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Marriage registration · Meghalaya

Marriage Registration in Meghalaya: 2012 Act and e-District

Meghalaya’s Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012 covers marriages of every community, including Khasi, Jaintia and Garo customary marriages. Applications go through the district Deputy Commissioner’s office or the e-District portal.

By TrueSaath · published 2026-10-22 · checked October 2026

Official portal: e-District Meghalaya

The 2012 Act

The Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012 (Meghalaya Act No. 13 of 2012) extends to the whole state. It was brought into force by notification, with rules made in 2015, and has been amended since. Section 3 says that after the Act comes into force every marriage contracted in the state shall be compulsorily registered.

The amended definition of marriage is deliberately wide. It includes marriages of persons of any caste, tribe or religion, marriages contracted in accordance with customs, practices or traditions, remarriages, and marriages under any existing law. A Khasi, Jaintia or Garo marriage performed by custom is therefore within the Act just as a church, Hindu or Muslim marriage is.

Personal-law marriages

The Act works alongside the personal laws rather than replacing them:

• Section 3A says a marriage solemnised under the various personal laws is deemed to be taken under the Act, with the register kept as those laws prescribe.
• The Act names the officers and licence holders under the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872, the Special Marriage Act, 1954, the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and the Meghalaya Moslem Marriages and Divorces Registration Act (Assam Act IX of 1935, as adopted) among those it recognises.
• Section 21 says the Act is in addition to, and not in derogation of, the existing personal laws.

So a couple married in church by a licensed minister, for example, may already have a certificate under the Christian marriage law. Marriages not covered by a personal law, such as customary marriages, are registered with the Registrar under the 2012 Act.

The memorandum

As amended, section 5 asks the parties to prepare and sign a memorandum in the prescribed form and deliver it, or send it by registered post, in duplicate to the Registrar of the area within 60 days of the marriage. It is signed by the bride and bridegroom and by witnesses, and goes with the prescribed fee. A memorandum can still be submitted after the deadline. Section 12 says a marriage before the Act is not invalid only because it was not registered.

What changed in 2022

The Act originally said the certificate would be required for all official purposes. In 2022 the state removed those words from the preamble and from section 3, explaining that the Act was meant to ensure registration, not to make the certificate a precondition for services under other laws. The same amendment made the Inspector General of Registration the Registrar General of Marriages.

Where to apply

• Online: the e-District Meghalaya portal lists a Marriage Certificate service, with a 60-day delivery timeline under the state’s public services law.
• In person: the Registration Branch of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in your district. East Khasi Hills, for instance, handles marriages solemnised before the Marriage Officer there.

For a civil marriage under the Special Marriage Act, offices ask for a notice of intended marriage, residence and age proof, and for a foreign partner, papers from their embassy. See court marriage under the Special Marriage Act and NRI marriage registration.

Documents

Expect age proof (Class 10 or birth certificate), residence proof, photographs, wedding proof, witness identity proof and a divorce decree or death certificate where relevant. See the documents checklist.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws, forms and procedures change, so confirm the current steps with the registering office before you apply. For your own situation speak to a lawyer, or get free legal aid through your District Legal Services Authority; NALSA’s legal aid helpline is 15100.

Questions people ask

Are Khasi, Jaintia and Garo customary marriages covered by Meghalaya’s registration law?

Yes. The amended Act defines marriage to include marriages contracted under customs, practices or traditions, of any caste, tribe or religion.

What is the time limit for registering a marriage in Meghalaya?

As amended, section 5 asks for the memorandum within 60 days of the marriage. Late memoranda can still be filed.

Is a marriage certificate still needed for all official purposes in Meghalaya?

Those words were removed in 2022. Registration is still compulsory, but the Act itself no longer makes the certificate a condition for other services.

Can I apply for a marriage certificate online in Meghalaya?

Yes. The e-District Meghalaya portal lists a Marriage Certificate service; you can also apply at the DC office registration branch.

Do church marriages in Meghalaya need a second registration?

The Act treats marriages under personal laws as taken under it and leaves their registers to those laws. Ask the registering office whether your certificate is enough for your purpose.

Sources

Checked in October 2026. Rules, fees and portals change; confirm on the official site before you apply.

• Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012 (India Code)
• Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2022 (Gazette, via PRS)
• Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Rules, 2015
• East Khasi Hills district: marriage registration
• e-District Meghalaya

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