Marriage Act changes on P.E.I. make it easier to get hitched

P.E.I. is bringing in changes to some Marriage Act regulations toaddress issues that have come up in recent years by those applying for a marriage license and those looking to become marriage commissioners.

One of the main changes involves the identification required for applying for a marriage license, saidAdam Peters,the director of vital statistics for the province.

"We have added the ability for somebody who is applying for a marriage license to be able to use their passport because we found in the past there have been some individuals who have arrived looking to obtain a marriage license and have been travelling, so they have their passport but they didn't think to bring their birth certificate," said Peters.

"Now you would be able to use your passport with another piece of government ID to apply for your marriage license."

The licensing process for marriage commissionersis being changed as well.

In the past, people were licensed to perform marriages for a three-year period at a total cost of $500. That included training, licensing and registration.

Now, new licenses will be for a one-year period at a total cost of $200. The fee will be $100 dollars for every year after that.

Peters notedthis reduces some of the initial fees and works better for people looking to perform just one marriage, for example for a friend or family.

The changes come into effect June 11.

• MORE P.E.I.NEWS IStratford Sobeys expanding
• MORE P.E.I.NEWS IFamilies looking for help, but daycare can't get licence