian Status Card
• Canadian Conditional Release Identification Card
• Nexus card
• United States Green card
• Report Pursuant to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with photo (Form IMM 1442)
• Student Authorization/Study Permit (Form IMM 1442)
• Employment Authorization/Work Permit (Form IMM 1442)
• Visitor Record (Form IMM 1442)
• Temporary Resident’s Permit (Form IMM 1442) – formally Minister’s Permit/Extension of Minister’s Permit

*The Ontario Photo Card is a type of government-issued identification card for Ontarians who do not have a driver's licence. 
**Please note that an Ontario Health Card is not valid photo ID in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act.

Marriage Licence and Civil Marriage Officiant Fees as per Howick's consolidated Fees and Charges By-law

For applications where at least one of the applicants has been married previously, you must produce official proof of divorce from the previous marriage(s). 

1. For applicants divorced within Canada, include an original or court-certified copy of the Final Decree, Final Judgement or Certificate of Divorce with your marriage licence application. This certificate will have a seal and original signature. No photocopies will be accepted.
2. If the divorce was granted outside of Canada, please review Service Ontario's Getting Married in Ontario webpage.
3. If either party whose former marriage was dissolved or annulled outside of Canada, please visit Service Ontario's Getting Married in Ontario webpage.
4. If either party is a widow/widower, they are not required to produce a death certifcate to get a marriage licence.