How to Start Getting Your Driver's Licence in Nova Scotia
Start getting your driver's licence in Nova Scotia: the three graduated licensing stages, the knowledge and road tests, the fees, and the restrictions at each stage.
How to Get a Marriage Licence in Nova Scotia
A Nova Scotia marriage licence costs $132.70, is valid for 3 months, and is issued right away at Access Nova Scotia or by a Deputy Issuer. Both of you complete the application and affidavit form.
Applies in: Nova Scotia
The short answer
A Nova Scotia marriage licence costs $132.70, is valid for 3 months from the date it is issued, and comes from Access Nova Scotia or a Deputy Issuer of Marriage Licences. The Government of Nova Scotia's Apply for a Marriage Licence page states that you need to have a Marriage Licence to get married in Nova Scotia, that you need the licence before you have a marriage ceremony, and that having a licence does not mean you're married — it means you're allowed to get married.
There is no long wait built into this process: you should get the licence right away. The work is in the paperwork both of you complete beforehand and the documents you bring. This guide covers the licence application process only.
Who can get a licence
You can get married in Nova Scotia if you're 19 or older and not currently married. If you're 16 to 18, you can get married if you have written consent from your parents or guardians. You can't get married if you're 15 or younger.
Both people getting married need to complete the Marriage Licence Application and Affidavit Form. The Affidavit Form needs to be witnessed by an authorized agent. If both parties are not available to apply in person, contact the agency directly. You can apply for a licence and get married in Nova Scotia even if you don't live in the province.
If you're planning to get married outside of Nova Scotia, you need to contact the jurisdiction where the marriage ceremony will take place for its licensing and registration requirements, because the Nova Scotia process covers a Nova Scotia ceremony.
What to bring
Before you start, make sure you have:
- A signed piece of government-issued identification and proof of age for both people getting married; the identification can't be expired
- Proof of divorce if either person getting married is divorced — the original Certificate of Divorce or Decree Absolute — along with the affidavit
- Proof of death if either person getting married is widowed
- Written consent of your parents or guardians, if required; the Deputy Issuer of Marriage Licences has the required consent form
How to apply
Step 1: Go to an issuer. Visit Access Nova Scotia or a Deputy Issuer of Marriage Licences in your community.
Step 2: Complete the form they give you. Both of you complete the Marriage Licence Application and Affidavit Form, and the Affidavit Form is witnessed by an authorized agent.
Step 3: Check the supporting documents. Check the application for details on all required supporting documents, and bring the identification, proof of age and any divorce, death or consent documents listed above.
Step 4: Include payment. The licence fee is $132.70, also listed on the provincial fees page. Payment options are Visa, MasterCard, American Express, debit card, cheque, money order and cash; a cheque or money order should be made payable to the Minister of Finance, and payment options may vary depending on how you apply.
Step 5: Hand everything to the Deputy Issuer. Give your completed application, supporting documents and payment to the Deputy Issuer.
Step 6: Receive the licence. The Deputy Issuer gives you a Marriage Licence, and you should get it right away. It can take longer if more information is needed or if your form hasn't been filled in correctly.
Step 7: Give the licence to your officiant before the ceremony. Give your Marriage Licence to your religious representative, justice of the peace or judge before the marriage ceremony, and hold the ceremony within the licence's 3 months of validity.
The ceremony and the certificate
You can choose a religious or civil ceremony. A religious representative of your choice may perform the religious ceremony, and a justice of the peace or judge may perform the civil one — either way, whoever performs it needs to be registered with Vital Statistics. There have to be 2 witnesses as well, both at least 16 years old.
At the time of the ceremony, your religious representative, justice of the peace or judge will give you a memento certificate. This document is not legal proof of marriage. After a marriage is registered, you can apply for an official Marriage Certificate, which is legal proof of marriage. The fees page lists a Short Form Marriage Certificate at $33.00.
What the opened pages do not state
The Apply for a Marriage Licence page and the fees page opened for this guide state the $132.70 fee, the 3-month validity, the eligibility and consent rules, the identification and proof documents, the application steps and the ceremony requirements. They do not state an appointment requirement or a booking route for a Deputy Issuer visit, and they do not state whether the licence fee is refundable if the ceremony does not go ahead, so this guide gives neither an appointment rule nor a refund position. They also do not state a fee for the justice of the peace or judge or for a religious representative, so this guide gives no officiant fee.
Related guides:
- How to Get a Marriage Licence in Ontario — Ontario's municipal licence, its 3 months of validity and its identification rules.
- How to Get a Marriage Licence in British Columbia — British Columbia's $100 licence from a licence issuer.
- How to Get a Marriage Licence in Alberta — Alberta's registry agent route and its government fee plus agent fee.
- How to Start Getting a Marriage Licence in Canada — who issues marriage licences across Canada and how a licence differs from the ceremony and the registration.
- How to Order a Marriage Certificate in Ontario — the official certificate that follows a registered marriage, in Ontario's version of that step.
Nova Scotia marriage licence at a glance
| Licence fee | $132.70 |
|---|---|
| Validity | 3 months from the date the licence is issued |
| Where you apply | Access Nova Scotia or a Deputy Issuer of Marriage Licences in your community |
| How long it takes | You should get the licence right away |
Having a Marriage Licence does not mean you're married. It means you're allowed to get married, and you need the licence before you have a marriage ceremony.
Questions people ask
How much does a marriage licence cost in Nova Scotia?
$132.70 — and how you pay is flexible: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, debit card, cheque, money order or cash will all work (the exact options may vary depending on how you apply), with a cheque or money order made payable to the Minister of Finance.
How long is a Nova Scotia marriage licence valid?
3 months, counted from the date it's issued. Get the licence first, then hold the ceremony. And note what a licence is not: having one does not mean you're married, only that you're allowed to get married.
Where do I get a marriage licence in Nova Scotia?
Two places can issue one: Access Nova Scotia, or a Deputy Issuer of Marriage Licences in your community. Start there. They hand you an application form — fill it in, add your supporting documents, add payment, and hand the whole package back to the Deputy Issuer. Out comes your Marriage Licence. Normally, right away.
What identification do we need to bring?
For both people getting married: one signed piece of government-issued identification each. Proof of age, too. Nothing expired. Divorced? Bring proof of divorce — the original Certificate of Divorce or Decree Absolute — along with the affidavit. Widowed? Bring proof of death. And if parental or guardian consent is required, the Deputy Issuer has the required consent form.
Who can get married in Nova Scotia?
Age sets the basic rule: 19 or older and not currently married, and you can get married in Nova Scotia — you can apply for a licence and marry here even if you don't live in the province. At 16 to 18 it takes written consent from your parents or guardians, and at 15 or younger you can't get married at all.
Who can perform the ceremony, and what happens to the licence?
Either kind of ceremony works — religious or civil. Your own religious representative may perform the religious ceremony (registered with Vital Statistics), and a justice of the peace or judge may perform the civil ceremony if they're registered too. The ceremony needs 2 witnesses, each at least 16 years old. Before any of it starts, your Marriage Licence goes to whoever is performing the ceremony: your religious representative, justice of the peace or judge.
Sources
- Government of Nova Scotia, Apply for a Marriage Licence — the licence required before a ceremony and valid for 3 months from the date issued, religious and civil ceremonies with a representative, justice of the peace or judge registered with Vital Statistics, 2 witnesses at least 16 years old, the memento certificate not being legal proof and the official Marriage Certificate after registration, eligibility at 19 or older, written consent at 16 to 18, and no marriage at 15 or younger, both people completing the Application and Affidavit Form witnessed by an authorized agent, applying even if you don't live in the province, the seven application steps through Access Nova Scotia or a Deputy Issuer, the licence received right away, the $132.70 fee and payment options, and the identification, divorce, death and consent documents to bring.
- Government of Nova Scotia, Vital Statistics Fees for Certificates, Licences and Services — the Marriage fee table confirming the Marriage Licence at $132.70 and listing the Short Form Marriage Certificate at $33.00.