Court marriage

Court Marriage Procedure

Providing information about the intended marriage :You need to notify the marriage officer of your district that you intend to get married as the first step in the court marriage procedure. Fill out the court marriage application form (as stated in Schedule II of the Act) which can also be downloaded from the Internet. 30 days before the wedding date, you must submit the form to the officer of the district where either of the participants resides.

Display of the Notice: For a period of 30 days, the marriage registrar of the district will display the notice prominently at his office. In this period, anyone can object to the marriage if it is deemed illegal under the Act and the prescribed eligibility conditions. The Special Marriage Act stipulates that any person having an objection to the marriage intending to be conducted may do so within 30 days of the publication of the notice. Upon receiving any such objection, the marriage registrar checks its validity. If the registrar is reasonably satisfied that the objection is valid, the court marriage process can be ended immediately. Against the marriage registrar's order, the parties may appeal to the district court concerned. The officer can proceed with the court marriage procedure if there is no valid objection, as per the court marriage rules.

Marriage Day: A bride, groom, and three witnesses are required to sign a declaration form before the marriage registrar or a location that is within walking distance of the registrar's office, according to Section 12 of the Special Marriage Act. The declaration would state that the parties are proceeding with the court marriage.

Marriage certificate from the court: The marriage registrar inserts the details of the court marriage in the court marriage certificate once all the formalities have been completed. The Special Marriage Act stipulates this in Schedule IV. A certificate will be issued within 15 to 30 days.

 The cost of a court marriage can range from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000.