Step-by-Step Guide · Updated October 2026
The licence, the ID, the witnesses, the ceremony and the certificate — everything in order, with current fees.
You need three things: a valid Ontario marriage licence, an authorized officiant, and two witnesses.
After the ceremony, your officiant registers the marriage with the Province, and you order your marriage certificate. The rest of this guide explains each step for Toronto and the GTA, with fees checked against official City and Ontario sources in October 2026.
Apply in any Ontario municipality; the licence works anywhere in the province for three months, and there's no waiting period before you can marry. Ontario's fee is part of what you pay; cities add their own administrative fee.
| City | Licence fee | Where and how |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | $180 | City Hall (100 Queen St W) or North York Civic Centre (5100 Yonge St), by appointment, after an online application |
| Oakville | $178 | Apply online through ServiceOntario; the Town emails you an appointment, Monday to Friday |
| Brampton | $175 | City Hall, by appointment or walk-in, Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 2 pm |
| Mississauga | $165 | 300 City Centre Drive, by appointment, after an online application |
| Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill | See city site | Each city clerk's office issues licences; check its site for fees and appointments |
Age: anyone 18 or older can apply; 16- and 17-year-olds need written consent from their guardians (Ontario.ca).
Source: Ontario.ca, Getting married.
Only certain people can legally marry you in Ontario: officiants registered with the Province, and civil officiants such as municipal clerks and their delegates, judges and justices of the peace. Online ordination doesn't count. You can check an officiant's registration against Ontario's public list of registered marriage officiants.
Your choice is mostly about time, place and price. A City civil wedding is held at set times in a City room. A private officiant like us comes to you, any day.
Two witnesses must be physically present. They can be anyone who understands the ceremony: friends, family or colleagues, and they don't need to be Canadian. No witnesses? We can provide two.
A legal ceremony includes a declaration from each of you that you know of no legal reason you can't marry, your vows taking each other as spouses, the officiant's pronouncement, and the signing of the licence and register by you, your witnesses and the officiant. It can take ten minutes or an hour, and you can add vows, readings and rings.
You'll receive a Record of Solemnization of Marriage that shows your licence number. Keep it: it isn't the legal record, but it's useful while you wait for your certificate.
Your officiant sends the signed licence to ServiceOntario for registration. The certificate isn't sent automatically: once the marriage is registered, you order it online (Ontario.ca). Processing can take up to 8 weeks after registration.
| Document | Regular online | Premium online |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage certificate | $15 · 15 business days + mail | $45 · 5 business days, courier |
| Certified copy of registration | $22 · 15 business days + mail | $52 · 5 business days, courier |
Some agencies, especially for immigration or foreign governments, ask for the certified copy of registration rather than the certificate. Check before you order.
At minimum: a $180 Toronto marriage licence, an officiant (ours is $288 + HST), and $15 for the marriage certificate afterwards. A City of Toronto civil wedding instead of a private officiant costs $441.95 to $566.25.
Three months from the date it's issued, anywhere in Ontario.
No. You can marry as soon as the licence is issued.
No. There are no residency or citizenship requirements.
Your officiant submits the signed licence for registration. Once your marriage is registered, order the certificate online from ServiceOntario: $15 regular (15 business days plus mail) or $45 premium (5 business days with courier).
Tell us a little about your plans and we'll get back to you quickly. In a hurry? Call or WhatsApp 416-994-7146.