Amendments to the Tamil Nadu Hindu Marriage (Registration) Rules, 1967

What the amendments govern

The amendments issued by the Home Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu govern the registration of Hindu marriages in Tamil Nadu. They affect husbands, wives, brides, bridegrooms, witnesses and Marriage Registrars, but contain no provisions concerning land registration, property transfers or stamp duty.

Compulsory registration

The amended Tamil Nadu Hindu Marriage (Registration) Rules, 1967 require every Hindu marriage to be registered with the Marriage Registrar by the parties to the marriage.

• Registration must be completed within three months from the date on which the marriage was solemnized.
• The application must be made in Form I and include photographs of both parties.
• Either the husband or the wife must present the application personally to the Marriage Registrar during office hours on a working day.
• A false declaration or failure to register is punishable with the fine provided under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The notification does not state the amount of that fine.

Registration on the wedding date

The amended procedure also allows the parties to apply in person before the proposed marriage is solemnized. Form II, with photographs of both parties, may be presented before solemnization or after the hour fixed for solemnization on the wedding date.

Information and declarations required

Form I seeks personal, family and marriage details, including:

• Names, ages, dates of birth, occupations and previous marital status.
• Parents' names and addresses.
• Permanent residences before marriage.
• Date and place of solemnization.
• The person who solemnized the marriage.
• The applicable form of marriage ceremony.
• Names, addresses and signatures of three witnesses who were present.
• Declarations that the marriage is valid, the information is true and no dowry was demanded, given or taken.

Fees

The amended fee schedule provides:

• Marriage registration, Rs. 100, excluding any fee charged by a devasthanam for a temple marriage.
• Certified copy of a Hindu Marriage Register entry, Rs. 10.
• Search of a current-year entry, Rs. 10.
• Search of earlier entries, Rs. 10 for each previous year.
• Registration outside the Marriage Registrar's office, an additional Rs. 50.
• Application to register outside the office, Rs. 200.

No search fee applies when a certified copy is requested at the time of marriage registration. Each copy application requires court fee labels worth Rs. 5.