Up to 09/02/2014, at 6:39 PM, BAZDER and various others raised this question. This is a completely separate one from what happens to the various copies or what have you of the actual certificate of marriage, which is an administrative matter, varying from one jurisdiction to another, rather than legal question. And for the legal aspect, the answer is Yes. A special licence is only required if no banns have been called, and is quite common if the parties are non-members. The wording of the banns, called on three successive Sundays preceding the wedding, is "If anyone know of any just cause or impediment why these two persons may not lawfully be joined in Holy Matrimony, speak now or ever hold your peace"; the priest or minister may feel he cannot in conscience ask this if nobody in the Church knows anything about the parties, and of course in that event the banns would serve no useful purpose anyway: for example, either party could be already married or not legally divorced, or still a minor, or any other disqualifying circumstance might exist, but nobody would know about it. The official issuing the special licence would ask similar questions and would have to be satisfied with the answers before issuing it, which means no questions will need to be asked in the Church (though the celebrant may well state that a special lic! ense exists, so everybody present knows all is well). Andrew Rodger [email protected]