Are you planning on getting married in New York soon? Then you must be completely thrilled! There must be so much which you have to do. Find the right venue, get the wedding gown or tuxedo ready, and get the invitations to the guests! That is a lot of work, no doubt. However, before you get all down and ready to work, there is just one small thing which you have to get ready. Your marriage license.
You see, marriage license in New York is considered to be mandatory. After a marriage license is issued, you cannot hold your marriage for the next 24 hours unless you have got yourself a judicial waiver. By now, you should know it is a big deal. So here are some of the things you can learn about at the U.S Marriage Laws website that you should know before you apply for a marriage license in New York,;
Age Requirements
The first thing you should probably find out about New York is the age requirements when it comes to marriage. Every state in America have their own rules when it comes to this, and New York is no different. In New York, any child who is below the age of 14 is not allowed to get a marriage license or get married. If the party is above 14, but between the ages of 15-16, certain requirements would also be needed. First, they would have to get a consent which has been signed by their parents or guardians and countersigned by a judge. If the party is between the ages of 16-17, a consent written and signed by the parents would be all that is necessary.
It is important to note that the laws which regulate marriage in New York now allow for people of the same sex to get married. Thus, all same-sex marriages can now apply for a marriage license in New York.
Documentation
Another thing which you would have to know is the need to have some form of documentation as proof over certain issues. For example, in New York, you would have to prove your age and who you are. Some of the documents which would qualify as such proof in these categories would include your certificate of birth if you have been baptized, a record of such baptism, records of your naturalization as a citizen, any census record which has been carried out amongst others.
If you came into the US as a refugee and thus have no current certificate of birth, any record that is signed that shows your name, where you were both and the names of your parents would suffice. If this document is in another language, you should provide a translation of that document that is duly certified.
When it comes to proof of identification, some of the documents or ID which would suffice would include your international passport, an ID where you are currently employed, a driver’s license or your immigration record. Other forms of documentation which you might also have to provide would include any record of past marriages which both or one of you might have been involved in the past. It is important to have some documents which show that you have completed the process of divorce.
Surname
While some people seem to forget about this part, it is important to decide on the surname which you would like to keep after the marriage. One reason for this is that your surname would be changed automatically to that of your spouse once you are married. However, it is important to note that the process of changing of surnames is not mandatory when getting married. It is possible to keep using your original surname. You can also decide to use a surname which mixes both yours and the name of your spouse. In my opinion, that is cool.
All done and dusted
So once you have gotten your age requirements all checked, your documentations just right and your surname all figured out, then the process of applying for a marriage license would become so much easier for you. You would be able to get a license at any town clerk or borough which is present in New York at least one full day to your wedding ceremony.
