A marriage license is a document issued by a religious organization or a state authority authorizing a couple to marry. The procedure for obtaining one differs between jurisdictions and has changed considerably over time. Marriage licenses began to be issued in the Middle Ages specifically to permit marriages that would otherwise have been illegal, making the license itself a distinct legal gateway to the institution of marriage rather than the marriage bond itself.
Facts
Institution Type Emergence Era Sources
1. Marriage license (Wikipedia)
Lead section
A marriage license (or marriage licence in Commonwealth spelling) is a document issued, either by a religious organization or state authority, authorizing a couple to marry.
English Wikipedia, intro text
Marriage licenses began to be issued in the Middle Ages, to permit a marriage that would otherwise be illegal (for instance, if the necessary period of notice for the marriage had not been given).
Lead, institution-type-category legal-institution
A marriage license (or marriage licence in Commonwealth spelling) is a document issued, either by a religious organization or state authority, authorizing a couple to marry.
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