Common Licenses and Surrogates

In some circumstances, a Common Licence is needed.  Such circumstances include the following:

• A couple’s wedding date is too soon to allow enough time for banns to be published.
• One or both of the couple live abroad.
• One or both of the couple live in the UK but their home is not in England or Wales.
• One or both of the couple’s home address is likely to change during the time when banns would normally be published.
• Banns have not been published in the necessary parish(es) prior to the wedding.

Common Licences may be arranged via the Diocesan Registry or a Bishop’s Surrogate who are appointed by the Diocesan Chancellor.

In the first instance, a couple should direct any enquiries to the minister of the parish in which they hope to marry.

Advice is always available to Surrogates and other clergy from the Registry.

Clergy requiring a couple to obtain a Common Licence to marry a couple in the Diocese of Chelmsford can find contact details for Surrogates and the Diocesan Registry by clicking the button below.