Marriage Certificate Documents List for Maharashtra (2026) – Full Checklist
Documents for a marriage certificate in Maharashtra: age and address proof, wedding card or declaration, photos, ₹100 court-fee stamp and three witnesses' ID.
Raj Patil · Founder, Vivah Swapn
Raj Patil is the founder of Vivah Swapn and writes about matchmaking, building strong matrimony profiles, and Maharashtrian marriage traditions.
For a marriage certificate in Maharashtra you need, for both spouses, an age proof, a residence proof and passport-size photographs; proof of the wedding (the invitation card, or a joint declaration on ₹100 stamp paper); a ₹100 court-fee stamp on the memorandum; and three witnesses who come in person with their own ID. Divorced or widowed applicants add the divorce decree or the death certificate of the previous spouse.
That is the set for registering a religious or customary marriage with your local body under the Maharashtra Regulation of Marriage Bureaus and Registration of Marriages Act, 1998. A civil (court) marriage under the Special Marriage Act needs a slightly different file, covered further down.
At a glance:
| Document | What is usually accepted |
|---|---|
| Age proof (each spouse) | Birth certificate, school leaving certificate, SSC certificate, passport or domicile certificate |
| Residence proof (each spouse) | Ration card, voter ID, passport, electricity bill or telephone bill; many offices also take Aadhaar |
| Wedding proof | Wedding invitation card, or a joint declaration on ₹100 stamp paper if there was no card |
| Photographs | Passport-size photos of both spouses and of each witness |
| Court-fee stamp | ₹100 court-fee stamp (or label) on the memorandum, Form D |
| Witnesses | Three adults, each with photo ID and address proof, present in person |
| Special cases | Divorce decree, death certificate of the previous spouse, nikahnama, passport for a foreign national |
The most common reason a file comes back is a missing or mismatched document. Walk in with everything in order and registration is quick; turn up with a name spelt three ways on three IDs and you will be making a second trip. For the full procedure, see our step-by-step guide to marriage registration in Maharashtra.
Documents for both spouses
Age proof (any one):
- Birth certificate
- School or college leaving certificate
- SSC certificate
- Passport
- Domicile certificate
The legal minimum age for marriage is 21 for the groom and 18 for the bride, and the age proof is how the Registrar checks it.
Residence proof (any one): ration card, voter ID, passport, electricity bill or telephone bill in the person's own name. Many offices also accept Aadhaar. Registration happens where the husband, or either spouse, ordinarily lives, so the address proof decides which office can take your file. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's form also asks for the bride's address proof from before the marriage; carry it in case your office wants the same.
Photographs: passport-size photographs of both spouses, pasted on the form. BMC's guidelines ask for three of each spouse and one of each witness. Carry a few spares.
Proof that the wedding took place
The 1998 Act registers a marriage that has already been solemnised, so you show that it happened:
- The wedding invitation card, or, if there was none, a joint declaration by both spouses on ₹100 stamp paper stating the date and place of the wedding.
- The priest's signature on the memorandum, where a priest (or kazi) performed the marriage. Form D has a section for the priest's name and signature.
- Wedding photographs, which some offices ask to see even though BMC's list does not require them.
The memorandum and the court-fee stamp
The application itself is the memorandum of marriage in Form D, prescribed under the 1999 Rules. It carries a ₹100 court-fee stamp (a court-fee label is fine). Both spouses and all three witnesses sign it in front of the Registrar, not at home, so leave the signature boxes blank until you are at the counter.
BMC asks for copies attested by a notary or a gazetted officer, with the originals shown to the Registrar for verification. Other local bodies may accept self-attested copies; ask before you pay a notary.
Witnesses
You need three witnesses, and section 6(1)(b) of the Act requires them to appear in person before the Registrar with both spouses. Each witness should bring:
- Photo ID and address proof (ration card, voter ID, passport or Aadhaar)
- A passport-size photograph
Choose adults who attended the wedding and who can actually get to the office on your appointment day.
Extra documents for special cases
- Divorced spouse: certified copy of the court's divorce decree.
- Widow or widower: death certificate of the previous spouse.
- Muslim marriage: the nikahnama, with an English translation if it is in Urdu.
- Spouses of different religions: the 1998 Act route is generally not available. BMC registers such a marriage only where one spouse converted before the wedding, with affidavits on ₹100 stamp paper. Otherwise, use the Special Marriage Act.
- Foreign national spouse: passport and visa, plus whatever proof of single status the office asks for. Requirements here vary, so confirm them before the appointment.
- Marriage registered late: the same documents, plus the late penalty. If the wedding was more than 90 days ago, see the late registration section in our registration guide.
Documents for a Special Marriage Act (court) marriage
The Registration and Stamps department's checklist for a certificate under the Special Marriage Act asks for:
- Identity: Aadhaar (the online notice is verified against it).
- Age proof (any one): birth certificate, SSC certificate, school leaving certificate, passport, bonafide certificate, driving licence or domicile certificate.
- Residence proof (any one): voter ID, leave and licence agreement, passport, ration card, employer's residence certificate, society certificate, electricity bill or telephone bill. It has to show that at least one of you has lived in that Marriage Officer's area for 30 continuous days.
- Three witnesses with ID and residence proof.
- Divorce decree or death certificate where a spouse was married before.
For a foreign national, the IGR's portal lists a passport, address proof and a single-status certificate. Our guide to court marriage in Maharashtra explains the 30-day notice and the rest of that route.
Where to submit
Registration under the 1998 Act is run by each local body: municipal corporations on their own portals (for example MyBMC in Mumbai and services.pmc.gov.in in Pune), and gram panchayats through the Aaple Sarkar portal. Special Marriage Act notices go online through the IGR's eMarriage portal. Whichever route you take, the originals are checked in person.
Common mistakes that cause delays
- Name mismatches. Your name should be spelt the same on Aadhaar, the age proof, the residence proof and the form. Fix discrepancies before applying. If you plan to change your name after marriage, read our note on the Special Marriage Act and name change first.
- Address proof in someone else's name. BMC wants it "in the name of the person only". A bill in your father's name may not be accepted.
- Forgetting the witnesses' IDs. Their documents matter as much as yours.
- Signing at home. The memorandum is signed in front of the Registrar.
- Leaving it too long. After 90 days a penalty applies, and witnesses get harder to gather.
A quick pre-visit routine
The evening before the appointment, lay everything out and check it twice:
- Originals and photocopies of every document, attested the way your office wants
- Photographs for both spouses and all three witnesses
- The ₹100 court-fee stamp and, if needed, the stamp-paper declaration
- Confirmation that all names and dates match exactly
- A call or message to each witness confirming the time
Frequently asked questions
Is Aadhaar enough as both age and address proof? Many offices accept Aadhaar as identity and address proof. For age, offices prefer a birth certificate, school leaving certificate, SSC certificate or passport, so carry one of those as well.
We did not print wedding cards. What do we show? A joint declaration by both spouses on ₹100 stamp paper, stating the date and place of the marriage, is accepted in place of the card.
Does the priest have to come to the office? The Act requires the two spouses and three witnesses to appear. The priest's details and signature go on the form; check whether your office wants anything more.
Do witnesses have to be relatives? No. Any three adults who know the facts of the marriage and carry valid ID will do.
This checklist is general information, not legal advice. Each local body and Marriage Officer can ask for more, and requirements change; confirm the current list with your Registrar before you go.
Read next
- Marriage Registration in Maharashtra – Step-by-Step Guide
- Court Marriage in Maharashtra
- Special Marriage Act Name Change Rules
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