How to register marriage under Special marriage Act in India

All marriages in India can be registered under the respective personal law Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Muslim Marriage Act, 1954, or under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. Here is how to register the marriage under the special marriage act.

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In a marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 allows people from two different religious backgrounds to come together in the bond of marriage. The Special Marriage Act, 1954 lays down the procedure for both solemnization and registration of marriage, where either of the husband or wife or both are not Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, or Sikhs. All marriages in India can be registered under the respective personal law Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Muslim Marriage Act, 1954, or under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. It is the duty of the judiciary to ensure that the rights of both the husband and wife are protected.

According to this Act, the couples have to serve a notice with the relevant documents to the Marriage Officer 30 days before the intended date of the marriage. However, while this process has been enabled online on https://www.onlinemarriageregistration.com/, the couple will have to visit the marriage officer for the solemnization of marriage. If not, online the couple could write an application to the Marriage Officer of the district as per the format laid down below. To,

MARRIAGE OFFICER FOR THE __________________ District WE HEREBY give you notice that a marriage under the Special Marriage Act, is intended to be solemnized between us within three calendar months from the date hereof.

Witness our hands this-----------------------day of-------------- We are not within the degrees of prohibited relationship.

Eligibility:

Both the intending parties must be a citizen of India. Neither of the parties must be having a living spouse at the time of marriage. In the case where either or both of the parties were involved in an earlier marriage, it is essential that the earlier marriage must be legally dissolved before applying under this Act. The intending parties must comply with the age limit given under this Act. The female should at least be of 18 years at the time of applying for marriage and the male must have completed the age of 21. READ: Covid-19: Precautions to be taken when visiting hospital during pandemic