Before the wedding
Marriage licence in Canada
Wedding on the calendar? The licence is the paperwork you get first.
A marriage licence is issued by the province where the ceremony happens — not where you live — and the fee, how long it stays valid, and who has to appear all vary. Pick your province for the details.
Three things that are true across the country
- Under the federal Civil Marriage Act, no one under the age of 16 can get married.
- Quebec is the exception: there is no marriage licence — an officiant posts a notice of publication for 20 days before the ceremony instead.
- A licence is valid for 3 months everywhere except Newfoundland and Labrador, where it lasts only 30 days.
Choose your province
Pick the province where the ceremony will take place.
The territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut) aren’t covered yet — check your territorial vital-statistics office directly.
Free printable checklist for every province
Each province page has a free, downloadable marriage-licence checklist — the essentials plus a before-you-go list. Pick your province above to download yours. These checklists do not create any legal document.
After the wedding
Last updated: July 2026. Sources: provincial vital-statistics and government marriage pages (linked on each province page).
Guidepost is not a law firm. This guide is for general information only. Full disclaimer