Marriage Registration in Tamil Nadu, Documents, Fees and Steps

Marriage registration in Tamil Nadu is compulsory under the Tamil Nadu Registration of Marriages Act, 2009. The couple files a memorandum with the Sub Registrar of the area where the wedding took place, within 90 days. The fee is ₹100 on time, ₹150 in the next 60 days and ₹1,150 after 150 days, as listed on TNREGINET.

People call it thirumana pathivu. The office is the same Sub Registrar office where families register land.

Which Law Applies in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has two common routes, and the Registration Department runs both. A third, the Special Marriage Act, is covered further down.

The Registration Department's citizens charter explains both main routes. The 2009 Act route covers only marriages performed in Tamil Nadu. A couple from Coimbatore who married in Bengaluru cannot use it, but can use the Hindu Marriage Act route if they are Hindus.

Under the Hindu Marriage Act route, the office can be the one covering the groom's home, the bride's home or the wedding venue. The charter says both customary and non-customary Hindu marriages are registered this way. Families with a self-respect wedding, done without a priest, should ask the office about this route.

Is Marriage Registration Compulsory in Tamil Nadu

Yes. The 2009 Act makes registration of every marriage in the state compulsory. No exceptions by religion. The memorandum is due within 90 days of the wedding. You get 60 more days with a fine, and a 2017 amendment allows filing after 150 days with a higher fee.

A Hindu marriage stays valid even if it is not registered. Section 8(5) of the Hindu Marriage Act says so. The certificate is still the proof every office asks for, from the passport office to the bank.

How to Register a Marriage Online in Tamil Nadu

Applications start on the TNREGINET portal, which has separate menus for marriage registration and special marriage.

1. Create a user login on TNREGINET.
2. Open the marriage registration menu and pick the right form for your Act.
3. Fill in the details of the bride, the groom, the wedding and the two witnesses, and upload the proofs and photos.
4. Go to the Sub Registrar office with the originals. The 2017 amendment expects the couple to hand in the memorandum in person, unless the Registrar records special reasons.
5. The certificate is issued after the Sub Registrar checks the papers. The citizens charter lists the marriage certificate among the department's online services.

TNREGINET also has a user manual for marriage registration on its help page. Read it before you start if the form looks confusing, because the screens change from time to time.

Documents and Witnesses

The citizens charter lists these for the 2009 Act route.

1. Proof of marriage, such as the wedding invitation and photos, or a certificate from the temple or priest.
2. Age proof of the bride and the groom.
3. Residence proof of both.
4. Identity cards of the couple and of the two witnesses.
5. Passport-size photos, four of the bride and four of the groom.

The groom must have been 21 and the bride 18 at the time of the wedding.

If your wedding was at a temple, ask the temple office for its receipt or certificate on the day itself. Temple charges for this are separate from the Registration Department's fee.

Fees and Late Fees in Tamil Nadu

These figures are from the "Duty and Fee" page on TNREGINET.

The fee table sits under collapsed sections on the TNREGINET page, in Tamil. Expand the marriage sections to see the full list.

How Long It Takes

The certificate is given after the Sub Registrar checks the original papers. We could not find a fixed number of days on an official page. Go early in the day, because Sub Registrar offices also handle property deeds and there can be a wait.

Special Marriage Act Route in Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, the Sub Registrar acts as the Marriage Officer. The charter describes the process.

1. Give the notice of intended marriage in triplicate to the Sub Registrar of your area. You do not have to appear in person for the notice.
2. The notice is displayed at the offices covering the permanent homes of the bride and the groom.
3. If nobody objects within 30 days, the marriage is solemnised or registered before three witnesses.
4. This must happen after 30 days and within three months of the notice. After three months, a fresh notice is needed.

The fees are tiny. It is ₹3 for the notice and ₹10 for solemnisation or registration, as per TNREGINET. TNREGINET also lets the public file an objection to a special marriage notice online.

To register a marriage that already took place under this Act, both partners must be at least 21. Our court marriage process page explains this route stage by stage.

Certificate Search, Copy and Correction

TNREGINET has a marriage search option. A certified copy costs ₹10. That is all. For corrections, the portal's help section lists a user manual for marriage correction (Form 1, 1A and special marriage correction). Apply for it at the same office with proof of the right spelling.

Check the spelling of both names and the date on the day you get the certificate. If the bride plans to change her surname, the certificate is the base document. See our page on name change after marriage for the order.

For other states, read the marriage registration guide for India.