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Andhra Pradesh Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act, 2002

Andhra Pradesh Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act, 2002

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The Andhra Pradesh Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act, 2002 makes the registration of every marriage solemnized within the state mandatory, regardless of the religion or personal law of the couple. Under this legislation, the married couple, their parents, or guardians must submit an official marriage memorandum to the local Marriage Officer within thirty days of the ceremony, or within ninety days with a late fee. The law mandates issuing a free official marriage certificate to the couple. Compulsory registration provides crucial legal proof of marriage, helping protect spousal rights, deter child marriage and bigamy, and simplify inheritance claims.

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Chapter II REGISTRATION OF MARRIAGES →

  1. 7Every Marriage in State to be Registered - (1) After the commencement of the Act, every marriage performed in the State shall be registered 2[online or otherwise, as the case may be] under this Act in the manner provided in section
  2. 8Memorandum of marriage - (1) The parties to a marriage either bride or bridegroom or their parents or guardian shall inform the Marriage Officer about the factum of the Marriage to be registered in the Form as prescribed in the schedule duly signed by the said person, within 30 days from the date of the marriage in duplicate.
  3. 9Memorandum of marriages presented after 30 days - The memorandum of factum of marriage may be presented to the Marriage Officer after expiry of a period of 30 days as specified in sub-section (1) of section 8, and thereafter within a period of 60 days with the payment of fee of Rs. 100/- (one hundred only)
  4. 10Penalty for neglecting to comply with the provisions of sections 8 and 9 or for making false statement in memorandum - Any person who,-
  5. 11Penalty for failing to register the marriage - Any Marriage Officer who fails to register a marriage pursuant to section 8 shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or with both.
  6. 12Marriage Certificate to be given to the couple – (1) The Marriage Officer shall, as soon as the registration of marriage has been completed, give free of costs to the couple a Marriage Certificate 1 [or digitally signed Marriage Certificate, as the case may be] in the form as provided in the Schedule under his hand and seal;
  7. 13Marriage Officer to keep registers in the prescribed form - (1) Every Marriage Officer shall keep in the prescribed form a Register of marriages for the registration area or any part thereof in relation to which he exercises jurisdiction.
  8. 14Search Marriages Register - (1) Subject to any Rules made in this behalf by the State including the Rules relating to payment of fee, any person may:
  9. 15Marriage Officers to send periodical returns to the District Registrar for compilation - Every Marriage Officer shall send to the District Registrar of Marriages or to any officer specified by him, at such intervals and in such form as may be prescribed, a return regarding the entries of marriages in the Register kept by such Marriage Officer.
  10. 16Non registration not to invalidate marriage - No Marriage performed in this State to which this Act applies shall be deemed to be invalid solely by reason of the fact that it was not registered under this Act.
  11. 17Offence under this Act triable summarily by a Magistrate - An offence under this Act shall be tried summarily by the Judicial Magistrate of First Class, in accordance with the procedure as laid down in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
  12. 18Sanction for prosecution - No prosecution for an offence punishable under this Act shall be instituted except by an officer authorised by Registrar General, by general or special order in this behalf without his prior sanction.
  13. 19Registrars/Marriage Officers to be deemed public servants - All Registrars of Marriages or Marriage Officers and other Officers appointed under this Act, shall while acting or purporting to act in pursuance of the provisions of this Act or any rule or order made thereunder, shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code.
  14. 20Protection of action taken in good faith - No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against the Government, the Registrar General, any Registrar or Marriage Officer or any person exercising any power of performing any duty under this Act, for anything in good faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act or any rule or orders made thereunder.
  15. 21Power to make rules - (1) The State Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules to carry out the purpose of this Act.

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