On 19-2-2026, the Gujarat Registration of Marriages (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, proposing structural changes to the marriage registration process, including revised procedures for filing the memorandum of marriage, late submissions, and the issuance of certificates.
Key highlights of Gujarat’s Marriage registration amendment:
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Introduced by MLA Hemant Khawa, the Bill seeks to amend the Gujarat Registration of Marriages Act, 2006.
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Few key definitions are aimed to be included in Section 2, such as:
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Place of Residence: where person resides
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Concerned public: persons concerned about the marriage
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Lead time: a period of seven working days, or as otherwise decided by government
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Section 5 will be substituted to mandate that both parties submit a memorandum of marriage in the prescribed form, in duplicate, by registered post to the Registrar within 30 days of the marriage.
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Section 6 will also to be replaced, allowing memoranda to be submitted after 30 days, while still retaining penalties for delayed submission.
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Section 11(2) will be revised, ensuring that before issuing a marriage certificate, the Registrar will be required to:
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Notify the marriage registration in the public domain, including newspapers, social media, and registered post to blood relatives; and
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Issue the certificate only after the required lead time has passed from the date of such public notice.
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This change increases transparency and prevents misuse by making marriages publicly known before certification, which also results in couples being more visible and their details more widely shared.
This Bill is meant to ensure that marriages are registered at the Registrar’s Office of either party’s residence, and that certificates are issued only after a reasonable interval to allow the public to be informed of the proposed registration.
The Gujarat Marriage registration amendment is drawing attention because it introduces stricter verification and public notification measures designed to prevent fraud, identity concealment, and the misleading of individuals during the marriage registration process.