Getting Married …

                                           Getting Married
                                                                               in Vermont

  Questions and Answers to Help you Plan your Vermont Wedding
Who can get married in Vermont? A man and a woman who are each at least 18 years old can marry in
 Vermont. If you are at least 16, but under 18, you will need the consent of a parent or guardian. Your parent or
 guardian should go with you to the town clerk's office to sign an affidavit giving you permission to marry. (The
 affidavit is on the back of the marriage license and is a legal part of the license.) If one or both of you are under
 the age of 16 and a Vermont resident, you cannot get married in Vermont unless you first furnish the town clerk
 with a certificate from a probate, district, or superior court judge of the district or county in which the underage
 person resides. If the underage person is not a Vermont resident, you must furnish the town clerk with a
 certificate from a judge of the district or county in which the marriage will take place. By Vermont law, no
 one under the age of 14 may marry in Vermont.

Are there any other marriage restrictions? Anyone under guardianship cannot marry without the
 guardian's written consent. Vermont also does not allow marriage between most close relatives. You cannot
 marry a parent, grandparent, sister, brother, child, grandchild, niece, nephew, aunt or uncle. First cousins, who
 are Vermont residents, or residents of another state where marriage between first cousins is allowed, may
 marry each other in Vermont. You cannot marry in Vermont to evade the laws of the state where you live. You
 cannot marry if either of you is currently married to someone else. The law requires that both parties be of
 sound mind.

Do we need a marriage license? Do we need blood tests? You will need a license, but you do not need
 blood tests, and there is no waiting period.

Where do we get a marriage license and how much does it cost? Licenses are issued by Vermont
 town clerks. If both bride and groom are Vermont residents, you may go to the town clerk in either of your towns
 of residence. If just one of you resides in a Vermont town, you must buy the license in that town. The license
 costs $45, and is valid for 60 days from the date it is issued. During that time period, an authorized person
 must perform your wedding ceremony -- otherwise, the license is void.

What if we are not Vermont residents? If neither party is a Vermont resident, you may get the license from
 any town clerk in the state.

What information must we provide to get a marriage license? Besides basic information about
 yourselves (names, towns of residence, places and dates of birth), you must also provide your parents' names,
 including your mothers' maiden names, and their places of birth. (A certified copy of your birth certificate can
 supply most of this information). Vermont law requires that at least one of you sign the license in the presence
 of the town clerk, certifying that all the information you provided is correct. However, most town clerks prefer to
 see both of you in person before issuing your license. The law requires that town clerks satisfy themselves that
 you are both free to marry under Vermont laws. Therefore, they may legally ask to see documented proof of
 your statements (birth certificates, divorce decrees, death certificates, etc.). You will also be asked to provide
 information about your race, the highest grade you completed in school, the number of previous marriages, and
 how they ended. This information is confidential and does not become part of the marriage certificate.

   VT Dept. of Health · Vital Records Unit · 108 Cherry Street, PO Box 70, Burlington, VT 05402
                                     863-7275 or 800-439-5008
                                                                                                  July 1, 2008
What if either of us were married or in a civil union before? If your husband, wife or civil union partner
 has died, you are free to marry. The clerk will ask the date your spouse or civil union partner died. If you are
 divorced, you may remarry after the date on which your previous marriage or civil union was legally dissolved.

Can a license be issued through the mail? Can we be married by proxy? No. A marriage license
 cannot be issued through the mail, and you cannot be married by proxy.

Where can we get married? With a valid Vermont license, you can be married anywhere in Vermont, but only
 in Vermont.

Who can marry us? Do we need witnesses? A Supreme Court justice, a superior court judge, a district
 judge, a judge of probate, an assistant judge, a justice of the peace or an ordained or licensed member of the
 clergy residing in Vermont can perform your wedding ceremony. A clergy person residing in an adjoining state
 or country can marry you if his or her church, temple, mosque, or other religious organization lies wholly or
 partly in Vermont. A clergy member residing in some other state or in Canada can marry you if he or she first
 obtains a special authorization from the probate court in the district where the marriage will take place. In
 addition, any person who is over the age of 18 may register with the Secretary of State to become a temporary
 officiant to a marriage. A person who has filled out the registration form and who has paid the registration fee of
 $100 will receive a certificate authorizing the person to solemnize a specific Vermont marriage. The individual's
 authority to solemnize that marriage will expire at the same time as the corresponding license. For information
 on registering to be a temporary officiant visit www.sec.state.vt.us or call 802-828-2148. Vermont law does not
 require witnesses, but, if you are planning a religious ceremony, check to see if the religion's tenets require
 witnesses.

What do we do with the license? What happens to it after the ceremony? By law, you must deliver
 the license to the person who will conduct your wedding ceremony before the marriage can be performed. After
 the ceremony, the person who performs the ceremony (officiant) will complete the sections concerning the date,
 place and officiant information, and sign your license. At that point, the license becomes a marriage certificate.
 The officiant must return the certificate to the town clerk's office where it was issued within 10 days after the
 wedding, so that your marriage can be officially registered. If the officiant has registered with the Secretary of
 State as a temporary officiant, a copy of the certificate of authority issued by the Secretary of State should be
 attached to the signed license and returned to the clerk's office. The certificate is not a complete legal document
 until it has been recorded in the town clerk's office where it was purchased.

How do we get a copy of our marriage certificate? At the time you buy your marriage license, you can
 arrange with the town clerk to mail you a certified copy of your certificate as soon as your marriage has been
 recorded. The cost is $10 for the certified copy along with the $45 for the license purchase ($10 + $45 = $55).
 Or, two weeks or more after the ceremony, you can request, in person or in writing, additional copies from the
 town clerk's office where you bought your license for the same $10 fee. Or, six or more weeks after your
 ceremony, you may request, in person or in writing, a certified copy from the Vermont Department of Health,
 Vital Records Unit for $10. In either case, you will receive a copy of the original certificate, embossed with the
 town or state seal, signed and dated by the appropriate official. This copy is accepted for all legal purposes as
 proof of a valid marriage.




   VT Dept. of Health · Vital Records Unit · 108 Cherry Street, PO Box 70, Burlington, VT 05402
                                     863-7275 or 800-439-5008
                                                                                                July 1, 2008