Has anyone gotten married in Ohio, USA??????????

[SH1983 0]

My husband and I eloped at an Ohio courthouse. He is American and I am Canadian.

I went to change my last name in Ontario, Canada and they will not let me change my name because I only have a certified copy of my marriage certificate. Also the copy states only good in Wood County. That is all that Ohio sent us when we ordered our marriage certificate. I called the Ohio court house and they tell me that is all they give out because they keep the original copy on file.

What am I supposed to do? Canada will not accept it and Ohio will not give me anything else. I need to change my name because I applied for my I-130 with my husband's last name.

Any advice will be appreciated at this point.

[Ontarkie 14,418]

~~Moved to the Canada Forum, from Off Topic~~

[*Snowdrop* 604]

In the UK, you can change your name by Deed Poll to anything you like.

Do you have something similar in Canada - might be an option if you can't get a certificate they will accept.

[Ontarkie 14,418]

My guess the person you saw didn't know what they were talking about. When I married my ex I never even bothered to get my marriage certificate. I just use the little piece from the church.

What were you trying to change first?

[SH1983 0]

I was going to change my driver's licence and health card.

The only other option I have is for a legal name change which I would have to change my name on my birth certificate, which I do not want to do.

[Ontarkie 14,418]

Well that is nuts. You always just get a certified copy even if you married in Canada. I would try again, hopefully you get someone who is familiar with US marriage certificates. I used my Arkansas marriage certificate to change my name with Canada trust and it just a certified copy.

Definitely don't change your birth certificate.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Ontarkie

[Teddy B 17,252]

Well that is nuts. You always just get a certified copy even if you married in Canada. I would try again, hopefully you get someone who is familiar with US marriage certificates. I used my Arkansas marriage certificate to change my name with Canada trust and it just a certified copy.

Definitely don't change your birth certificate.

I agree with Ontarkie that you probably got someone that didn't know what they were doing. A certified copy of the marriage certificate is about as official as you can get. If you go back and they won't accept the certified copy of the marriage certificate, ask them what they will accept.

[SH1983 0]

Well they told me they want an original copy, not a photocopy. They also told me because it is stamped Good only in Wood County (which is where we were married).

[Teddy B 17,252]

Well they told me they want an original copy, not a photocopy. They also told me because it is stamped Good only in Wood County (which is where we were married).

A photocopy is not a certified copy. That may be where the problem lies. You can get "original" certified copies at the town hall where you got married with the town stamp on them. They usually charge $5 or $10 per copy.

[Ms Hogan 295]

A photocopy is not a certified copy. That may be where the problem lies. You can get "original" certified copies at the town hall where you got married with the town stamp on them. They usually charge $5 or $10 per copy.

This is not entirely accurate. All of my husband's previous marriage and then divorce documents (in Ohio) are photocopies of the originals that are kept in their archives. They pull them out of the actual archive binders, make a photocopy of them and then the clerk seals and stamps them.

To the OP, I think the person processing your license name change sounds like an idiot! Sorry. I would go to a difference license bureau if you can. Whereabouts are you if you don't mind sharing?

Does your certificate that they sent you have a stamp and original signature on it? They usually time stamp it as well.

[SH1983 0]

Yes I am going to go to a different licence bureau, I found one out of town that said they will take a certified copy.

Thank you for your replies, definitely helped!

[Teddy B 17,252]

This is not entirely accurate. All of my husband's previous marriage and then divorce documents (in Ohio) are photocopies of the originals that are kept in their archives. They pull them out of the actual archive binders, make a photocopy of them and then the clerk seals and stamps them.

To the OP, I think the person processing your license name change sounds like an idiot! Sorry. I would go to a difference license bureau if you can. Whereabouts are you if you don't mind sharing?

Does your certificate that they sent you have a stamp and original signature on it? They usually time stamp it as well.

Sure it's entirely accurate. A photocopy does not become a certified copy until it has the official town stamp on it. I said nothing to the contrary. The op claimed to have two different items, it started as a certified copy and then was changed to a photocopy in a later post. A photocopy by definition is not a certified copy.

[Ms Hogan 295]

OP please do update us. You should be able to get a certified copy which is a photocopy, with a stamp and signature on it. When you use the word photocopy do you mean it is a photocopy with a stamp and signature on it or just a photocopy on its own? Unless its some backwoods clerk's office that doesn't do things the way everyone else does it just doesn't make sense that you're being given something Ontario won't accept (unless, again, you just got someone who didn't know what they were looking at).

Not all places handle these items in the same way. I got married in New York state. We were able to buy as many "original" copies of our marriage certificate as we wanted (for a fee per each one) and they were lovely certificates with seals on them. However, as I mentioned in a previous post, in Ohio, for my husband's previous documents, it was a photocopy of the item in their archives which was time-stamped and signed making it "official" but certainly not "original".

I know the MTO folks can get seriously up on their cockiness so perhaps continue to try different offices until you get someone with some common sense who can see what they're looking at. I know I was able to change my name over the phone with my insurance (which also lowered my rates since I was now married) and also with CRA. Maybe try doing some other changes where you don't have to present any documents to them. Then have them send you something with the new name shown and MAYBE the license office will be a little more cooperative.

Good luck and let us know how you make out!