Form MB-596, Marriage License Application, is the bilingual English-Spanish application that the Marriage Bureau of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia uses for people applying for a marriage license in the District. It is one of the forms behind a DC marriage license: both spouses give their personal details and swear that the answers are true. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the court publishes the original at dccourts.gov.
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What is MB-596?
Marriage License Application (Form MB-596, printed as Information for Marriage License Application) is the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Marriage Bureau form on which spouses give details and swear their answers are true when applying for a marriage license.
The court's Marriage License Application page says you can use this form to apply for a marriage license in the District of Columbia. Every label is printed in English with a Spanish translation (the Spanish title is Solicitud para contraer matrimonio).
The form has four working parts:
- Officiant name, a box for parties who elect to officiate the ceremony themselves, an interpreter question and email addresses.
- Columns for Spouse 1 and Spouse 2: name, date of birth, gender, Social Security number, address, telephones, number and status of prior marriages, where any divorce decree was obtained, and kinship between the spouses.
- An oath in which each applicant swears or affirms that the answers are true, correct and complete. The form warns that intentional misrepresentation or omission is subject to criminal sanction for perjury under D.C. Code §46-410.
- A signature block, followed by a "Subscribed and sworn to" block for the Clerk of the Court or a Deputy Clerk.
A box marked "For Official Use Only" at the top records the license number, date, book and page numbers, fee paid, civil wedding, consent date and waiver date. It is for the court. The form is the application, not the license itself.
Who needs to file MB-596?
Couples who want to marry in the District of Columbia and need a marriage license use this application. The form has one column for each of the two spouses, so both applicants give their own information and both sign.
Other points the form itself raises:
- If you need an interpreter, you say so on the form and name the language.
- If the parties will officiate the ceremony themselves, a box on the form records that choice. Otherwise the form asks for the officiant's name.
- Anyone who has been married before reports how many times and the status of those marriages. If divorced, the form asks where the decree was obtained.
- The form asks about kinship between the spouses, including blood relationship.
The form describes no representative or proxy who may apply or sign for you. Each applicant swears to the answers personally, so questions about eligibility should go to the Marriage Bureau.
When to file MB-596
Complete Form MB-596 when you apply for a marriage license in the District of Columbia. The form prints no deadline, validity period or renewal rule, so timing questions go to the Marriage Bureau of the Superior Court.
Have the details ready before you start. Both spouses need dates of birth, Social Security numbers, home and work telephone numbers, and addresses. Each person with a prior marriage needs the number of marriages, their status and, for a divorce, the city and state where the decree was obtained. The application itself prints a fee at the top, so ask the court how and when it is paid.
How to fill out MB-596
Enter officiant details
Under Officiant Name (Nombre del celebrante), enter the prefix, first name, middle name and last name. If the parties will officiate the ceremony themselves, check the box that says so.
Answer the interpreter question
Mark Yes or No under Interpreter needed? If Yes, write the language in the space provided.
Enter email addresses
Write the email addresses on the Email Addresses line; the line has room for two, one on each side of the slash.
Enter each spouse's identity
In the Spouse 1 and Spouse 2 columns, enter name, Date of Birth, Gender and Social Security Number. Each spouse completes their own column.
Enter addresses and telephones
For each spouse, give Street Address, City, State and Zip code, Home Telephone and Work Telephone.
Report prior marriages
Enter how many times each spouse has been married and the Status of marriages. If a marriage ended in divorce, write the City/State where the decree was obtained.
Describe kinship between spouses
Under Kinship Between Spouses (Parentesco entre los cónyuges), complete the Blood Relationship line as the form requests.
Complete the oath
Write your prefix, first name, middle name and last name in the "I (Yo), do solemnly swear or affirm" line. Read the statement first: it warns of perjury sanctions under D.C. Code §46-410 for intentional misrepresentation or omission.
Sign and date
Each applicant signs and dates under Applicant Signature(s). Leave the "Subscribed and sworn to" block, with the seal and the Clerk of the Court line, for the court.
Review and download the PDF
Check that both columns are complete and that the For Official Use Only box is blank. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and take it to the Marriage Bureau as described under How to submit.
How to submit MB-596
The form is headed Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Marriage Bureau, and it ends with a "Subscribed and sworn to" block for the Clerk of the Court or a Deputy Clerk. The application is therefore completed with the court, not just filled out and put in the mail.
- Where the form comes from: the court publishes it on its Marriage License Application page at https://www.dccourts.gov/court-resources/search-forms/marriage-license-application.
- Fee: the top of the form shows an application fee. The amount and the accepted payment methods are not repeated here; confirm them with the Marriage Bureau.
- Channels: the form prints no mailing address, online portal or appointment rule. Ask the Marriage Bureau how it takes applications.
Do not fill in the "For Official Use Only" box or the sworn block; the court completes them. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the court's own channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Giving answers that are intentionally false or leaving required information out; the form says misrepresentation or omission is subject to criminal sanction for perjury under D.C. Code §46-410.
- Filling in the "For Official Use Only" box (license number, book and page, fee paid, consent and waiver dates), which belongs to the court.
- Completing the "Subscribed and sworn to" block, the seal or the Clerk of the Court line yourself instead of leaving them for the Clerk or Deputy Clerk.
- Answering "Yes" to Interpreter needed? without writing the language in the space that follows.
- Entering a number of prior marriages but leaving Status of marriages blank, or leaving out the city and state of the divorce decree when divorced.
- Leaving the oath name line blank, so that it does not match the applicant who signs below it.
- Filling in only one spouse's column; each spouse has a separate set of fields, including date of birth, Social Security number and address.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form MB-596?
Form MB-596 is the Marriage License Application of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Marriage Bureau. Two spouses give their details and swear the answers are true. The court's page says you can use it to apply for a marriage license in the District of Columbia.
Can I fill out the DC marriage license application online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not the court: it does not file the application or issue a license. You complete the process with the Marriage Bureau through its own channels.
Is there a fee for the DC marriage license application?
Yes, the top of the form prints an application fee. The amount and the accepted payment methods are not restated here, so confirm them with the Marriage Bureau of the Superior Court before you go.
Do both spouses have to sign the application?
Yes. The form has an Applicant Signature(s) area with a signature and date line for each applicant, and the oath says each applicant swears or affirms the answers are true. The sworn block below is completed by the Clerk or Deputy Clerk.
What happens if I give false information on the application?
The oath on the form says any intentional misrepresentation or omission is subject to criminal sanction for perjury under D.C. Code §46-410. Answer every question accurately and completely before you sign.
Can we perform our own wedding ceremony?
The form has a box for this: "The parties to the marriage elect to officiate the marriage ceremony themselves." Check it if you choose to do so; otherwise the form asks for the name of the officiant.
Is the application available in Spanish?
The form is bilingual: each label is printed in English with a Spanish translation, and its title includes Solicitud para contraer matrimonio. It also asks whether you need an interpreter and in which language.
What do I enter if I was married before?
Enter how many times you have been married and the status of those marriages. If you are divorced, write the city and state where the decree was obtained. Each spouse answers these questions in their own column.
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