How to Register a Marriage in Delhi, Online and at the SDM Office

Marriage registration in Delhi is done at the office of the SDM (Sub Divisional Magistrate) where either spouse lives, after an online application on the e-District Delhi portal. Under the Delhi Compulsory Registration of Marriage Order, 2014, a marriage held in Delhi should be registered within 60 days. The couple and two witnesses appear in person.

If you married under the Special Marriage Act, the process is longer and needs three witnesses. Both routes are below.

Which Law Applies in Delhi

The Delhi government's Revenue Department lists three routes in its guidelines for the marriage registration certificate.

All three routes share some conditions. At least one spouse must be an Indian citizen, the groom must have been 21 and the bride 18 on the wedding day, and the marriage must have taken place in Delhi.

A Hindu couple who took saat phere at a banquet hall in Dwarka can use the Hindu Marriage Act route. A couple from two religions who want no religious ceremony at all go under the Special Marriage Act.

Is Marriage Registration Compulsory in Delhi

Yes, for weddings held in Delhi. The 2014 Order asks couples to register within 60 days, not counting the day of the final ceremony. The Revenue Department's guidelines say a penalty is charged after that, but they do not give the amount. Ask the SDM office before you file late.

Registration does not make a marriage valid or invalid. A Hindu marriage is valid once the ceremonies are done. The certificate is the proof, and you will need it for a passport with the spouse's name or a spouse visa.

Where to Apply

Apply to the SDM or Deputy Commissioner office of the district where the husband or the wife lives. If neither lives in Delhi, apply where the wedding took place. The Revenue Department's marriage registration page gives this rule.

You can file the application yourself on the e-District portal, or at a Citizen Service Centre if you prefer someone to type it for you.

How to Register a Marriage Online in Delhi

These steps follow the DM New Delhi district's marriage registration service page.

1. Create a login on e-District Delhi and choose "Registration of Marriage". For a Special Marriage Act wedding, choose "Solemnization of Marriage".
2. Fill in both spouses' details and the wedding details. Add the two witnesses too.
3. Upload self-attested copies of the documents and the two affidavits.
4. Send the original affidavits to the SDM office by hand or speed post. A Tehsildar office or a Citizen Service Centre also takes them. Write your application number on the envelope.
5. You get an appointment date. On that day the couple and the witnesses appear before the SDM with original ID.
6. Once approved, the certificate can be printed from the "Print/Download Certificate" option on the e-District home page.

The e-District services page shows 21 as the timeline for registration and 60 for solemnisation. It does not say whether these are working days. The Revenue Department says a certificate under the Hindu Marriage Act is often issued on the day of the hearing.

Documents Needed in Delhi

The DM New Delhi page lists these.

1. ID proof of both spouses and of each witness.
2. Delhi residence proof, before and after the marriage.
3. Date of birth proof for both.
4. A certificate from the priest, pandit, maulvi or granthi who did the wedding.
5. An affidavit from each spouse (Annexure I), notarised, on ₹10 non-judicial e-stamp paper.
6. Divorce decree or the death certificate of a former spouse, if either was married before.
7. A certificate from the embassy, if one spouse is a foreign national.
8. Passport photos, 5 cm by 4.5 cm, on a white background.

Download the affidavit format from the district page, get it notarised, and keep a photocopy before you post the original.

Carry a wedding photo and the invitation card as well. They are not on the list, but they cost nothing to bring.

Fees for Marriage Registration in Delhi

The official pages do not agree. So we are not printing one fee here.

The e-District portal shows the payable amount before you submit. Pay only through the portal or at the SDM office counter, and keep the receipt.

Some private websites mention a tatkal service in Delhi with a large extra fee. We could not find it on any current official Delhi page, so ask the SDM office before you plan around it.

How the Special Marriage Act Route Works in Delhi

Under the Special Marriage Act, Delhi's Marriage Officers are SDMs, ADMs and Deputy Commissioners. One of you must show that you have lived in the district for more than 30 days, using a ration card or a report from the local police station.

1. File the notice of intended marriage online, through the "Solemnization of Marriage" service.
2. The notice is put up in the office. Anyone may object within 30 days.
3. If nobody objects, the marriage is solemnised after 30 days, before the Marriage Officer and three witnesses.
4. The certificate is issued. The Revenue Department page gives up to 60 days for this route.

Give the names of your three witnesses to the office a day before the date, because the Revenue Department's page asks for the witness names to be given in advance. If the officer refuses, you can appeal to the district court within 30 days. Our page on the court marriage process explains each stage of this route.

After You Get the Certificate

Check the certificate on the day you collect it. Names, date, address. Keep a few colour photocopies and a scanned PDF on the phone.

The bride's name on the certificate is the name she used at the wedding. If she changes her surname later, this certificate is the main proof. See name change after marriage for the order to follow, starting with Aadhaar.

For other states and the general process, read our marriage registration guide for India.