Marriage Licence

If you plan to get married in Ontario, you can obtain a marriage licence at Grimsby Town Hall. A marriage licence is valid for use anywhere in Ontario for 90 days.

Applications

The marriage licence application form must be completed and signed by the applicant and joint applicant. Mother's maiden name is required in the "Parent's name" section. Once you have filled out the marriage application form you must book an appointment.

Marriage applications are also available from the Town of Grimsby located at:

160 Livingston Avenue
Grimsby, ON, L3M 0J5

Book an appointment

The Town of Grimsby will accept marriage licence applications by appointment only. Please call (905)945-9634 ext 2177 to book an appointment.

Application fee

The fee for a Marriage Licence is $125. Payment can be made by:

Cash
Cheque
Debit

We do not accept credit card as a form of payment.

Identification Required

Two pieces of valid government issued identification must be presented from both applicants. Only original identification will be accepted. One piece of identification must include your photo.

First piece of identification

First piece of identification must be one of the following:

Original birth certificate
Current passport

Second piece of acceptable identification

Second piece of acceptable identification includes:

Original Birth Certificate (with any change of name certificate, if applicable)
Current passport
Current driver's licence
Health Card
Aboriginal Status Card

Age requirements

You must be at least 18 years old to be married in Ontario without authorization or parental consent. Applicants 16 or 17 years of age may marry with the consent in writing of both parents. Please contact our office for further information.

Proof of divorce

If you received a divorce in Canada, you must provide the original or court-certified copy of the Decree Absolute or Certificate of Divorce from the court where the divorce was granted. The documents will be inspected and returned to the applicant(s) prior to issuance of the licence. Please note that a Decree Nisi, Divorce Order, or Divorce Judgment is not acceptable proof of divorce.

Divorce outside of Canada

If you received a divorce outside of Canada, additional documentation is required. Please note that it may take 4 weeks or longer to obtain a marriage licence and the Authorization Letter is only good for 90 days.

Additional documents required

You will need to send the following documents to Service Ontario:

Marriage Licence Application Form: completed and signed
Statement of Sole Responsibility: for each divorce (signed by both people who are planning to get married and a witness)
Legal Opinion Letter: from an Ontario lawyer, addressed to both people who plan to get married, giving reasons why the divorce or annulment should be recognized in Ontario
Divorce decree or annulment: an original or court-certified copy in English or French. If the decree is in another language, you will need to include a translated copy and an affidavit sworn by a certified translator.

Please mail these documents directly to:

ServiceOntario - Marriage Office

PO Box 4600

189 Red River Road

Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6L8

You can also contact this office for a sample legal opinion letter. For more information call 1-800-461-2156.

Marriage ceremony

The Town of Grimsby currently does not perform civic marriages; however, for a list of Religious Officials authorized to perform a legal marriage in Ontario see Ontario Officiants.

Widow/Widower

If you are a widow or a widower, the Town does not require proof of death of your former spouse.