Marriage Act 1949

27 Notice of marriage. E+W

(1) Where a marriage is intended to be solemnized on the authority of a certificate of a superintendent registrar without licence, notice of marriage in the prescribed form shall be given—

(a) if the persons to be married have resided in the same registration district for the period of seven days immediately before the giving of the notice, by either of those persons to the superintendent registrar of that district;

(b) if the persons to be married have not resided in the same registration district for the said period of seven days as aforesaid, by either of those persons to the superintendent registrar of each registration district in which one of them has resided for that period.

(2) Where a marriage is intended to be solemnized as aforesaid by licence, then, whether the persons to be married reside in the same or in different registration districts, notice of marriage in the prescribed form shall be given by either of those persons to the superintendent registrar of the registration district in which one of them has resided for the period of fifteen days immediately before the giving of the notice, and it shall not be required that notice of marriage shall be given to more than one superintendent registrar.

(3) A notice of marriage shall state the name and surname, marital status, occupation and place of residence of each of the persons to be married and [F1 in the case of a marriage intended to be solemnized at a person’s residence in pursuance of section 26(1)(dd) of this Act, which residence is to be the place of solemnization of the marriage and, in any other case,][F2 the church or other building or premises in or on which] the marriage is to be solemnized and—

(a) in the case of a marriage intended to be solemnized without licence, shall state the period, not being less than seven days, during which each of the persons to be married has resided in his or her place of residence;

(b) in the case of a marriage intended to be solemnized by licence, shall state the period, not being less than fifteen days, during which one of the persons to be married has resided in the district in which notice of marriage is given:

Provided that if either of the persons to be married has resided in the place stated in the notice for more than one month, the notice may state that he or she has resided there for more than one month.

(4) The superintendent registrar shall file all notices of marriage and keep them with the records of his office, and shall [F3 subject to section 27A of this Act] also forthwith enter the particulars given in every such notice, together with the date of the notice and the name of the person by whom the notice was given, in a book (in this Act referred to as “the marriage notice book”) furnished to him for that purpose by the Registrar General, and the marriage notice book shall be open for inspection free of charge at all reasonable hours.

(5) If the persons to be married wish to be married in the presence of a registrar in a registered building for which an authorised person has been appointed, they shall, at the time when notice of marriage is given to the superintendent registrar under this section, give notice to him that they require a registrar to be present at the marriage.

(6) The superintendent registrar shall be entitled to a fee of [F4 £19.00] for every entry made in the marriage notice book under this section.

[F5 (7) The superintendent registrar shall be entitled to receive from any person intending to be married in pursuance of section 26(1)(dd) of this Act upon whom he attends at a place other than his office in order to be given notice of marriage under this section the sum of [F6 £35.00].]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words inserted (E.W.) by Marriage Act 1983 (c. 32, SIF 49:1), s. 1(7), Sch. 1 para. 5(a)

F2 Words in s. 27(3) substituted (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 34, s. 1(3), Sch. para. 2; S.I. 1995/424, art. 2(2)(a)

F3 Words inserted (E.W.) by Marriage Act 1983 (c. 32, SIF 49:1), s. 1(7), Sch. 1 para. 5(b)

F4 Fee in s. 27(6) substituted (1.4.1995) by S.I. 1994/3257, art. 3, Sch. Pt. II (which S.I. was revoked (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1995/3162, art. 3)

F5 S. 27(7) inserted (E.W.) by Marriage Act 1983 (c. 32, SIF 49:1), s. 1(7), Sch. 1 para. 5(c)

F6 Fee in s. 27(7) substituted (1.4.1995) by S.I. 1994/3257, art. 3, Sch. Pt. II (which S.I. was revoked (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1995/3162, art. 3)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 27(4) applied by Marriage (Registrar General's Licence) Act 1970 (c. 34), s. 2(2)