A Manitoba marriage licence costs $100, is bought in person by both parties from a registered issuer, must be bought at least 24 hours before the marriage, and is valid for three months for a marriage performed in Manitoba. Both parties need unexpired proof of identity, age and name.
Applies in: Manitoba
Written November 14, 2026
Buy the licence together, in person, from a registered issuer in Manitoba, at least 24 hours before the wedding. The Manitoba Vital Statistics Branch getting married page sets the fee at $100.00 and the validity at three months, for marriages performed in Manitoba. Both parties attend, both bring unexpired proof of identity, age and name, and anyone previously married brings the divorce or death document the Branch lists. This guide covers the licence process only; the marriage certificate you apply for afterwards is a separate document.
You can choose to have your marriage performed by a marriage commissioner or a clergy member who is registered to officiate marriages in Manitoba. The fee picture differs by route: a marriage commissioner charges $50.00 plus reasonable fees for related expenses such as travel, while clergy fees are determined by the religious group in question. Make your arrangements with the clergy member or marriage commissioner before the ceremony date.
Both parties must have valid proof of identity, age and name. Documents cannot be expired, and identification documents must be originals or confirmed or notarized copies. Acceptable documents include a Canadian driver's licence, a passport, a permanent resident card, an MPI identification card, a Certificate of Indian Status and photo identification. If the name on one of those documents is not your full current name, you can use a combination of one of them with a birth certificate, a Canadian citizenship certificate or a Canadian immigration document such as a study permit, work permit or visitor visa.
Two cautions from the Branch page: Social Insurance Numbers are not acceptable identification for purchasing a licence, and any documents used must be in, or translated into, English or French.
Your status going in must be single, divorced or widowed, and the page's single category is described as never married and over 18 years of age. Divorced persons are required to show a Divorce Certificate or a Decree Absolute. Persons whose spouse is deceased must show a Death Certificate, a Funeral Home Statement of Death, or an obituary clipping from the newspaper.
Both parties must be present to buy the marriage licence from a registered issuer in your area. The Branch publishes download lists of licence issuers in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba on its getting married page, so pick an issuer from the list rather than assuming any office sells licences.
Timing is a hard rule, not a guideline: buy the licence at least 24 hours before the marriage, and use it within three months, in Manitoba.
Before you sign, check the paperwork. A Marriage Licence and Registration of Marriage is a permanent legal document. When you buy it, read through the entire form before signing the oath on the Declaration of Parties (the green form) and make certain that all fields completed by the issuer are clearly legible, accurate and fully completed. The Branch's tips are to print legibly, avoid abbreviations, nicknames and initials, and use full legal names as they appear on your government-issued identification — if the name on the marriage registration does not exactly match the name on your identification, you may encounter difficulties. Manitoba law determines how, or even if, changes can be made to the permanent record once it is received, and fees are required to do so.
Questions about the licence requirements go to the Branch at 204-945-3701 or 1-866-949-9296, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 4:30.
Before the ceremony date, give your licence and the white self-addressed envelope to your marriage commissioner or clergy member. They hold it through the ceremony.
After the ceremony, both parties, your two witnesses and the clergy member or marriage commissioner who performed the ceremony must all sign the Marriage Registration. The officiant must then send the Marriage Registration to the Vital Statistics Branch to officially register your marriage; the Branch permanently maintains a copy of the registration form exactly as it is received.
The licence is not the certificate. The Vital Statistics Branch does not automatically issue a marriage certificate — you have to apply for your marriage certificate, and a certificate cannot be issued until the registration is complete.
The Vital Statistics Branch page opened for this guide states the licence fee, the commissioner fee, the 24-hour and three-month timing rules, the issuer route and the identification lists. It does not state a fee for the marriage certificate itself on that page, a processing time for registering a marriage, or whether an issuer charges anything on top of the $100.00 licence fee, so this guide gives none of those figures.
| Marriage licence fee | $100.00 |
|---|---|
| When to buy it | At least 24 hours before the marriage |
| Validity | Three months, and only for marriages being performed in Manitoba |
| Who must attend | Both parties must be present to buy the licence from a registered issuer |
| Marriage commissioner fee | $50.00 plus reasonable fees for related expenses such as travel; clergy fees are set by the religious group |
The Vital Statistics Branch does not automatically issue a marriage certificate after the wedding. You have to apply for your marriage certificate separately.
$100.00, on the Manitoba Vital Statistics Branch getting married page. That is the licence fee. A marriage commissioner charges $50.00 plus reasonable fees for related expenses such as travel, and clergy fees are determined by the religious group in question.
Three months. It is only valid for marriages being performed in Manitoba, and you must buy it at least 24 hours before the marriage.
Yes — both of you, together. You buy the licence in person from a registered issuer in your area, and download lists on the Branch site will point you to issuers in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba.
Both parties must have valid proof of identity, age and name; the documents cannot be expired, and they must be originals or confirmed or notarized copies. Acceptable documents include a Canadian driver's licence, a passport, a permanent resident card, an MPI identification card, a Certificate of Indian Status and photo identification. If a document does not show your full current name, you can combine it with a birth certificate, a Canadian citizenship certificate or a Canadian immigration document. Social Insurance Numbers are not acceptable identification for purchasing a licence, and documents must be in, or translated into, English or French.
Divorced persons must show a Divorce Certificate or a Decree Absolute. A widowed person whose spouse is deceased must show a Death Certificate, a Funeral Home Statement of Death, or an obituary clipping from the newspaper.
No. Nothing arrives on its own — applying for the certificate is a step you take yourselves. Once the ceremony is over, both parties, your two witnesses and the officiant sign the Marriage Registration, and the clergy member or marriage commissioner sends it to the Branch to officially register the marriage, so no certificate can be issued until that registration is complete.