Marriage

If you are 18 years or older, you can marry without your parents’ permission.

If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can marry if you have your parent or guardian’s permission or a court order allowing you to get married.

You cannot marry in Alberta if you are under 16 years of age.

No. Changing a last name upon marriage is a custom only and has never been a legal requirement. When you get married, there are several options available to you. You may keep your own last name, you may take your husband’s name, or you may use a combination of your last names (such as Smith-Jones or Jones-Smith).

It is also possible to use your husband’s last name for social purposes while continuing to use your own last name for legal purposes, such as your passport, bank accounts, driver’s licence and so on. The important thing is that you must not use both names in an attempt to defraud someone.

If you do decide to use your husband’s last name, it is not necessary to inform the Department of Vital Statistics. However, you will have to arrange to have all your personal documents changed to reflect your new name. You should contact your bank to arrange to change your name on your accounts, credit cards and banking cards, and the federal government to deal with documents such as your social insurance number and passport. Your driver’s licence should also be changed. Do not forget such important documents as insurance policies and your health care number.

Your husband has the same options available to him. He may keep his name, take your name or use a combination of both.

Last Reviewed: June 2019

The things that must be included according to the Marriage Act (Alberta) (see link below) are quite simple. The marriage must be performed by a member of the clergy registered under the Act or a marriage commissioner appointed under the Act. Registries of these persons are maintained. The Marriage Act also states that there must be two adult, credible witnesses. For a complete list of permanent marriage commissioners see the Marriage Commissioner Listing on the Service Alberta website or contact an Alberta registry agent office.

There are only two requirements in the Act for words that must be used in the ceremony when it is performed by a marriage commissioner. Each of you must say: “I do solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful impediment why I (state name) may not be joined in matrimony to (state name)”, and each of you must say to the other: “I call upon those persons present to witness that I do take you, to be my lawful wedded wife (husband).” Apart from these words, any words or vows that you choose to make may be included.

If you are having a church wedding, you should consult with your minister to make sure that your choices are acceptable. Both of you must understand the language used in the ceremony, or else an interpreter must be present to interpret and explain clearly to both the meaning of the ceremony.

Last Reviewed: June 2019

In Canada, both the federal government and the provinces have some power over marriage. The federal government has two federal Acts dealing with marriage, specifically the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees) Act and the Marriage for Civil Purposes Act. Both Acts are quite short.

The  Marriage (Prohibited Degrees) Act (see link below) lists persons, such as brothers and sisters, who may not marry because they are too closely related by blood or adoption. The Civil Marriage Act 2005 c 33 (see link below) recognizes marriage between persons of the same sex in that it defines marriage as the union of two people to the exclusion of all others. The Act goes on to protect the rights of religious officials to decline to perform a marriage ceremony that is not in accordance with their religious beliefs. In addition, the Act states specifically that same-sex spouses cannot be deprived of any benefit or subjected to any obligation or punishment by law solely because they have chosen to exercise their freedom to marry.

Except for these federal laws, the provinces make the laws concerning marriage. In Alberta, this law is called the Marriage Act (see link below). This Act deals with a number of things necessary for legal marriages:

• capacity to marry;
• the rules that must be followed;
• the people who may perform marriage; and
• the penalties for failure to follow the law.

Last Reviewed: June 2019

To have the capacity to marry, you must have the physical, mental, and legal ability to marry. Physically, you must be able to consummate the marriage. Mentally, you must understand the nature of the ceremony. Legally, you must be 18 years or older and not already married. There are exceptions to the legal age limit. You may marry with your parents’ consent if you are under 18 and over 16. Under some circumstances, parental consent may not be necessary if a judge says so. You may marry under the age of 16 if you get a letter from a medical doctor saying that you are the mother of a living child or you are pregnant.

There are some particular rules that apply to you if you have a mental handicap. The Marriage Act says that no one shall issue a marriage licence or perform a marriage ceremony if he or she has reason to believe that you are the subject of a guardianship or trusteeship order or a certificate of incapacity under the Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship Act. In that case, your guardian or trustee must be given 14 days notice of your application for a marriage licence or of the marriage ceremony, or you must provide the marriage licence issuer with a letter from a medical doctor stating that you understand what marriage is and the duties and responsibilities involved.

Last Reviewed: June 2019

Yes, you must get a marriage license. You can apply for a marriage license at most provincial registry offices. Look in the Yellow Pages under Registries or click the link below to find a registry near you. See the question below for the documents you will need to bring with you. The marriage license will be issued while you wait at the registry.

The government fee for a marriage license is $40.00 and then registries charge a service fee on top of that. Service fees can vary between registries.

A marriage license is valid for 3 months from the date of issue so the wedding ceremony must take place within that time. You must give the marriage license to the person performing your marriage.

The person performing your marriage must send the completed marriage license to the Alberta government for registration within 48 hours of the ceremony. Once the marriage is registered, you can order a marriage certificate as proof of your marriage. You will not automatically get one. Orders can be placed at most provincial registry offices for a fee.

Last Reviewed: June 2019

To apply for a marriage license, you and your spouse-to-be must go to the registry office together. You must fill out some forms with personal information and swear or affirm an affidavit that the information given is true. You must provide identification that proves your age.

You may need other documents, depending on your situation:

• You cannot apply for a marriage license if you are still married to someone else. If you are divorced, you will need to show proof that the divorce is final, such as a Certificate of Divorce or Decree Absolute. The divorce document must be in English. If it is in another language, you will need to get it translated. Check with a registry agent for translation requirements.
• If you are widowed, you do not need to bring a death certificate.
• If your previous marriage was annulled, you must show a copy of the court order annulling the marriage.

A marriage license cannot be issued and a marriage ceremony cannot be held if either spouse-to-be is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

No medical information or blood tests are required, except under rare circumstances.

Last Reviewed: June 2019

There are a number of penalties in the Marriage Act (Alberta) if you fail to obey the law. However, there is also a way to remedy the situation so that your marriage itself is not invalid. If you make a false statement on your sworn application for a marriage licence, you may be fined up to $500, and if you do not pay, you might be sent to jail for up to 30 days.

If a person issues a marriage licence or performs a marriage ceremony contrary to the Act, he or she may face the same penalties. However, it is important to know that there is a section that says that your marriage will not be invalid just because the licensing person or the person who performed the ceremony didn’t follow the Act, and a judge may order that the marriage is lawful. This means that if the registry where you obtain your licence makes some sort of mistake in the preparation of your application, your marriage won’t be invalid. Also, if you find out after the ceremony that your minister or marriage commissioner didn’t have the power to marry you, your marriage will still be valid, although you may have to apply for a judge’s order that says so.

If you or your spouse is under age, and you were married without having the necessary consents from parents or guardians, your marriage will still be valid if you had sex before marriage, if you have had sex since the ceremony, or if you are living together as husband and wife.

Last Reviewed: June 2019

Yes. The Alberta Government can issue temporary marriage commissioner appointments for one day only. To apply for a temporary appointment, a person must be:

• at least 18 years old
• a permanent resident of Canada

The person is only allowed to perform a civil (non-religious) marriage ceremony in Alberta. There is no charge to apply, and the person cannot charge a fee for performing a marriage.

The person cannot hold themselves out as being a permanent marriage commissioner or solicit business as one.

The application process takes at least 2 weeks so make sure you have enough time. The person applying for the temporary appointment as well as the two people getting married must all sign the application form.

Visit the Government of Alberta’s website for more information.

Last Reviewed: October 2020

Yes, as long as you meet all the requirements of the authority responsible for marriage in the country where you want to get married.

You should establish what those requirements are before you leave Canada. Often your travel agent or the hotel where you will be staying can provide this information. You can also perform a search on the Internet or contact the country’s consulate office.

Note: It is important to ensure that you receive a marriage certificate from the country where your marriage takes place as proof of your marital status.

Additional information regarding marriage in a foreign country is available on the Canadian Consular Affairs website (see link below).

Last Reviewed: June 2019

No. Only marriages that took place in Alberta are registered by Alberta Vital Statistics.

Your marriage will be registered in the country where it took place as long as you met all the local requirements. Your marriage certificate, issued by the country’s authority responsible for marriage, is proof of your marital status.

Last Reviewed: June 2019

No. There are certain procedures that must be followed before a non-Canadian citizen can reside in Canada. For more information, see Citizenship and Immigration – Immigrant Sponsorship.

Last Reviewed: June 2019