If you are getting married in Uttar Pradesh or Karnataka this season, do not plan to prove the bride's or groom's age at the marriage registration office with an Aadhaar card. Both states have now said, in writing, that Aadhaar is for identity (and address), not for date of birth. Registration officers are being told to rely on a birth certificate or school certificate, and, in Karnataka, a medical age certificate only if neither exists.
UP has gone further. A new standard operating procedure (SOP), issued after an Allahabad High Court order, reportedly asks for close family members to be present at registration, an affidavit from the priest who performed the wedding, and registration at the office linked to the parents' permanent address.
None of this is complicated if you start early. This guide sets out what changed, which documents to gather now, what to ask your priest and relatives, and a simple timeline built around the season's first muhurat on 21 November 2026.
This is general information from published reports and official portals, not legal advice. Rules and office practice can differ by district; confirm with your sub-registrar's office.
What changed, in one table
| State | What changed | When | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka | Department of Stamps and Registration circular: officials must not accept Aadhaar as proof of age for bride or groom. Birth certificate or school certificate; failing both, a medical certificate. | Reported 21-22 Sep 2026 | The Hindu; Deccan Herald |
| Uttar Pradesh | Allahabad High Court orders registration authorities to verify age on the date of the wedding using reliable documents, and asks the Stamp and Registration Department to issue SOPs. | Order dated 2 Sep 2026, reported 15 Sep 2026 | The Indian Express |
| Uttar Pradesh | SOP from the Stamp and Registration Department: Aadhaar for identity and address only, not age; officer verifies date of birth personally; blood relatives to be present; priest's affidavit; registration at the office of the parents' permanent address. | Reported 9 Oct 2026 | ABP Live; People's Update |
The minimum ages have not changed: 21 for the groom and 18 for the bride, on the date of the wedding, under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. What has changed is how strictly offices must check them.
Why this is happening
Both moves are about stopping child marriages from being registered on the strength of an edited or wrong Aadhaar date.
In Karnataka, The Hindu reported that the circular followed cases where the age on the Aadhaar card did not match the birth certificate, and child rights activists alleged that ages were changed on photocopies or through Aadhaar's correction window. The state's Inspector General of Registration told the paper that this is a pre-existing rule under the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Karnataka) Rules, 2014, now being enforced strictly, and that Aadhaar is only proof of identity.
In UP, The Indian Express reported that the High Court found a marriage involving a minor had been registered in Ghaziabad, called it a matter of serious concern, and directed that no marriage be registered if either party was underage on the wedding date. It also asked for an online flagging mechanism so that registration cannot be completed without age verification.
For families, the takeaway is simple: the officer will want a document that records date of birth at source, not a document that records what someone typed into a database later.
Uttar Pradesh: what to prepare
What the new SOP reportedly asks for
According to ABP Live and People's Update (both 9 October 2026), the SOP issued by the Principal Secretary, Stamp and Registration:
- Age: the groom must be 21 and the bride 18 on the wedding day. Aadhaar is accepted for identity and address only. Age is to be checked from a birth certificate, high school certificate or other prescribed document.
- Personal check: the registering officer verifies both dates of birth personally rather than leaving it to staff.
- Family presence: blood relatives of the bride and groom should be present at registration. Reports list parents, siblings, grandparents (paternal or maternal) or adult sons and daughters.
- Priest's affidavit: an affidavit from the priest who performed the wedding, with his identity and the details of the ceremony. His statement may be recorded if needed. The officer can grant exemptions in some circumstances.
- Which office: registration at the office covering the permanent address of the bride's or groom's parents.
- Certificate timing: the certificate is issued only after all documents are verified.
- Without family consent: if the marriage took place without the family's consent, reports say a video of the wedding on a pen drive must be submitted to the sub-registrar's office.
We have not seen the SOP text itself. Treat these points as reported, and check with your office whether they apply in full.
What the UP portal already required
The state's online marriage registration page (igrsup.gov.in) already sets out a fairly demanding checklist, which still applies:
- The application must be filled in both Hindi and English.
- A recent photo as a JPG under 40 KB.
- Identity, age and residence proofs as PDFs of up to 70 KB each, for the bride and groom.
- The same three proofs for two witnesses.
- A notarised affidavit from the bride and groom (format linked on the portal).
- A separate affidavit format for the authorised religious officiant who performed the marriage.
- After submitting online and paying the fee, you visit the selected office with all originals within 30 days of the application.
- The portal warns that a registration certificate can be cancelled if uploaded documents or affidavits are found to be wrong.
So the practical age proof for most UP couples will be the birth certificate or the high school (Class 10) certificate showing date of birth, scanned small enough to upload, with originals in the folder.
A note on witnesses: reports do not make clear whether the relatives the SOP asks for replace or add to the two witnesses the portal asks for. Plan for both. Ask two adult relatives who have their own identity, age and address proofs to come along.
Karnataka: what to prepare
The circular, as quoted by The Hindu, tells officials to consider a birth certificate or school certificate, and only if neither exists, a medical certificate issued by a doctor. Deccan Herald reported that sub-registrars have been told to ask for a birth certificate or a declaration letter from the school.
The Karnataka Stamps and Registration "Hindu Marriage Online" FAQ, used with the Kaveri 2.0 portal, lists:
- Age proof (any one): birth certificate, SSLC, school cumulative record, or a doctor's certificate.
- Identity proof (any one): includes PAN, passport, driving licence, voter ID and Aadhaar number. Aadhaar is still mandatory to apply online, but as identity, not age.
- Witnesses: three, all over 18.
- Proof of marriage: the wedding invitation card is mandatory, plus a temple, choultry, marriage hall or kalyana mantapa receipt.
- Eligibility: the bride, the groom or the place of marriage must be in Karnataka. You apply after the wedding.
- Photo: a joint photo of the couple, PNG, under 2 MB.
On the medical route, a member of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights told The Hindu that families must approach a district government hospital, the certificate gives an age range rather than an exact age, and the lower end of the range is taken. In other words, it is slow and it is a last resort. If either of you has a birth certificate or school certificate, find it now.
Which documents prove age
| Document | UP (as reported) | Karnataka (FAQ / circular) | Practical note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate from the municipal or panchayat registrar | Yes | Yes | Best option. Get a fresh certified copy if the old one is torn or faded. |
| Class 10 / high school / SSLC certificate with date of birth | Yes | Yes (SSLC) | Very common. Check that the name spelling matches other documents. |
| School cumulative record or school declaration | "Other prescribed documents" | Yes | Useful if the board certificate is lost. |
| Medical age certificate | Not mentioned in reports | Only if neither of the above exists | Gives an age range; slow. Avoid needing it. |
| Aadhaar | Identity and address only | Identity only (still needed to apply online) | Do not rely on it for age. |
If dates or names do not match
A mismatch between the Aadhaar date and the birth or school certificate is common and usually innocent: a guessed date at enrolment, a clerical slip, or a different spelling. Here is how to handle it calmly.
- Rely on the source document. The registrar will go by the birth or school certificate. The Aadhaar date does not need to "win".
- Do not edit documents to fit the wedding. Karnataka officials have described FIRs where ages were corrected on Aadhaar to make an underage marriage look legal. Never alter a date to meet the minimum age; the law, and the wedding, must wait.
- No birth certificate at all? Delayed registration of a birth is possible through the local registrar of births and deaths, but it takes time and paperwork. If you need it, start this week.
- Name spelling differences (Srivastava vs Shrivastava, a missing middle name) are worth raising with the office before your appointment. Ask what they accept, such as an affidavit, rather than guessing on the day.
- Bring originals and two photocopies of everything, even if you uploaded scans.
A timeline for the 2026 season
Drik Panchang (New Delhi) lists Saturday 21 November 2026 as the first vivah muhurat after Dev Uthani Ekadashi, with more dates in late November and early December. Work back from your date.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Now to 4 weeks before | Find birth and Class 10 certificates for both. Order certified copies if needed. Check name spellings across documents. |
| 3 weeks before | UP: ask your priest whether he will give the affidavit and statement, and check the portal's officiant affidavit format. Karnataka: keep the hall or temple booking receipt safe. |
| 2 weeks before | Choose your witnesses (two in UP on the portal, three in Karnataka) and the relatives who will come to the UP office. Collect their ID, age and address proofs. |
| Wedding week | Keep a document folder with the invitation card, venue receipt, photos and the priest's details. Ask the photographer for a few clear ceremony photos you can use. |
| After the wedding | UP: apply online, then visit with originals within 30 days of applying. Karnataka: apply on Kaveri 2.0 after the wedding. |
| Before any travel | If you need the certificate for a passport, visa or joint account, apply as early as allowed; certificates are issued only after verification. |
Messages you can send
To the priest (UP), English:
Panditji, namaste. For our marriage registration the office now asks for an affidavit from the priest who performed the wedding, with your identity details and the ceremony details, and they may ask you to confirm in person. Would you be comfortable giving this? We will prepare the format and bring it to you for signature and notarisation.
To the priest (UP), Hindi:
पंडित जी, नमस्ते। विवाह पंजीकरण के लिए अब कार्यालय विवाह संपन्न कराने वाले पुरोहित का शपथपत्र मांग रहा है, जिसमें आपकी पहचान और विवाह का विवरण होगा, और ज़रूरत पड़ने पर आपसे पुष्टि भी ली जा सकती है। क्या आप इसके लिए सहमत होंगे? हम प्रारूप तैयार करके आपके हस्ताक्षर और नोटरी के लिए ले आएंगे।
To a relative who will come to the office (UP), Hindi:
मामा जी, नमस्ते। विवाह पंजीकरण के लिए दफ़्तर में परिवार के एक सदस्य का साथ होना ज़रूरी बताया गया है। क्या आप [तारीख] को [समय] पर [कार्यालय] चल सकेंगे? कृपया अपना आधार, उम्र का प्रमाण और पते का प्रमाण (मूल और फोटोकॉपी) साथ रखें।
To witnesses (Karnataka), English:
Hi! Could you be one of the three witnesses for our marriage registration? You need to be over 18, and we will need a copy of your ID and address proof. We will share the date once our application is accepted.
Outside UP and Karnataka
Other states have their own marriage registration rules and portals, and the documents they accept differ. But the direction is the same everywhere: registrars are being asked to check age carefully, and The Hindu's coverage of the Karnataka circular points back to its 2024 report of a Supreme Court ruling that Aadhaar is not a valid document to determine age. Wherever you marry, keep a birth or school certificate ready.
If one partner lives abroad, check whether your state lets you apply online, and which offices you can use. In UP, the reported rule linking registration to the parents' permanent address may decide which office you go to, so ask before you book travel.
What we still do not know
- The full text of the UP SOP, including exactly when the priest affidavit or family presence can be waived.
- Whether the UP portal's checklist and upload sizes will change to reflect the SOP.
- How quickly offices will process registrations during the busy late-November and December dates.
Check the official portals (igrsup.gov.in for UP; Kaveri 2.0 for Karnataka) and call your sub-registrar's office before your appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Aadhaar for marriage registration at all? Yes, as identity (and in UP, address) proof. Karnataka's online form still needs your Aadhaar. It just cannot be your proof of age.
Which is better: birth certificate or Class 10 certificate? Either works in both states. Use whichever you have in original, and make sure the name matches your other documents.
Do relatives really have to come to the office in UP? That is what the SOP reportedly says, with exemptions possible in some cases. Plan for one or two close relatives to attend, and ask your office when you book.
Our wedding is in Karnataka but we live elsewhere. Can we register there? The Karnataka FAQ says the bride, the groom or the place of marriage must be in Karnataka, and asks for the wedding invitation card and a venue receipt as proof of marriage.
Does the wedding card still matter? Very much. Karnataka lists the invitation card as mandatory proof of marriage, and many offices elsewhere ask for it. Keep a clean printed copy, and if your invite is digital, print a copy and keep the original file with the date and venue clearly shown. A LoveSolutions-style digital invitation can be printed or saved as a PDF in a minute.
Registration is the quiet, paper part of a wedding, and it is easy to leave until after the celebrations. This season, gather the age proofs, line up your priest and witnesses, and keep one folder for the office.