Getting married

Introduction

You can get married when you are 18 years old under Australian law. Read the Marriage Act.

If you want to get married between 16 and 18 years old you must get permission from a court and your parents.

You can get parental permission forms at a Births, Deaths and Marriages office.

If you are younger than 16 years old you can’t marry in Australia.

Read the Marriage Regulations.

How to get married

To get married in the Northern Territory you can either:

  • organise your own celebrant and ceremony
  • or get married in a registry office.

Marriage equality

Since 9 December 2017 it is legal for same-sex couples to marry in Australia.

Marriage forms have been updated and all eligible marrying couples must now use the new forms available on the Australian Government’s Attorney-General's Department website.

You must submit your notice of intended marriage at least 31 days before your wedding date.


Organise your own celebrant and ceremony

If you want to organise your own celebrant and ceremony you will need to follow these steps:

Marriage celebrants are people who have power under the law to perform marriages.

Ask the Births, Deaths and Marriages office for a current list.

You can choose between the following types of celebrants:

The form is available from the Australian Government's Attorney-General's Department website.

You must:

  • use the new forms made available since 9 December 2017
  • submit the form to your celebrant at least 31 days before the intended date of marriage.

The notice of intended marriage form is valid for 18 months after you submit it to the celebrant. You should make arrangements to get married within that time.

You must provide all of the following to your celebrant:

  • original birth certificates
  • current photo identification
  • documents proving any name changes
  • an Australian or overseas passport showing the date and place of birth
  • if you have been divorced or widowed, you must provide an original divorce or death certificate.

Fees and procedures vary with each celebrant.


Get married in a registry office

COVID-19 measures

Due to physical distance measures, there can only be seven people in the marriage room at one time.

This means you can only have four other guests at your ceremony with the celebrant.

To discuss an alternative location, call Births, Deaths and Marriages on 08 8999 6119.

You can get married in the marriage room at the Births, Deaths and Marriages offices in either:

  • Darwin from Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 3:30pm and Fridays 2pm to 3:30pm
  • Alice Springs from Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 3:30pm.

You must bring two witnesses over 18 years old on the day of the ceremony.

How to arrange a registry office ceremony

To arrange a registry office ceremony, follow these steps:

Step 1. Fill in and submit a notice of intended marriage form at a Births, Deaths and Marriages office.

You can get the form from an office or on the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department website.

You must use the new forms made available since 9 December 2017. Older forms should no longer be used.

You must submit the form at least 31 days before the intended date of marriage.

Step 2. Organise a time and date for your ceremony with the registry office celebrant.

Step 3. Provide your identity and marital status documents as listed below.

Step 4. Pay the fee to submit a notice of intended marriage form as listed below.

Identity and marital status documents

You must provide all of the following at least one week before the ceremony:

  • original birth certificates
  • current photo identification
  • documents proving any name changes
  • an Australian or overseas passport showing the date and place of birth
  • if you have been divorced or widowed, you must provide an original divorce or death certificate.

Fees for a registry office ceremony

Fees for a registry office ceremony include:

  • a non-refundable lodgement fee, which must be paid with the notice of intended marriage form
  • a marriage certificate fee which must be paid one week before the date of your ceremony.

Find out more about marriage fees.

If you want to cancel your marriage, you must give 14 days' notice before the ceremony date to be refunded the marriage ceremony fee.

Ceremony day

With physical distance measures, you can only have up to 4 guests at your ceremony.

You and your guests should report to the front counter at least 15 minutes before the time you are booked. If any of your guests are running late, let the staff know at the front counter.


Marriage certificates and registration

All marriage ceremonies performed in the Northern Territory are registered with the Births, Deaths and Marriages office.

Marriage registration

Your marriage celebrant will send all the relevant marriage documents to the Births, Deaths and Marriages office for registration.

You need to allow three days from when your documents reach the office for your marriage to be registered. 

Marriage certificates

Once your marriage is registered, you can apply for a marriage certificate.


Changing to your married name

You may wish to change your surname to your married name.

How to change your surname

To do this, you must change your name with each organisation you are registered with.

This may include any of the following:

Organisations may have different requirements for changing your name. Some will require an official change of name certificate. Read about how to get a change of name certificate and legally change your name.

Providing your marriage certificate

When you are asked to provide your marriage certificate, you must use your official marriage certificate under seal, not your certificate of marriage you receive from your celebrant on the day of your wedding.

For more information on changing to your married name, contact the Births, Deaths and Marriages office.


Become a celebrant

Marriage celebrants are people who have the legal power to perform marriages.

For information and guides about becoming a marriage celebrant, go to the Australian Government's Attorney-General's Department website.