What's the difference between a marriage license and a marriage certificate? my fiance and i are wanting to get a legal document saying we are married but we aren't having the ceremony until later. i'm just confused on the whole marriage license deal. l live in texas if that helps any. thanx!
2007-06-27 04:09:09 · 7 answers · asked by meagan k 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Marriage & Divorce
A marriage license is what you get before marriage, your marriage certificate is what you get after you are married, but you can't get the certificate without the license and some kind of wedding ceremony first. Whether it's just at city hall or in a church, a marriage has to take place to be legally married and receive a marriage certificate.
2007-06-27 04:13:52 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You don't get a marriage certificate or license until you are actually married. The marriage license is what you apply to to get married (it contains lots of important info) and says the state has approved of your request to marry. A marriage certificate is sometimes issued by a church or officiate as a symbol of the marriage (it has no legal value). Once you are married you get a copy of the license and if you need something for legal purposes you apply to the county or state where you live for a "sealed" copy and that's the important document. I would contact the person who is going to marry you and find out if they provide a "certificate" to you or not. Good luck and God Bless.
2007-06-27 11:14:31 · answer #2 · answered by tersey562 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Marriage license: license saying that you can legally wed and be accepted as a married couple
Marriage certificate: you have been married and you can legally prove it.
Marriage license comes first and comes from your country court house. The marriage certifcate is what the officients and best man/maid of honor sign as well as you two to declare that you DID get married. A few weeks later you get the official copy of your marriage certificate! You use the marriage certificate to show the government and other instituations that you have gotten legally married and can change your name, etc.
Good luck!
2007-06-27 11:12:06 · answer #3 · answered by FaZizzle 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I just got married last Friday and we have only our marriage license which does not prove marriage. It only gave us the go ahead to have the cerimony. You must send a copy of the license along with a fee to a certain office (which is located on the license most of the time) in order to get your certificate which is legal proof of marriage.
The license is only for sentimental (framing) purposes. You need the certificate to change over documents to your marriage name and things of the like.
Congrats, by the way!
2007-06-27 11:13:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Marriage license is what you get to give to the person marrying you (priest, preacher, judge) that states that they can legally marry you two together. Signed by witnesses that says they saw him marry the two of you. Then once that's done, signed, etc and goes through the court system, then you get a little certificate that says you are married to one another.
2007-06-27 11:16:52 · answer #5 · answered by gypsy g 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
CAll your clerk's office in the county you will be getting married in. They will tell you what you need to have a licence issued. Once you have said some type of vows, the officiant will file the license at the clerks office and at that point it is a legal document. You HAVE to have an officiant "marry" you in some type or ceremony to get a license filed and legal.
Certificate is a courtesy done by some states that is a more "pretty" framable item.
2007-06-27 11:13:34 · answer #6 · answered by wizjp 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You usualkly only have 60 days after you apply for a marriage liscense to get married or it's void. So wait untill you pick a date before you waste your cash.
2007-06-27 11:14:30 · answer #7 · answered by brianne p 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋