"A law is valuable not because it is law, but because there is right in it." ~ Henry Ward Beecher ~

Minimum & Maximum Notice Period

The process of getting married starts with the couple completing and lodging a Notice of Intended Marriage with a registered marriage celebrant. This must be done no earlier than 18 months ahead of the proposed wedding date, and no later than one month and one day ahead of the proposed wedding date. Special permission must be sought from a prescribed authority where the Notice period lapses under one month and one day, and it should be noted, permission is not always granted. Evidence to support your request for a shortening of the legal notice period will usually have to be supplied to the prescribed authority at the time you make the request, and the celebrant will also have to supply a supporting letter. A fee may also be payable, depending on which prescribed authority you use.

As well as lodging the NOIM, the couple must also provide relevant original birth identification documents, as well as proof of being legally able to married in situations where a party has been previously married.

A copy of the NOIM is available in the FORMS section of this website.

No Impediment To Marriage

A Celebrant must determine to the best of their ability that the couple is legally able to marry. As part of this, the couple must show evidence that they can legally marry (in situations where they may have been married previously), and sign individual statutory declarations before the wedding stating that there is no impediment to them marrying their partner. These declarations are printed on the reverse side of one of the Certificates signed by the couple on their wedding day and are submitted to the Registering authority with the other marriage papers.

Couples Please Note:

There are serious legal consequences for parties to a marriage who sign these documents when there is an impediment to marrying their partner, and this has been successfully tested in court in the past. In addition, marriage celebrants can face six months imprisonment and or a monetary fine if they solemnise a marriage where there is a known legal impediment.

Are You Old Enough?

In Australia, the earliest age at which a person can marry is 16 years provided that their partner is aged over 18 years, and the underage party has the consent of his/her parents as well as the consent of a magistrate. Special forms must be completed in this situation.

You'll be pleased to know that whilst there are restrictions on how "young" you are when you marry, there are no restrictions on how "old" you are when you marry in Australia. You can marry without restriction from the age of 18, right up into your twilight years if you wish!