Giving notice of a marriage or civil partnership

Before you get married or form a civil partnership in England or Wales, you must both give formal notice at your local register office.

When to give notice

Giving notice can be done any time between 30 days to 12 months before the date you get married.

Both you and your partner must have lived in England or Wales for seven full days prior to giving notice.

Where to give notice

You must both give formal notice at your local register office.

If you and your partner live in different registration districts, you need to give notice separately. You do not have to do this on the same day.

It does not matter if either of you moves to a different address once you have given notice.

If you live in Walsall, contact us to make an appointment to give notice with us.

If either you or your partner is not a citizen of the EEA or Switzerland, then you both need to give notice at a designated register office.

Evidence you will need to give us

When you attend your appointment, you will need to prove:

• your nationality
• your address

You can find the full list of documents we accept on the government's website. 

If you were born after 1983 and do not hold a valid UK passport, you will need:

• your full birth certificate
• your mother's birth certificate

If either of you have changed your name legally before (for example, by deed poll) you need to provide proof of name change.

If you have been married before

If either of you have been married before, you will need proof of the end of your previous marriage by death, divorce or nullity. 

If your divorce papers were not issued in England or Wales, we need to see the original divorce document and a translation. There may be a delay in issuing the authority for marriage. There is a fee for each foreign divorce document that is checked.

Under 18s

If either of you are under 18, please book your appointment in person at the register office.

We will help you to bring the right evidence to your appointment.

You need proof that your parents (or legal guardians) agree to the marriage.

If your parents are divorced, we may need to see the court order that gives custody to one of your parents.