Here is the short answer: in Newfoundland and Labrador, you apply in person to a marriage licence issuer, the licence costs $100, and it is only good for 30 days. Your officiant also needs to have it at least four days before the wedding. So the sweet spot is picking it up somewhere between a month and a week before your day.
My mom Debi and I have watched a lot of weddings come together, and the paperwork is rarely the part that goes wrong. Timing is. The window here is shorter than many couples expect, so it is worth knowing the rules before you set that reminder in your phone.
Here is how it all works, in plain words.
The quick version
- ✦Where: in person, with a marriage licence issuer
- ✦Cost: $100, non-refundable
- ✦Good for: 30 days from the day it is issued, and only in Newfoundland and Labrador
- ✦Timing: your officiant should have it at least four days before the ceremony
- ✦Age: 19 or older, or consent is needed
- ✦Witnesses: at least two, each 16 or older
Rules and fees can change, so take a quick look at the province's Getting Married page before you go.
Where to apply
Marriage licence issuers are located throughout the province. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador publishes a list of issuers, and you can also call Vital Statistics at (709) 729-0305 to find one near you. If you are in or near Mount Pearl, you can apply at Vital Statistics, Government Services, 149 Smallwood Drive.
Here is a detail that helps busy couples: only one of you has to apply in person. You both still complete an affidavit, and both signatures need to be witnessed by a commissioner for oaths, a justice of the peace or a notary public. If you sign outside Newfoundland and Labrador, a notary public has to witness it. Whoever goes in brings ID for both of you.
What to bring
The application form asks both of you for satisfactory evidence of identification, such as a birth certificate or citizenship papers. The province also says proof of age and proof of marital status may be required, so bring them along rather than making a second trip.
If you have been divorced, bring your original Decree Absolute or Certificate of Divorce. If your divorce happened outside Canada, you also need a letter from a practising Newfoundland and Labrador lawyer stating that you are eligible to marry in the province. Give yourself extra time for that one.
If a document is in another language, bring the original plus a notarized translation.
If either of you is under 19 and not widowed or divorced, you need written consent (the Marriage Act generally asks for both parents, or a guardian in some situations), plus a birth certificate or an affidavit from a parent or guardian confirming your age.
What it costs
The marriage licence is $100. The province explains that $30 stays with the issuer and $70 goes to the government. The application form notes that the fee is non-refundable, so be sure of your date before you pay.
Timing: the 30-day window and the four-day rule
This is the part to circle in your planner.
Your licence is valid for 30 days from the date it is issued, and only in Newfoundland and Labrador. The province says to get it within 30 days of your planned wedding date, and your officiant should receive it at least four days before the ceremony. Under the Marriage Act, an officiant can only go ahead sooner if there are exceptional and urgent circumstances.
So if you are marrying on a Saturday, the licence should be in your officiant's hands by the Tuesday before. If your plans shift, talk to your issuer straight away: the Act lets an issuer extend a licence for good cause, at no charge.
Who can get married
Both of you need to be 19 or older, or special consent may be required (see the documents above). Under the Marriage Act, no one under 16 can be married in the province.
The same requirements apply to every couple. The province notes that a 2004 decision of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador extended marriage to include same-sex couples.
Who can marry you
You can choose a religious or a civil ceremony.
For a religious ceremony, your officiant is the registered religious representative of your choice.
For a civil ceremony, you will be married by a marriage commissioner. There are commissioners across the province, and the government publishes a list of them. A fun detail from the Marriage Act: the mayors of St. John's, Corner Brook and Mount Pearl, along with Provincial Court judges, are marriage commissioners by virtue of their office.
If you would like a religious ceremony as well as a civil one, the Act says the commissioner's certificate is enough for a member of the clergy to perform a religious ceremony too.
When you first reach out to an officiant, ask about fees, travel and how they like to plan the ceremony with you. You can also browse officiants on OpenDates while you compare. Whoever you choose, ask them to confirm they're registered to marry couples in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Your witnesses
You need at least two witnesses, and each must be 16 or older. Pick two people who will love being part of the signing: a sibling, a best friend, a grandparent. Let them know ahead of time so nobody is hunting for a pen.
After the wedding
Your officiant takes care of the next step. Under the Marriage Act, they return the signed marriage register and the licence to the issuer within 7 days of the wedding, and the issuer sends everything on to the province.
Once your marriage is registered, either of you can order a marriage certificate. It is $30 online or $35 by mail or in person, and it comes as a long-form, framing-size certificate. You will likely need it if either of you plans to change your name.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a marriage licence in Newfoundland and Labrador?
It is $100, and the fee is non-refundable. Of that, $30 stays with the issuer and $70 goes to the government.
How long is a Newfoundland and Labrador marriage licence valid?
For 30 days from the date it is issued, and only for a wedding in Newfoundland and Labrador. An issuer can extend it for good cause.
Is there a waiting period?
In practice, yes. Your officiant needs to receive the licence at least four days before the ceremony, unless there are exceptional and urgent circumstances.
Do we both have to apply in person?
No. Only one of you has to go in, but you both complete the affidavit with witnessed signatures, and whoever goes brings ID for both of you.
How many witnesses do we need?
At least two, and each must be 16 or older.
While the paperwork is in motion
Honestly, the licence is the easy part. The harder part is finding a venue and vendors who are actually free on your date, which is exactly why we built OpenDates.
You can browse wedding venues across Newfoundland and Labrador, look closer to the city with St. John's wedding venues, or go straight for the view with waterfront venues. Businesses on OpenDates post the dates they still have open, so you can see who is free before you send a single message. It is free for couples, always.
Rules and fees can change. Please confirm the details with the province or your marriage licence issuer before you apply.
Happy planning! Kristina
Sources
- ✦Getting Married, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
- ✦Vital Statistics fees, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
- ✦Application for Marriage Licence (form)
- ✦Marriage Commissioners and Licence Issuers
- ✦Marriage Certificate, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
- ✦Marriage Act, SNL 2009 c M-1.02, House of Assembly
Checked October 2026.
Photos from Pexels.