DR public records

NewsLibrarian said:

I work for a US newspaper and have some questions about marriage laws in the Dominican Republic.

1. I read that a couple doesn't need a marriage license. They must have required paperwork to register. If the couple registers to marry, is the couple civilly married at that point? No, a civil ceremony performed by a magistrate is necessary.

2. If the couple DOESN"T get the marriage certificate for use in another country, does that mean they are only married in the DR but not in other countries? IF the couple does not take their marriage certificate with them to another country, that does not annul their marriage. They are married here, there, everywhere. Whether they behave that way is another matter altogether.

3. Are marriage registrations and certificates available to the public? Could someone get a registration or certificate for me to check if someone in the US was registered and/or married in the Dominican Republic? We are trying to find out if an American may have registered to marry in the DR but didn't get the marriage certificate.Ah, now we get to the real question....HEHE...To find this out, you would have to know (1) approximate dates; (2) Where the alleged ceremony took place ; and (3) the name (s) of the people involved. Then you can pretty much find out if they were married or not. I repeat, there is no pre-registration to get married. There are certain documents that need to be presented by a foreigner, particularly a Certificate of Civil Status (to prove that the person is not currently married).

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