Requesting a Civil Marriage Ceremony
The City of Ottawa offers Civil Marriage Ceremonies at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West, and in Orleans at 255 Centrum Boulevard. Our ceremonies are simple and dignified and available in either English or French (bilingual ceremonies are not offered). The solemn service lasts approximately 20 minutes.
Ceremonies at City Hall are held weekly, Monday to Friday at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., with additional openings on Fridays at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. and on Saturdays at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. The Orleans Client Service Centre offers ceremonies on Fridays at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. Ceremonies are not performed on statutory holidays.
A civil ceremony must be booked in person, in advance of the desired ceremony date. Please attend one of our Client Service Centres.
There are only 10 people permitted in the room at one time for the ceremony. This includes the officiant, the couple, two witnesses and up to five guests.
Note: Our officiants are not available for off-site private ceremonies. To find an officiant please visit the Service Ontario website.
Want to know more?
For more information about civil ceremonies contact 3-1-1, option 6.
Getting a marriage licence
A marriage licence is required to get married in Ontario.
- The licence is valid for 90 days from the issued date.
- The licence is valid for use anywhere in the province of Ontario.
Expired licences
Important: The Province has extended the expiry date for marriage licences. For more information please visit the ServiceOntario webpage.
Date issued
Valid until
December 1, 2019 to July 24, 2020
July 24, 2022
July 25, 2020 to September 30, 2020
3 months from the date issued (not extended)
October 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020
February 10, 2023
January 1, 2021 to June 4 2021
June 4, 2023
November 1, 2021 to February 24 2022
February 24 2024
Note: The validity period for foreign divorce authorizations issued by the Office of the Registrar General has also been extended for the same duration as the extended marriage licence validity periods noted above.
Registering a death
Starting April 1, 2024, registering a death will be done in person only at a Client Service Centre. To register a death and obtain a burial permit, funeral operators must present the following documents:
- Form 15 - Statement of Death
- Form 16 - Medical Certificate of Death OR Form 2 – Coroner’s Warrant
In the case of a stillbirth:
- Form 7 – Statement of Stillbirth
- Form 8 – Medical Certificate of Stillbirth
What is a death registration?
A death registration is a permanent, legal record of death. A funeral director or family member is authorized to complete the Statement of Death. A physician or coroner present at the time of death will complete the Medical Certificate of Death or Coroner’s Warrantwhich contains details about the cause of death. The funeral director usually handles this process on behalf of the deceased person's family.
Requirements
Both the Statement of Death and the Medical Certificate of Death (or Coroner’s Warrant), or the Statement of Stillbirth and Medical Certificate of Stillbirth are necessary to obtain a burial permit. After the death is registered, a burial permit and Acknowledgement of Death Registration form will be issued.
The fee to register a death in the City of Ottawa is $51.00 (2024). All death registration fees will be billed monthly, with no opportunity to pay directly.
After-hours
All burial permits are processed through the Client Service Centres. However, where the immediate issuance of a burial permit is required due to an emergency, religious beliefs or other similar reasons, death registrations and burial permits may be processed after business hours by e-mailing deathregistration@ottawa.ca then calling 3-1-1 to request the burial permit . Funeral operators must include in their email:
- Form 15 - Statement of Death
- Form 16 - Medical Certificate of Death OR Form 2 - Coroner’s Warrant
In the case if a stillbirth:
- Form 7 – Statement of Stillbirth
- Form 8 – Medical Certificate of Stillbirth
The 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be monitoring the inbox. The next business day, the funeral operator must present at a Client Service Center to have the appropriate forms reviewed by a Client Service Agent.
Special circumstances
- If a death occurred in Ontario but the burial or disposition of remains is to take place outside the province, you must still obtain an Ontario burial permit.
- If a death occurred outside Ontario but the burial or disposition of remains is to take place within Ontario, you must obtain a permit from the appropriate jurisdiction for burial, transit or removal.
For more information, please call 3-1-1 and choose option 6.