Marriage certificate
We register all marriages that occur in Queensland. A marriage must be registered before you can get a marriage certificate.
It should be noted that the certificate issued by the celebrant or minister of religion on the day of marriage is ceremonial and will not meet the identity requirements of many government agencies (e.g. Queensland Transport, Passport Office) and financial institutions.
If you were married outside Queensland, you will need to apply to the registering authority in the place where you were married.
Eligibility
To get a marriage certificate, the following eligibility criteria apply:
- You can apply for a copy of your own marriage certificate.
- You are also eligible to apply for a copy of a person’s marriage certificate under the following circumstances:
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- child or other descendant (where the married person is deceased or you need the certificate to establish some legal right of entitlement)
- executor of will or estate (you must show proof of your executor status and give a reason for your application)
- solicitor, statutory body or government agency (you must show proof that your firm/agency represents the married person, proof of your employment and give a reason for your application).
- Any person is eligible to receive a copy of a person’s marriage certificate if the marriage occurred more than 75 years ago. This type of marriage certificate is known as a historical marriage certificate.
View the full Certificate Access Policy (PDF File, 178.3 KB).
Applying for a marriage certificate
To apply for a marriage certificate, you must:
- meet the eligibility criteria
- complete the Marriage certificate application (PDF File, 140.1 KB) form
- provide proof of your identity (unless you are applying for a historical marriage certificate)
- pay the scheduled fee (PDF File, 117.7 KB) for a standard certificate or commemorative certificate package (fee includes postage within Australia).
Click on the thumbnails below to view samples of the available certificates.
Commemorative marriage packages include a standard marriage certificate.
Priority processing
If you need your certificate urgently, you can pay the priority processing fee (PDF File, 117.7 KB).
By Mail
Priority requests for certificates will be processed within 48 hours of the receipt of a correct application.
In Person
Applications made at our Brisbane Registry will be available for pick up the next business day.
Lodging your form
You can lodge your form with us by post, in person at our Brisbane Registry, or in person at your local Queensland Magistrates Court or Queensland Government Agent Program (QGAP) office.
Applications can not be faxed or emailed.
Payment options
If you are lodging your form in person, you may pay by cash, cheque, credit card (Visa or MasterCard only) or money order.
If you are posting your form, you may pay by cheque, credit card (Visa or MasterCard only) or money order.
Make cheques or money orders payable to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Proving your identity
Before a certificate, information or source document is released, an applicant’s entitlement to the document must be established and proof of identity produced in accordance with the eligibility criteria.
Photocopies must be certified by a qualified witness as being "a correct copy of the document".
Applicants are required to provide:
- One form of identification from each list (at least one containing a signature); or
- Two forms of identification from List 2 and one form of identification from List 3 (at least one containing a signature), if unable to provide identification from List 1.
| List 1: Linkage between identity and person | List 2: Evidence of identity operating in the community | List 3: Evidence of residential address |
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Proof of identity documents are to be in the English language, otherwise these must be translated by an accredited translator. The official translation document is to accompany the original documents.
The Registrar-General's discretion in deciding acceptable proof of identity documents is not exhausted by the above lists. Decisions may be made by the Registrar-General on any unusual case that may fall outside the requirements of the above table.
Certification of photocopies of proof of identity documents
As part of establishing proof of identity, copies of documents submitted to the Registry in support of an application must be certified as a true and correct copy by a qualified witness.
The following persons are considered to be qualified witnesses and are able to certify photocopies of documents as being “a correct copy of the document”:
- Justice of the Peace
- Commissioner for Declarations
- Barrister/Solicitor
- Notary Public
If you are submitting your application at the Brisbane Registry, a Magistrates Court or a Queensland Government Agent Program (QGAP) office, client service officers are able to sight original proof of identity documents submitted in support of your application. Contact us for further information on certification.
Search fees
Family history researchers can apply to have Births, Deaths and Marriages search the registers for a life event.
A search fee (PDF File, 117.7 KB) is payable for every period of five years (or part thereof).
Amending or correcting a certificate
In addition to correcting transcription errors, there may be times where you need to amend the details on a certificate. Amendments may include:
- adding information that was not known at the time of registration
- modifying information that was incorrectly supplied or omitted.
To make an amendment, we need you to supply:
- a covering letter detailing the required amendment
- the original certificate
- applicable supporting documents or evidence.
A fee may apply, depending on the nature of the error.
Contacting us about your application
If you need to contact us, please make sure you have:
- copies of any previous correspondence
- any file or reference numbers you have been given
- the date you forwarded your application to us
- how you paid (cheque, money order, credit card or cash).