Court Marriage - Registered Marriage Procedure in India

Court Marriage in India is solemnised under the special marriage act, 1954. The marriage can be solemnised in a court in the presence of a Marriage Officer and three witnesses. Court marriage can be performed between two Indians irrespective of their caste, religion or creed. The court marriage can also be solemnised between an Indian and a foreigner. In this article, we will look at the Court Marriage Procedure in India in detail.

Conditions for Court Marriage

The court marriage rules are provided under Section 4 of the Special Marriage Act.

The parties have to meet the necessary conditions prescribed in the act before signing the Civil Marriage Contract.
There should not be Persisting valid marriage of either of the parties with any other person. The couples can proceed with the court marriage if the previous spouse is not living or the divorce has been obtained.
The parties must have given free consent for the court marriage, that is none of the party to the court marriage to be incompetent of giving valid consent due to unsound minds or any other factor.
The court marriage age for a bridegroom is 21 years, and for a bride is 18 years.
The parties to the marriage should not fall within the degree of prohibited relationship.

Know more about the Alimony and Maintenance The details of the Degree of Prohibited Relationship is given in the document: [pdf-embedder url="https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/The-Special-Marriage-Act-17-18-2.pdf" title="The Special Marriage Act-17-18 (2)"]

Documents Required for Court Marriage in India

The applicant needs to furnish certain documents for completing the legal marriage process in the court.

Bride and Groom Documents

Marriage application form duly signed by both bride and bridegroom
Receipt of the fee paid
Age proof documents of both parties (SSLC book or Birth Certificate)
Residential address proof (Aadhar Card, Voter ID, Ration Card or Driving License)
Affidavit
Passport size photograph of the bride and groom (2 copies)
Copy of divorce order in case of a divorcee and death certificate of spouse in case of widow/widower.

Documents of Witnesses

One passport size photograph
PAN card
Proof of Identification - Driving license, Aadhar Card

Documents required in case of Foreign National

In case the court marriage is solemnised between the Indian vs Foreign national, then the applicant has to submit the following documents in addition to documents as mentioned above:
Copy of Passport of with valid Visa.
Documentary evidence regarding stay in India of one of the parties for more than thirty days (Proof of residence or report from the concerned Station House Officer (SHO)).
NOC or Marital Status certificate from the concerned embassy or Consulate in India by a foreigner partner.

Attributes in Affidavit

The bride and groom should submit the separate affidavit for solemnization of court marriage in India.

Date of Birth
Marital Status whether married, divorced or widowed
A statement is declaring that the couples are not related to each other under the prohibited degree of relationships.

Other Condition for Court Marriage

If the marriage has to be solemnised in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, then it is mandatory that both the parties must be Indian citizens. According to the special marriage act, there is no procedure to get married in court with foreign nationals in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. For a foreigner to get married under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 they have to live in India for at least thirty days. They must have a residence proof. In case the foreigner does not have residence proof, they can obtain the same from the local police station in whose jurisdictions they are living.

Court Marriage Fee

Court marriage fee is different in different states. Generally, court marriage procedure fees are between Rs.500 to Rs.1000. But it is advisable to check the fees while filing the court marriage application form.

Procedure for Court Marriage in India

The procedure for court marriage in India is explained in detail below:

Notice of Intended Marriage

The first step of court marriage is the preparation of the notice of intended marriage. The parties to the marriage have to furnish notice in a prescribed format to the Marriage Registrar of the districts in which at least one of the parties has resided for a period of thirty days immediately preceding the date on which such notice is given. [pdf-embedder url="https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/The-Special-Marriage-Act-19.pdf" title="The Special Marriage Act-19"]

Publishing of Notice

The notice will be published by marriage by affixing it in Marriage Registrar's office which is clearly visible, and will keep the original copy of the notice in the office records.

Objection to Marriage

Any person who has an objection for the marriage can raise the objection within 30 days from the date of publication of the notice by marriage officer. If the marriage officer finds that the objection raised is correct, then the officer will end the court marriage process. But if the objection is unjustified, then the officer will proceed with the court marriage registration procedure.

Declaration by Parties and Witness

Before performing the marriage, the court marriage application form has to be signed by the couples along with three witnesses declaring that the parties are doing the marriage with their free consent. [pdf-embedder url="https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/The-Special-Marriage-Act-20.pdf" title="The Special Marriage Act-20"]

Solemnization of Marriage

The marriage can be solemnised at the office of the Marriage Officer or at any other place within a reasonable distance as the couples may desire. For conducting the marriage in any other places, an additional fee has to pay.

Get the Marriage Certificate

Once the marriage solemnization takes place according to the rules and regulations of special marriage act, the marriage registrar enters the details in the marriage register and the marriage certificate will be issued. The court marriage certificate is proof of the valid marriage of the couples after the signatures of parties and witnesses.