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Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Old Jan 11th 2021, 4:02 pm
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Default Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

I'm a UK citizen hoping to marry my fiance in Washington State. Apparently UK citizens need to get a CNI to provide to the government where we plan to marry but I don't know if Washington State even expect me to have this certificate, I can't see anything online about it! Does anyone else know?
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Old Jan 11th 2021, 4:19 pm
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Your fiance should contact the place where you are intending to get married to confirm if this certficate is needed in Washington State or not.

I have not heard of other states needing it.
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Old Jan 11th 2021, 4:28 pm
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
Your fiance should contact the place where you are intending to get married to confirm if this certficate is needed in Washington State or not.

I have not heard of other states needing it.
Thank you so much! I will ask him to check. I can't see anything online for Washington State requiring it but I thought I'd check!
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Old Jan 11th 2021, 4:42 pm
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Originally Posted by HalenaBoyd
Thank you so much! I will ask him to check. I can't see anything online for Washington State requiring it but I thought I'd check!
Aren't you a Brit?..... does the UK even issue something like this?
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Old Jan 11th 2021, 4:44 pm
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
Aren't you a Brit?..... does the UK even issue something like this?
Yeah I'm a Brit, apparently a CNI is needed when marrying abroad but what I can't find out is if the state I'm marrying in requires it? I was just going to marry on a ESTA and come home but maybe it's more complicated than that!?
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Old Jan 11th 2021, 6:38 pm
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

For those like myself who are not UK Citizens, what is a CNI?

Didn't need anything from the Canadian government for my husband and I to marry in the US.
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Old Jan 11th 2021, 6:52 pm
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Originally Posted by Rete
For those like myself who are not UK Citizens, what is a CNI?

Didn't need anything from the Canadian government for my husband and I to marry in the US.
A quick google suggests it's a "Certificate of No Impediment" (to marriage). My reading is that this is a certification that the person is not, as far as UK records show, already married. It appears to be something UK residents can obtain from their local register office if they jurisdiction abroad requires such documentation, but as far as I can see it's not something the UK requires its citizens who want to get married overseas to obtain to make the marriage valid to the UK authorities.

So the answer would appear to be it'll be required if Washington State law requires it, but not otherwise.

In general the UK will recognize any marriage made legally in another country. I think there are some exceptions where such a marriage would not be allowed to be made in the UK, such as age or polygamy, but normally there's no issue.
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Old Jan 11th 2021, 6:56 pm
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Originally Posted by rpjs
A quick google suggests it's a "Certificate of No Impediment" (to marriage). My reading is that this is a certification that the person is not, as far as UK records show, already married. It appears to be something UK residents can obtain from their local register office if they jurisdiction abroad requires such documentation, but as far as I can see it's not something the UK requires its citizens who want to get married overseas to obtain to make the marriage valid to the UK authorities.

So the answer would appear to be it'll be required if Washington State law requires it, but not otherwise.

In general the UK will recognize any marriage made legally in another country. I think there are some exceptions where such a marriage would not be allowed to be made in the UK, such as age or polygamy, but normally there's no issue.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer! Yes from what I read Washington State doesn't require it. Strange how the wording appears to make it sound mandatory on our government website. Thanks again!
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Old Jan 11th 2021, 8:13 pm
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Originally Posted by HalenaBoyd
Yeah I'm a Brit, apparently a CNI is needed when marrying abroad but what I can't find out is if the state I'm marrying in requires it? I was just going to marry on a ESTA and come home but maybe it's more complicated than that!?

There is NO requirement from the British side to have a CNI when marrying abroad .......
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Old Jan 12th 2021, 12:14 am
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Marital status is a matter of state law tempered by the "full faith and credit" provision in the US Constitution.

The "conflicts" principle is to apply the law of the "place of celebration" (including it's conflicts law on recognition of foreign divorces.)

The general practice is that the statements on the marriage license application are considered prima facie correct. In other words, no CNI required. If there is a problem (e.g. bigamy, consanguinity) that is what annulment ("nullity" in California-speak) is for.

BTW, the various conflicts laws can have strange effects. For example, California allows first cousins to marry but Nevada does not. So, if two first cousins living in Los Angeles were to marry in Las Vegas, the marriage is invalid!

Last edited by S Folinsky; Jan 12th 2021 at 12:17 am.
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Old Jan 12th 2021, 8:47 am
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Originally Posted by S Folinsky
Marital status is a matter of state law tempered by the "full faith and credit" provision in the US Constitution.

The "conflicts" principle is to apply the law of the "place of celebration" (including it's conflicts law on recognition of foreign divorces.)

The general practice is that the statements on the marriage license application are considered prima facie correct. In other words, no CNI required. If there is a problem (e.g. bigamy, consanguinity) that is what annulment ("nullity" in California-speak) is for.

BTW, the various conflicts laws can have strange effects. For example, California allows first cousins to marry but Nevada does not. So, if two first cousins living in Los Angeles were to marry in Las Vegas, the marriage is invalid!
Great! Thank you so much for taking the time to look into it!
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Old Jan 12th 2021, 7:12 pm
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Originally Posted by HalenaBoyd
Great! Thank you so much for taking the time to look into it!
You are very welcome. However, I did NOT look into this for you. I am not joking that I was posting generalized information.

My law school required a class in Conflicts of Law in the early 70’s and it was a major class at that. I later learned that that curriculum was almost unique. Many of my colleagues are not truly clued into Conflicts issues.

There are 50 individual states plus a Federal system. So, let’s say a California resident gets into an auto accident with a New York resident, in Kansas. Where is suit to be filed? Which laws of substance or procedure will apply?

I find these issues to be so interesting it is a matter of professional fun. I once solved an immigration conundrum where a Korean man was awaiting his immigrant visa as unmarried so of his green card parents. His girlfriend became pregnant. So, they had church marriage. Now under Korean law, the date of the legal marriage was the day it was reported to the local Family Register. So, they refrained from reporting the marriage until a week after son emigrated. Conflicts saved the day!
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Old Jan 12th 2021, 7:24 pm
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Default Re: Do I need a CNI certificate to marry in the US?

Originally Posted by S Folinsky
You are very welcome. However, I did NOT look into this for you. I am not joking that I was posting generalized information.

My law school required a class in Conflicts of Law in the early 70’s and it was a major class at that. I later learned that that curriculum was almost unique. Many of my colleagues are not truly clued into Conflicts issues.

There are 50 individual states plus a Federal system. So, let’s say a California resident gets into an auto accident with a New York resident, in Kansas. Where is suit to be filed? Which laws of substance or procedure will apply?

I find these issues to be so interesting it is a matter of professional fun. I once solved an immigration conundrum where a Korean man was awaiting his immigrant visa as unmarried so of his green card parents. His girlfriend became pregnant. So, they had church marriage. Now under Korean law, the date of the legal marriage was the day it was reported to the local Family Register. So, they refrained from reporting the marriage until a week after son emigrated. Conflicts saved the day!
So interesting! Regardless thank you all the same! Very informative. Sounds like you really helped that guy out!
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