New Alabama Marriage Certificate
By Sherri Blevins
Beginning August 29, 2019, marriage licenses will be a thing of the past. Brides and grooms will apply for a new Alabama Marriage Certificate if they plan on marrying on or after August 29, 2019. The Alabama Legislature passed a new law requiring persons wanting to marry in Alabama to no longer file an application for a marriage license with the county probate court, but instead, the persons entering into marriage, complete a form, have it notarized, and return it to the probate court for recording.
Couples can access the new Alabama Marriage Certificate form online at the Alabama Department of Public Health’s website at http://ww.alabamapublichealth.gov/vitalrecords/marriage-certificates.html. There is one form for persons who are eighteen years of age and older and a second version of the form for persons who are sixteen to seventeen years of age. This form requires the consent of one parent or guardian to enter into marriage.
Marriage ceremonies are no longer a necessity, but only an option. Under the new law, the government requires no ceremony for a recognized marriage in Alabama. Could this affect the wedding industry in Alabama? The future will tell the answer to that question.
How can couples determine the date for their anniversary celebrations? The law provides that the actual date of the marriage is the date that the couples sign the affidavit on the Alabama Marriage Certificate form, so long as the completed and notarized form is provided to the probate office for recording within thirty days of the date of the spouses’ signatures. The marriage is “legal” when Alabama probate court records the properly completed, signed and notarized Alabama Marriage Certificate form. The court considers the marriage invalid if the couple does not submit the form to the probate court within the thirty days. The parties would have to reapply for a new certificate to validate their marriage.
Instead of finding a preacher for the ceremony, the couples must find a notary to stamp the official document. Notaries are available at many locations, including banks, public libraries, UPS stores, AAA, and some pharmacies. Your bank should provide notary services for free, but there may be a charge for notary services at some of the other listed locations.
There are still a few questions over whether or not probate courts will be required to provide the couple with a certified copy of the Marriage Certificate after it has been recorded, or if couples will be allowed to mail their completed, notarized forms into the probate office. County offices are waiting for the Attorney General’s opinion before answering these questions for inquiring couples.
Whether you choose to go the traditional route and plan the wedding of your dreams, or only do what is required by law and complete a new Alabama Marriage Certificate form, enjoy the process and follow the new procedures.