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Notice of marriage or civil partnership

Before you can marry or form a civil partnership anywhere in England or Wales, either by civil or religious ceremony, you must first give due notice of your intention.

Changes with regards to giving notice came into force with effect from 1 July 2021 so please do read the following information carefully before booking or attending your appointment.

Documents you will need

By law, we will need to see various documents to enable a notice of intention to be given, please note that photocopies are not acceptable. We cannot take information from a mobile device. Please check the details below carefully to ensure that you bring the correct documentation as if anything is missing, expired, photocopied or on a mobile device, we will not be able to take your notice and you will need to book a new appointment and pay the fee again.

If you are holding your ceremony at a venue outside the Dudley borough or at a religious building and have a provisional booking letter, you should bring this along to your appointment as well as the documents listed below.

We will need to see your:

  • birth certificate and
  • passport and
  • proof of address (please see acceptable evidence under 'proof of residence' below)

Depending on your circumstances you may also need to bring with you:

  • decree absolute
  • spouse's death certificate
  • any change of name documents

Important - If you do not bring the correct documents to your appointment the notice cannot be taken. See below for full details;

What happens next

After you have given notice at your local register office, the notice will be displayed on their public notice board for the statutory waiting period of 28 days.

If no legal objections are raised during this period, and both notices have been given, the superintendent's schedule for marriage will be issued.

This document must be taken to the registrar or other person who is registering your marriage.

If you are marrying at a register office or on approved premises this will happen electronically between registration offices; you are not required to do anything.

If you are marrying in a church or other religious venue, the authorised person at the building will need this document. For religious buildings within the Dudley Borough we will send the schedule document to the authorised person on your behalf regardless of which office you attended to give your notice, you will not need to do anything.

If you are marrying at a church or other religious building in another registration district (i.e. not within the Dudley Borough) you will need to make arrangements with the register office for that district with regards to getting the schedule to the authorised person as this document is issued locally.

Different offices operate different procedures. If you are forming a civil partnership a schedule document will be issued by the civil partnership registrar who is registering your partnership.

If you are celebrating your marriage or civil partnership at Priory Hall, Thomas Robinson Building or in a Dudley borough approved premise you will receive a confirmation letter and an information pack once both notices have been given.

This will guide you through the choices you have to make with regard to your ceremony and will tell you what will happen on the day. Any outstanding fees are due not later than three months before the date of your ceremony.

Booking a notice appointment

If you are both British/Irish or have European Settlement Status, your ceremony is taking place within the next 12 months and you are resident in the Dudley Borough, please book a notice appointment.

If one (or both of you) is a foreign national who does not have European Settled Status, please read the information below before booking a notice appointment.

Contact Us

Telephone: 01384 815373

Please note our lines are quieter in the afternoons. We monitor our inbox Monday to Saturday (except for bank holidays). The easiest way to contact us is by dropping us a quick message. We will call you or reply by email.