Marriage Laws in Alaska

A licensing officer is the only official who can issue marriage licences under this chapter. A person who is not authorized by this chapter and who intentionally or knowingly undertakes to marry in this State is guilty of an offence and, if convicted, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or a fine of not more than $1,000, or both. (b) In addition to the requirements of subparagraph (a) of this article, each party to the future marriage shall provide the licensee with the party`s social security number, if any. Upon request, the licensing officer shall provide the child support authority established in AS 25.27.010 or the child support enforcement authority of another State with a social security number provided in accordance with this paragraph for legal maintenance purposes. (a) A marriage contracted by persons of the same sex under ordinary law or law and recognized by another State or foreign court is null and void in that State and the contractual rights granted by virtue of the marriage, including its dissolution, are not enforceable in that State. (b) A same-sex relationship is not recognized by the State as a claim to the benefits of marriage. Everyone should be careful when filling out the marriage certificate: mistakes could lead the couple to apply for a new license. If the marriage certificate is completed in full and bears the required five signatures, it must be returned to the vital statistics office within seven days of the ceremony for the marriage to become legally binding. The State of Alaska does not allow common-law marriages to be established within its territory. However, Alaska recognizes common-law marriages in other jurisdictions. In general, the requirements to prove a common-law marriage across the country usually include – establishing cohabitation, being financially responsible for each other, and acting as husband and wife with full knowledge of the immediate community in which the couple resides.

With their marriage licence application, the couple must pay a royalty of $60. The postal service can be time-consuming in many parts of Alaska, so couples may also charge an additional fee for the license to be shipped to them via express shipping. (a) If a marriage is otherwise legal and consummates by the married persons or one of them in the full belief that they have been legally united by the marriage, the marriage may not be annulled on any of the following grounds: (1) The licensing officer was not authorized to issue the licence; (2) there has been an omission, informality or formal irregularity in the permit application or in the permit itself; (3) one or both witnesses to the marriage were legally incapacitated; (4) the marriage was solemnly contracted after the expiry date of the licence; (5) There were no witnesses to the marriage if the valid licence was issued and the marriage can be proved otherwise. (b) Where a licence has been issued and the marriage has been contracted in accordance with this chapter and the parties have immediately assumed the dress and reputation of husband and wife and have lived together as husband and wife for one year or until the death of either of them, the marriage shall not be void or voidable merely because the licence cannot be produced. Since the State of Alaska does not permit the formation of a common-law marriage within its jurisdiction, there are no guidelines on the time period that must elapse before a common-law marriage is considered valid. However, since the State of Alaska allows recognition of common-law marriages contracted in other jurisdictions, it is important that common-law couples who come to the state follow the time guidelines of the jurisdiction of origin – for their marriage to be considered valid in the State of Alaska. Informal marriage is the equivalent of common-law marriage in the state of Texas. Under Texas law – Texas Code Section 2.401-2.405, informal marriages offer the same effects and have similarities to common-law marriages contracted in other jurisdictions outside of Texas.

Although informal marriages/common-law unions cannot be contracted in the state of Alaska, an informal marriage is just another name that refers to common-law marriages contracted in the state of Texas. Common-law relationships cannot be entered into in the state of Alaska, so there are no guidelines for the divorce of a common-law couple. However, a common-law marriage contracted in another jurisdiction, if recognized by the State of Alaska, would require divorce in the event of the dissolution of that marriage. Divorce proceedings must be initiated by Alaska courts and divorce proceedings typically take between 30 and 90 days. 25.05.171 Persons capable of giving consent: minimum age and consent of parents or guardians. The right to receive Social Security is guaranteed for all marriages duly recognized by the State of Alaska. Benefits are available to ordinary spouses provided they meet all the conditions for receiving benefits, including those over 62 years of age. Third-party websites offer an alternative to obtaining public vital signs. These non-governmental platforms have intuitive search tools that simplify access to one or more documents. However, the availability of materials on third-party websites tends to vary because they are independent of government sources. In order to obtain public marriage certificates, applicants may be required to provide: (b) A judge of the Supreme Court may authorize the marriage of a person who has attained the age of 14 but is under 18 years of age and order the licensing officer to issue the licence if, after a hearing at which the parents and the minor have the opportunity: to appear and be heard that the marriage is in the best interests of the minor and that: In order to prove the validity of common-law marriages contracted in other jurisdictions in the State of Alaska, it is important to provide documentation and evidence that the marriage was contracted in accordance with the guidelines of the jurisdiction of origin.

In general, several states require the couple to prove cohabitation, financial interdependence and the behavior of a couple in the community. In other jurisdictions where common-law marriages are permitted, the couple requires the couple to prove that the community recognizes them as husband and wife – this can often be achieved by attending events together as husband and wife and documenting those events accordingly. Most courts still appoint marriage commissioners. For more information about system requirements, see www.courts.alaska.gov/trialcourts/index.htm#marriage. The best way to request an appointment is via email. For contact information for the court, see: courts.alaska.gov/courtdir/efiling.htm. Common-law relationships cannot be entered into in the State of Alaska. Therefore, it is legally impossible for the federal government to recognize marriage in Alaska. However, marriages contracted in the following states – South Carolina, Texas, New Hampshire, Utah, Rhode Island, Kansas, Iowa, Montana and Colorado – are valid and recognized by the federal government. If either party was already married, the number of previous marriages and the date of the marriage(s) must be indicated on the application, and you may need to provide physical proof of the reason (e.g. death certificate, divorce decree, etc.).

In 2019, the marriage rate in Alaska was 6.5 marriages per 1,000. Alaska`s marriage rates in 2019 represent the lowest marriage rate in the state since 1990. Alaska`s marriage rate in 2019 is also higher than the federal average of 6.1 marriages per 1,000. The divorce rate in the state is 3.6 marriages per 1,000, well above the national average of 2.7 marriages per 1,000 for 2019. (a) One of the parties to a future marriage shall submit a written, oral or telegraphic application for a licence to the licensing officer at least three days before the date of issue. Before granting the licence, each party must make an affidavit attesting that the proposed marriage complies with the legal requirements and indicate the names, relationships, domicile, occupation and age of each party; the appointment of guardians of a party who has not yet reached the legal age of marriage; and describes each previous marriage of one of the parties and how it was dissolved.