Registration of Marriage solemnized by Ministers of Religion

Marriage when to be registered – All marriages hereafter solemnized in India between persons one or both of whom professes or profess the Christian religion, except marriages solemnized under Part V or Part VI of this Act, shall be registered in manner hereinafter prescribed.

Registration of marriages solemnized by Clergyman of Church of England – Every Clergyman of the Church of England shall keep a register of marriages and shall register therein according to the tabular form set forth in the this Schedule hereto annexed, every marriage which he solemnizes under this Act.

Quarterly returns to Archdeaconry – Every Clergyman of the Church of England shall send four times in every year returns in duplicate, authenticated by his signature of the entries in the register of marriages solemnized at any place where he has any spiritual charge, to the Registrar of the Archdeaconry to which he is subject or within the limits of which such place is situated.

Contents of returns – Such quarterly returns shall contain all the entries of marriages contained in the said register from the first day of January to the thirty first day of March, from the first day of April to the thirtieth day of June, from the first day of July to the thirtieth day of September, and from the first day of October to the thirty first day of December, of each year respectively, and shall be sent by such Clergyman within two weeks from the expiration of each of the quarters above specified.

The said Registrar upon receiving the said returns shall send one copy thereof to the Registrar General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages.

Registration and returns of marriages solemnized by Clergyman of Church of Rome – Every marriage solemnized by a Clergyman of the Church of Rome shall be registered by the person and according to the form directed in that behalf by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese or Vicariate in which such a marriage is solemnized and such person shall forward quarterly to the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages returns of the entries of all marriages registered by him during the three months of the next proceeding.

Registration and returns of marriage solemnized by Clergyman of Church of Scotland – Every Clergyman of the Church of Scotland shall keep a register of marriages, and shall register therein, according to the tabular form set forth in Third Schedule hereto annexed, every marriage which he solemnizes under this Act and shall forward quarterly to the Registrar General of Birth, Deaths and Marriages, through the Senior Chaplain of the Church of Scotland, returns, similar to those prescribed in Section 29, of all such marriages.

Certain marriages to be registered in duplicate – Every marriage solemnized by any person who has received Episcopal ordination, but who is not a Clergyman of the Church of England, or of the Church of Rome, or by any Minister of Religion licensed under this Act to solemnize marriage, shall immediately after the solemnization thereof, be registered in duplicate by the person solemnizing the same; (that is to say) in a marriage register book to be kept by him for that purpose according to the form contained in the Fourth Schedule hereto annexed, and also in a certificate attached to the marriage register book as a counterfoil.

Entries of such marriages to be signed and attested – The entry of such marriage in both the certificate and marriage register book shall be signed by the person solemnizing the marriage and also by the person married, and shall be attested by two credible witnesses, other than the person solemnizing the marriage, present at the solemnization.

Every such entry shall be made in order from the beginning to the end of the book, and the number of the certificates shall correspond with that of the entry in the marriage register book.

Certificate to be forwarded to Marriage Registrar, copied and sent to Registrar General – The person solemnizing the marriage shall forthwith separate the certificate from the marriage register book and send it, within one month from the time of the solemnization, to the Marriage Registrar of the district in which the marriage was solemnized, or, if there be more Marriage Registrars than one, to the Senior Marriage Registrar, who shall cause such certificate to be copied into a book to be kept by him for that purpose, and shall send all the certificates which he has received during the month with such number and signature or initials added thereto as are hereinafter required, to the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Copies of certificates to be entered and numbered – Such copies shall be entered in order from the beginning to the end of the said book and shall bear both the number of the certificates as copied and also a number to be entered by the Marriage Registrar, indicating the number of the entry of the said copy in the said book, according to the order in which he receives each certificate.

Registrar to add number of entry to certificate, and send to Registrar General – The Marriage Registrar shall also add such last mentioned number of the entry of the copy in the book to the certificate, with his signature or initials, and shall, at the end of every month, send the same to the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Registration of marriages between Native Christians by persons referred to in clauses (/), (2) and (3) of Section 5 – When any marriage between Indian Christians is solemnized by any such person, Clergyman or Minister of Religion as is referred to in clause (1), clause (2), or clause (3) of Section 5, the person solemnizing the same shall, instead of preceding in the manner provided by Sections 28 to 36, both inclusive, register the marriage in a separate register book and shall keep it safely until it is filled, or, if he leaves the district in which he solemnized the marriage before the said book is filled, shall take over the same to the person succeeding to his duties in the said district.

Custody and disposed of register book – Whoever has the control of the book at the time when it is filled, shall send it to the Marriage Registrar of the district, or if there be more Marriage Registrars than one, to the Senior Marriage Registrar, who shall forward it to the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, to be kept by him with the records of his office.