Restrictions

A person is eligible to marry another person if both people are:

• at least 19 years or age, and

• freely consents

No person may marry another person if:

• they are currently married, or

• they are prohibited from marrying each other by the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees) Act

If a couple has already been married in a civil ceremony following the guidelines, they have the option to have a second ceremony solely for religious purposes. This allows them to celebrate and solemnize their marriage within the context of their religious beliefs.

• The second ceremony that couples have for religious purposes does not replace or cancel out the first civil ceremony they had.

• The second ceremony is considered an additional celebration and does not need to be officially registered.

• The marriage license they obtained for the first ceremony can be used for the second ceremony, and there is no time limit to perform the second ceremony after obtaining the license.

Prior marriage

A person who wants to get married but has been previously married can still get a marriage license if:

• Their previous marriage has been legally ended (dissolved or annulled).

• They are the surviving spouse of the previous marriage.

If the previous marriage has ended, the person must provide evidence of the final dissolution or annulment obtained from an official source in the place where the previous marriage was dissolved or annulled.

The license issuer may ask for additional documents or information related to the proof of dissolution or annulment.

If the person is the surviving spouse, they must provide either:

• A death certificate of the previous spouse issued by the relevant authorities.

• An order of presumption of death from the applicable law if the previous spouse is presumed to be deceased.

If it's not possible to obtain a death certificate, the issuer may accept a sworn statement, made by a credible adult who has knowledge of the death, as proof of death.

Requirements of marriage

Civil marriage:

• It must be performed within three months after obtaining the marriage license.

• Both parties must be present during the ceremony.

• At least two trustworthy adult witnesses must be present.

Religious marriage:

• It must be solemnized within three months after the banns have been published or after obtaining the marriage license, depending on the circumstances.

• Both parties must be present during the ceremony.

• At least two trustworthy adult witnesses must be present.

Northwest Territories Marriage Act s. 2, 4, 15, 29