Article 20 of the Family Code: Validity of the marriage license (120 days)
Status: In force
What does Article 20 say?
The license shall be valid in any part of the Philippines for a period of one hundred twenty days from the date of issue, and shall be deemed automatically canceled at the expiration of the said period if the contracting parties have not made use of it. The expiry date shall be stamped in bold characters on the face of every license issued.
What does it mean in plain language?
A marriage license in the Philippines is valid for 120 days from the date it is issued. It can be used anywhere in the country. If the couple does not marry within those 120 days, the license is automatically canceled.
The license is one of the formal requisites of marriage in Article 3. Article 20 is about how long it lasts and where it can be used.
How does it work in real life?
Paolo and Grace: a wedding in another city
Paolo and Grace apply at the civil registrar of Grace's city. The notice is posted for ten consecutive days. Their license is issued on February 2, and the expiry date stamped on it is 120 days later. Their wedding is on May 20 in Iloilo, far from Grace's city. The date is inside the 120 days, and the place is fine because the license is valid anywhere in the Philippines. This is a made-up example.
Joel and Mae: a postponed wedding
Joel and Mae get their license, but a typhoon forces them to move the wedding by five months. By then, more than 120 days have passed and the license is automatically canceled. They will need a new license, with a new posting period, before the new date. This is a made-up example.
Ivan and Rhea: both 19
Ivan and Rhea need parental consent and a counseling certificate. They forget the counseling certificate, so their license is suspended for three months from the completion of the publication (Article 16). They plan their wedding date only after they have the license in hand. This is a made-up example.
These examples only show how the rule works. They are not advice for a real case.
What does this mean in practice?
- Check the expiry date stamped on the license and set the wedding date inside it.
- The Family Code sets no fee amount. It says the civil registrar collects the fees prescribed by law or regulations, and issues the license free of charge to indigent parties (Article 19).
- Applicants need their birth or baptismal certificates (Article 12), or proof that an earlier marriage ended (Article 13). See the full list in marriage license requirements and the guide to the PSA birth certificate.
When does the 120-day period start?
From the date of issue, not from the date of the application. The expiry date is stamped in bold on the face of the license, so the couple can see the last day.
Before the license is issued, Article 17 says the civil registrar posts a notice with the names of the applicants:
The notice shall be posted for ten consecutive days on a bulletin board outside the office of the local civil registrar located in a conspicuous place within the building and accessible to the general public.
The marriage license shall be issued after the completion of the period of publication.
The notice asks anyone who knows of an impediment to the marriage to tell the civil registrar. If an impediment is reported, the registrar notes it down but still issues the license after the posting period, unless a court orders otherwise (Article 18).
Can the license be used outside the city that issued it?
Yes. The license is issued by the local civil registrar of the city or municipality where either party habitually resides (Article 9). Once issued, Article 20 says it is "valid in any part of the Philippines".
Can the waiting time be longer?
Yes, in two cases:
- Parties aged 21 to 25 must ask their parents for advice. If they do not get it, or it is unfavorable, the license is issued only three months after the completion of the publication (Article 15).
- When parental consent or advice is needed (ages 18 to 25), a marriage counseling certificate must be attached. Without it, the license is suspended for three months from the completion of the publication (Article 16).
For parental consent at 18 to 21, see Article 14.
What happens if the couple marries after the license expires?
After 120 days, the license is "deemed automatically canceled". Article 3(2) asks for "a valid marriage license", and a canceled license is no longer valid. Under Article 35(3), a marriage solemnized without a license is void, unless it is one of the license-exempt marriages, such as five years of living together under Article 34. Whether a particular marriage is void is decided by a court on its own facts. See Is a marriage without a license valid?
Frequently asked questions
How long is a marriage license valid in the Philippines?
120 days from the date of issue. Article 20 of the Family Code says it is valid in any part of the Philippines for that period and is automatically canceled at the end of it if the couple has not used it.
Can we use a license from Quezon City for a wedding in Cebu?
Yes. Article 20 says the license is valid in any part of the Philippines. It is issued by the civil registrar of the city or municipality where either party habitually resides (Article 9), but it can be used anywhere in the country.
How many days before the wedding should we apply?
The Family Code does not give a number of days before the wedding. It says the civil registrar posts a notice for ten consecutive days and issues the license after that period (Article 17). Some couples must wait three more months if parental advice or counseling is missing (Articles 15 and 16).
Can an expired marriage license be extended?
Article 20 does not provide for an extension. It says the license is deemed automatically canceled at the end of the 120 days if not used.
Where is the expiry date written?
On the license itself. Article 20 says the expiry date is stamped in bold characters on the face of every license issued.
General information, not legal advice. For your case, ask a lawyer, the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) or the agency.
Was this page helpful?