Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021

Registration of information - Marriages and civil unions - Registration of marriage or civil union

58: Registrar-General must register marriage or civil union if requirements met

You could also call this:

"The Registrar-General must register your marriage or civil union if all the rules are followed."

Illustration for Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021

The Registrar-General must register your marriage or civil union if a Registrar solemnises it. They must also register it if they get a form about the marriage or civil union under section 53 or 54. They can register a service marriage if they get a copy of the record under section 55. The Registrar-General can register information about a service marriage if they are satisfied it is authentic under section 56. They can also register it if no record is provided, but the information is accurate. They can register a marriage attended by a New Zealand representative if the representative sends a certificate under section 43(1) of the Marriage Act 1955. The Registrar-General can register any information about a marriage if they are satisfied it has not been registered yet. This is the case even if a form has not been prepared under section 53 or 54. They can register the information even if it conflicts with other information.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM7273692.

This page was last updated on — View changes

Topics:
Family and relationships > Marriage and partnerships
Previous

57: Overseas ceremony attended by New Zealand representative may be notified, or

"Telling the government about a New Zealand couple's overseas wedding"

Next

59: Registrar-General to note change of form of relationship, or

"Registrar-General updates records when your relationship status changes"

Part 2Registration of information
Marriages and civil unions: Registration of marriage or civil union

58Registrar-General must register marriage or civil union if requirements met

  1. The Registrar-General must register a marriage or civil union if—

  2. a Registrar solemnises the marriage or civil union; or
    1. the Registrar-General is provided with—
      1. a form relating to the marriage or civil union under section 53 or 54; or
        1. a copy of a record relating to a service marriage under section 55.

        2. The Registrar-General may also register information relating to a service marriage if the Registrar-General is satisfied—

        3. that the record provided under section 56 in respect of the marriage is authentic; or
          1. if no copy of a record is provided under section 56, that the information is accurate and it is impracticable to produce a copy of the record.

            1. The Registrar-General may also register a marriage attended by a New Zealand representative (as defined in section 2(1) of the Marriage Act 1955) if the New Zealand representative forwards a duplicate copy of a certificate under section 43(1) of that Act.

            2. The Registrar-General may register any information relating to a marriage in the registry if satisfied that the information has not yet been registered under this Act,—

            3. whether or not a form has been prepared in respect of the marriage under section 53 or 54; and
              1. whether or not information to the same effect, or conflicting information, is contained in any form referred to in paragraph (a).

                Compare