How to Get Married in BC: Marriage Licence, Requirements and Officiants

How to Get Married in BC

Booking a venue in Victoria and dreaming about a Tofino beach ceremony is the fun part. The part nobody explains is the paperwork: the licence, the witnesses, the ID, and the person who actually signs the document that makes it legal.

The good news is that getting legally married in British Columbia is genuinely simple. There is no waiting period, no residency requirement, and no blood test. If you have a licence, valid ID, two witnesses, and a registered officiant, you can be married the same day.

Here is exactly how it works in BC, with the local details that matter for a Vancouver Island wedding.

Step 1: Buy your marriage licence

Your marriage licence is the document that gives you permission to marry. It is not the same as your marriage certificate (more on that below).

A few things to know:

• It costs $100 and is nonrefundable.
• It is valid for 3 months. You have to buy it within 3 months before your wedding date, so do not grab it a year early.
• There is no waiting period. You can get married as soon as you have it in hand.
• There is no residency requirement. You do not have to live in BC, which is why so many couples from the mainland and out of province marry here.

You buy a licence from a marriage licence issuer or in person at a Service BC location. The issuer prints the licence on the spot, so you walk out with it the same day. There is nothing to wait for in the mail.

tip: On Vancouver Island, licence issuers are spread across Victoria, Nanaimo, the Comox Valley, and most larger towns, but smaller communities like Tofino and the Gulf Islands have fewer options. If you are marrying somewhere remote, sort your licence in a bigger town before you head out.

Step 2: Bring the right ID

Both people need primary identification. Acceptable forms include:

• Birth certificate
• Passport
• Permanent resident card
• Citizenship card

If either of you was previously married, bring proof that the marriage legally ended (a divorce certificate or a death certificate). The issuer needs to confirm you are both free to marry.

Step 3: Meet the legal requirements

BC keeps the rules straightforward:

• Age. You can marry on your own at 19 or older. If you are 16 to 18, you can marry with written consent from your parents or guardians.
• Witnesses. You need two witnesses, both over 19. They can be friends, family, or anyone you trust. After the ceremony, the couple, both witnesses, and the officiant all sign the Marriage Licence and Registration of Marriage.

That signing step is what makes the marriage official, so make sure your two witnesses know the role before the day.

note: If you are planning an elopement or a tiny ceremony, you still need those two witnesses. Some couples ask their photographer and planner to step in, which is perfectly allowed.

Step 4: Choose who marries you

In BC, only two kinds of people can legally marry you: a marriage commissioner or a religious representative. Both have to be registered with the provincial Vital Statistics Agency.

Marriage commissioners (civil ceremonies)

A marriage commissioner performs nonreligious, civil ceremonies. The fee is set by the province, so it is the same no matter who you book:

• $78.75 base fee ($75.00 plus GST), which covers one hour of preparation, meeting, rehearsal, travel time, and the ceremony itself
• $25 per hour for time beyond the first hour, billed in 15-minute increments
• $0.63 per kilometre for mileage, plus any parking or ferry costs

That travel and ferry line matters on the Island. A commissioner driving from Victoria out to a Cowichan vineyard or catching a ferry to a Gulf Island will add those costs to the base fee. One quick note: commissioners are not allowed to provide wedding planning or consultation, only the ceremony.

Religious representatives

If you want a faith-based ceremony, a registered religious representative (a minister, priest, rabbi, and so on) can marry you. They set their own approach to the ceremony, and many will want to meet with you beforehand.

Independent and destination officiants

Many of the most-loved Island officiants are independent professionals who run beautiful, personalised ceremonies. You can browse and compare local officiants on our Vancouver Island wedding officiants directory, or narrow it down to officiants in the Victoria area if that is your home base.

What it all costs

Here is the legal-side budget at a glance. These are the provincial costs only, separate from what your venue, photographer, or florist charge.

tip: A religious officiant or an independent celebrant will usually charge more than the flat commissioner fee, because you are paying for a custom ceremony, not just the legal minimum. It is worth it for many couples, just budget for it.

Step 5: After the ceremony

Once you say your vows and everyone signs, your officiant submits the Registration of Marriage to Vital Statistics. That registration is what makes everything official in the government's records.

About three weeks later, Vital Statistics mails you one free marriage certificate. You do not need to order that first one. The certificate is the legal proof of your marriage, and it is what you will need for things like a name change, so keep it somewhere safe. If you need extra copies, they cost $27 by mail or $60 by courier.

Doing this on Vancouver Island

A few local realities to plan around:

• Sort your licence early if you are marrying somewhere remote. Tofino, Ucluelet, and the Gulf Islands have fewer issuers than Victoria or Nanaimo. Pick it up in a larger centre on your way.
• Factor travel into your officiant cost. That $0.63 per kilometre and any ferry fare adds up fast for a ceremony far from your officiant's home base. Booking someone local to your venue's region keeps it down.
• Line up your two witnesses ahead of time, especially for a small or destination ceremony where you may not have a big crowd to pull from.
• Slot the officiant into your booking order. It is not your first call, but do not leave it to the final weeks. See what order to book your wedding vendors for where it fits.

When the legal pieces are sorted, the rest is the fun part: the venue, the team, and the day itself. If you are still mapping out the timeline, our Ultimate Vancouver Island Wedding Planning Timeline and Vancouver Island Wedding Budget Guide walk you through everything else.

The bottom line

Getting legally married in BC comes down to a $100 licence, valid ID, two witnesses over 19, and a registered officiant. No waiting period, no residency rule, no stress. Handle the licence and the officiant early, and the legal side of your Island wedding takes care of itself.

Ready to find the person who will marry you? Browse Vancouver Island wedding officiants or wedding planners and coordinators who can keep all of this on track. Not sure where to start? Our vendor matchmaker points you to officiants and planners that fit your date, style, and budget.