Marriage Act 1949

27 Notice of marriage. E+W

(1) Where a marriage is intended to be solemnized on the authority of [F1 certificates] of a superintendent registrar F2 . . ., notice of marriage in the prescribed form shall be given—

(a) if the persons to be married have resided in the same registration district for the period of seven days immediately before the giving of the notice, by [F3 each] of those persons to the superintendent registrar of that district;

(b) if the persons to be married have not resided in the same registration district for the said period of seven days as aforesaid, by [F4 each] of those persons to the superintendent registrar of [the registration district in which he or she has resided] for that period.

F5 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) A notice of marriage shall state [F6 the name and surname, marital status, occupation [F7 , place of residence and nationality] of each of the persons to be married] [F6 the name and surname, occupation, place of residence and nationality of each of the persons to be married, whether either of them has previously been married or formed a civil partnership and, if so, how the marriage or civil partnership ended] and [F8 in the case of a marriage intended to be solemnized at a person’s residence in pursuance of section 26(1)(dd) of this Act, which residence is to be the place of solemnization of the marriage and, in any other case,][F9 the church or other building or premises in or on which] the marriage is to be solemnized and—

(a) F10 . . . shall state the period, not being less than seven days, during which each of the persons to be married has resided in his or her place of residence;

F11 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.

(4) The superintendent registrar shall file all notices of marriage and keep them with the records of his office, and shall [F12 subject to section 27A of this Act] also forthwith enter the particulars given in every such notice, together with the date of the notice and the name of the person by whom the notice was given, in a book (in this Act referred to as “the marriage notice book”) furnished to him for that purpose by the Registrar General, and the marriage notice book shall be open for inspection free of charge at all reasonable hours.

[F13 (4A) The duty imposed by subsection (4) to enter information in the marriage notice book may be discharged by entering the information in an approved electronic form; and information so entered must be made available for inspection free of charge at all reasonable hours.]

(5) If the persons to be married wish to be married in the presence of a registrar in a registered building for which an authorised person has been appointed, they shall, at the time when notice of marriage is given to the superintendent registrar under this section, give notice to him that they require a registrar to be present at the marriage.

(6) The superintendent registrar shall be entitled to a fee of [F14 £30.00] for every entry made in the marriage notice book[F15 , or an approved electronic form,] under this section.

[F16 (7) The superintendent registrar shall be entitled to receive from any person intending to be married in pursuance of section 26(1)(dd) of this Act upon whom he attends at a place other than his office in order to be given notice of marriage under this section the sum of [F17 £40.00].]

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 27(1) substituted (1.1.2001) by 1999 c. 33, s. 169(1), Sch. 14 paras. 3, 8; S.I. 2000/2698, art. 2

F2 Words in s. 27(1) repealed (1.1.2001) by 1999 c. 33, ss. 160(2)(a), 169(3), Sch. 16; S.I. 2000/2698, art. 2

F3 Word in s. 27(1)(a) substituted (1.1.2001) by 1999 c. 33, s. 161(1)(a); S.I. 2000/2698, art. 2

F4 Words in s. 27(1)(b) substituted (1.1.2001) by 1999 c. 33, s. 161(1)(b); S.I. 2000/2698, art. 2

F5 S. 27(2) repealed (1.1.2001) by 1999 c. 33, ss. 160(2)(b), 169(3), Sch. 16; S.I. 2000/2698, art. 2

F6 Words in s. 27(3) substituted (15.4.2005 for specified purposes, 5.12.2005 in so far as not already in force) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), s. 263(10)(b), Sch. 27 para. 14; S.I. 2005/1112, art. 2, Sch. 1; S.I. 2005/3175, art. 2(2)

F7 Words in s. 27(3) substituted (1.1.2001) by 1999 c. 33, s. 161(2); S.I. 2000/2698, art. 2

F8 Words inserted (E.W.) by Marriage Act 1983 (c. 32, SIF 49:1), s. 1(7), Sch. 1 para. 5(a)

F9 Words in s. 27(3) substituted (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 34, s. 1(3), Sch. para. 2; S.I. 1995/424, art. 2(2)(a)

F10 Words in s. 27(3)(a) repealed (1.1.2001) by 1999 c. 33, ss. 160(2)(c), 169(3), Sch. 16; S.I. 2000/2698, art. 2

F11 S. 27(3)(b) repealed (1.1.2001) by 1999 c. 33, ss. 160(2)(d), 169(3), Sch. 16; S.I. 2000/2698, art. 2

F12 Words inserted (E.W.) by Marriage Act 1983 (c. 32, SIF 49:1), s. 1(7), Sch. 1 para. 5(b)

F13 S. 27(4A) inserted (16.11.2009) by The Registration of Marriages etc. (Electronic Communications and Electronic Storage) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/2821), arts. 1(1), 2(1)

F14 Fee in s. 27(6) substituted (1.1.2001) by S.I. 1999/3311, art. 2, Sch. (as amended (1.1.2001) by S.I. 2000/3165, art. 2(b)) (which said S.I. 1999/3311 and S.I. 2000/3165 were revoked (1.4.2003) by S.I. 2002/3076, art. 3) and that same fee payable (1.4.2003) by virtue of S.I. 2002/3076, art. 2, Sch.

F15 Words in s. 27(6) entered (16.11.2009) by The Registration of Marriages etc. (Electronic Communications and Electronic Storage) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/2821), arts. 1(1), 2(2)

F16 S. 27(7) inserted (E.W.) by Marriage Act 1983 (c. 32, SIF 49:1), s. 1(7), Sch. 1 para. 5(c)

F17 Fee in s. 27(7) payable (1.4.2000) by virtue of S.I. 1999/3311, art. 2, Sch. (which S.I. was revoked (1.4.2003) by S.I. 2002/3076, art. 3) and that same fee payable (1.4.2003) by virtue of S.I. 2002/3076, art. 2, Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 27(4) applied by Marriage (Registrar General's Licence) Act 1970 (c. 34), s. 2(2)