Chins

So my wife and myself both visited the MVC today.

We were rushing and I managed to fail my theory 😀 Forgot to read which drink contributed to DUI failures the most. Seems an important point 😀 still I will return stronger and better prepared.

What was more challenging was my wife went to change her name and they wouldn’t accept her marriage certificate as it didn’t have a seal. It’s the original from Bath earlier this year. Three people were consulted there. She now thinks we need to get married in NJ ! Bear in mind her passport and SSN are in her married name.

Are we missing something simple here ?

I have now coughed up £30 for a legalised copy from Milton Keynes, but don’t see why this lot wouldn’t accept it.

Rete

If the certificate does not show filing marks, most agencies will not accept it. Many people attempt to use the marriage certificate given to you after the ceremony and that is not accepted by USCIS. The filing marks need to show. I'm assuming motor vehicle commission will only accept the one with the marks indicating that the marriage details have been registered. They are being sticklers probably because it is a foreign marriage certificate which they are unfamiliar with. No, you do not have to be remarried in NJ. You can't be married twice without a divorce in the middle.

Ecto17

You are not alone, hubby failed the NJ theory test first time as well! Tricky little test!

Chins

It’s just strange that she could show her US Passport in her new name and her SSN card and they still were not happy to change her name!

Chins

I rushed a bit as we had to get back to JFK, so not ideal. There are some stupid questions in that test for sure. Will read the manual a few more times

rpjs

Interesting. Our original as in received at the ceremony UK certificate was accepted fine for my immigrant visa, although I suppose the visa unit must see enough such certificates to know whether they're kosher or not.

I'm not sure if it's entirely true you can't be legally married twice to the same person without an intervening divorce. You're not allowed to re-marry while still married to a *different* person of course!

In any case, to the OP: if you were married in England or Wales you can order a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the GRO in Kew and they do come with an embossed seal. They take about 3-4 weeks to arrive from the UK standard delivery (I've ordered several certificates from Kew for genealogical purposes) but I think there is an expedited service as well.

Rete

You can have marriage ceremonies in every state of the union if you chose to but they are not legal marriage ceremonies because you are already married. They are a symbolic or a blessing ceremony. How do you get a state license to marry if you are legally married. There are many people who have renewal ceremonies but that is not a legal marriage ceremony.

vikingsail

Ah you are discovering the 'art form' known as the government bureaucrat. It's an interesting species. No less pervasive in the UK than in the USA. But in the USA they do excel at it. Equally, the UK have been practicing for more centuries so tend to be far more subtle, you often don't even realize you have been bureaucrated there....until its to late.

I recall fondly my own green card application. Three times I traipsed to the nameless faceless bureaucrat over an 18 month period, only to be denied because my photos were not accepted. On the fourth, armed with raised seal letter and photographs from an official US government source I approached nervously. When predictably I was refused, I humbly and politely asked what was wrong with the photos. Quickly I was told my ear stuck out in the photos. I promptly, but deadpan, said, you mean to say that something I have carried with me from birth will prevent me from completing this process, surely that must contravene the ADA. Amazingly my application and photos were instantly stamped 'accepted' and I was on my way!

Ecto17

We both had lots of questions about permit drivers which we mistakenly hadn't revised, l guessed mine correctly but hubby did not, anyway have a look at that section if you get a chance.

mum 2 3

Also you can skip questions. There are 50 and you need 40 correct, so if you are not sure then just skip it. My marriage certificate is the original that was written out in the church and has no seal, raised or otherwise. That was accepted in NJ but I do go to a different office that is more rural and friendlier than the one we had 6 nightmare trips to.