Getting Your Marriage Certificate and Name Changes

Marriage Certificates

A marriage certificate is a record of a marriage. It lists the date and place of the marriage, and names of the people who were married.

It is not mandatory to obtain one following a ceremony, but is recommended if either party is considering changing their name (see below).

A record of solemnization of marriage is not the same as a marriage certificate.

Before you can get a marriage certificate, a marriage needs to be registered. The officiant who performed the marriage will do this by sending a complete and signed marriage licence to the Registrar General's Office of Ontario. You can order a marriage certificate about 6-8 weeks after this happens.

Following the 6-8 week waiting period after the ceremony, you can request your marriage certificate by visiting the Service Ontario website.

Name Changes

There are 2 ways to change your last name following a marriage ceremony (more information can be found on the Service Ontario website):

1. "Assume" your spouse’s last name
2. Legally change your last name
   
   

Assuming Your Spouse's Last Name

Immediately following a marriage ceremony either person may 'assume' their spouse's last name, or a hyphenated last name. This means you can begin the process to change things like your signature, account information, and utility bills right away. You can also assume your spouse’s last name on government documents such as:

• health card
• driver’s licence
• Ontario Photo Card
• passport

To change your last name on these documents after you have assumed your spouse’s last name, bring your Marriage Certificate, and appropriate identification, and visit the appropriate Service Ontario, Passport Canada, or Service Canada location.

Assuming a spouse’s last name after marriage does not change the name on your Ontario Birth Certificate or Social Insurance Number Card. To change your name on those documents you should consider a legal name change.

Legal Name Change