Marriage Registration in Old Delhi District

Old Delhi is the city’s historic core: the lanes of Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, the Digambar Jain Lal Mandir and the bustling wholesale markets of Sadar Bazar. Families here often go back generations, and so do their marriages, many of which were never registered. Since 1 January 2026, Old Delhi has been a district of its own. This guide explains how to register a marriage in the new Old Delhi district, whether it took place last month or forty years ago.

Old Delhi after the 2026 reorganisation

Delhi’s revenue districts were reorganised from 11 to 13 with effect from 1 January 2026. Shahdara district was dissolved, three new districts (Old Delhi, Central North and Outer North) were created, and the number of sub-divisions rose from 33 to 39. Old Delhi is one of the three new districts, carved mainly out of the former Central and North districts.

Old Delhi now has 2 sub-divisions:

Sub-division	Covers
Sadar Bazar	The Sadar Bazar area and surrounding localities
Chandni Chowk	The Chandni Chowk area and surrounding localities

Sub-division boundaries do not always follow the colony names people use every day. Walled-city localities around Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid and Daryaganj, and the Sadar Bazar area, are the core of the district, but boundaries can be intricate in these dense neighbourhoods. Always confirm the jurisdiction e-District shows for your exact locality before you apply.

Which office should you apply to?

You can usually apply to the SDM office that covers either the place where your marriage was solemnised or the place where either spouse lives, shown by address proof. Couples whose families live in the walled city but who themselves live elsewhere should register based on their own residence or the place of marriage, not on a family address that is not theirs.

Which law applies?

Your situation	Route
Hindu, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist couple with a religious ceremony	Hindu Marriage Act registration
Any couple married in Delhi, of any religion	Delhi Compulsory Registration of Marriage Order, 2014
Inter-faith couple, or a couple wanting a civil marriage	Special Marriage Act (court marriage)
One spouse a foreign national	See documents for foreign nationals

Step by step in Old Delhi

1. Check documents for both spouses: identity, date-of-birth and address proof, with names and dates matching across all of them.
2. Collect proof of the ceremony: the priest’s, gurdwara or temple certificate, or the nikahnama; photographs of the ceremony; and the invitation card.
3. Prepare two affidavits on e-stamp paper and have them notarised. Notaries and e-stamp vendors are available near the Tis Hazari court complex and in the markets of the walled city.
4. Apply on e-District, selecting Old Delhi district and the sub-division shown for your locality, and pay the fee.
5. Book an appointment that both spouses and both witnesses can definitely attend.
6. Deliver original affidavits to the SDM office if your sub-division asks for them for online applications.
7. Attend with originals, both spouses and two witnesses.
8. Download the certificate from e-District after approval, and check every detail.

Fees

Item	Amount
Hindu Marriage Act registration	₹100 (as published by DM South; confirm on e-District)
2014 Order registration	₹200
Late, days 61–120	+₹500
After 120 days	Penalty up to ₹1,000, which may be remitted
Tatkal	+₹10,000

See marriage registration fees in Delhi.

Every community, one process

Old Delhi’s communities marry in many traditions, but registration follows the same broad path:

Ceremony	Proof	Usual route
Hindu wedding	Priest’s certificate, photos	Hindu Marriage Act
Jain wedding	Jain pandit or temple certificate	Hindu Marriage Act (covers Jains)
Anand Karaj	Gurdwara certificate	Hindu Marriage Act or 2014 Order
Nikah	Nikahnama	2014 Order
Church wedding	Church certificate	2014 Order

See Jain and Buddhist marriage registration and Muslim marriage registration in Delhi.

Registering an old marriage

Many Old Delhi couples married decades ago without registering. You can still register at any time. Expect a late fee or penalty under the 2014 Order (the penalty can be remitted for reasonable cause) and bring stronger proof: old photos, children’s birth certificates naming both parents, ration cards or property papers listing the spouse, and witnesses who have known you as a married couple. See registering an old marriage in Delhi.

Court marriage in Old Delhi

For a court marriage under the Special Marriage Act, at least one partner must have lived in the district for 30 days before giving notice. The notice is displayed for 30 days, during which objections can be raised. If none is upheld, you marry before the marriage officer with three witnesses and receive the certificate. See court marriage in Delhi.

Practical tips for Old Delhi

• Access: vehicles struggle in the walled city; use the Yellow Line or Violet Line metro and walk or take a rickshaw for the last stretch.
• Translations: carry translations of documents in Urdu or other languages.
• Family documents: older family members may hold the wedding photos and cards you need; gather them early.
• Witnesses: long-standing neighbours make excellent witnesses for older marriages.

What to bring on the day

• Originals and two self-attested copies of identity, age and address proof for both spouses
• Both notarised affidavits on e-stamp paper
• Proof of the ceremony and passport-size photographs
• The e-District acknowledgement and fee receipt
• Two witnesses, each with original identity and Delhi address proof and copies

At the appointment, the officer checks originals against your uploads, confirms that both spouses and both witnesses are present, and may ask a few simple questions about the wedding. If the file is complete, approval often follows on the day or shortly after.

After you receive the certificate

Download the certificate from e-District and read every line before you file it away. Names, dates of birth, the date and place of marriage and the parents’ names must match your documents exactly; a small error now becomes a real problem later at a passport office, a bank or an embassy. Save the PDF in two places, such as your email and a cloud drive. If the certificate is going abroad, begin state authentication and apostille straight away. If either of you is changing your surname, the certificate is the anchor document for updating your passport, Aadhaar, PAN and bank records. See name change after marriage in India.

Mistakes we see in Old Delhi files

• Choosing Central or North district for a walled-city address now in Old Delhi.
• Nikahnama or old certificates with spellings that differ from current documents.
• Thin proof for a decades-old marriage.
• Assuming registration is impossible because the marriage was long ago.

Worked example: a nikah from 1998

Mohammad Arif and Shabana married by nikah in 1998 and never registered. In 2026 they need a certificate for a passport. They gather the nikahnama, old photos and their children’s birth certificates, apply under the 2014 Order in Old Delhi district with a remission request for the penalty, and attend with two neighbours as witnesses.

Worked example: Jain wedding in Chandni Chowk

Saurabh and Nidhi, both Jain, marry at a community venue near Chandni Chowk with a Jain pandit officiating. They register under the Hindu Marriage Act in the Chandni Chowk sub-division, using the pandit’s certificate and photos as proof.

Key terms explained

• Sub-division: the unit within a district headed by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate, who registers marriages.
• SDM: the officer who acts as registrar under the Hindu Marriage Act and as marriage officer under the Special Marriage Act.
• Jurisdiction: the authority of a particular office to register your marriage.
• Reorganisation: the redrawing of Delhi’s districts from 11 to 13, effective 1 January 2026.

One-line takeaway

Old Delhi is a district of its own from 2026; register recent or decades-old marriages of any religion at the Chandni Chowk or Sadar Bazar sub-division e-District shows.

Register in Old Delhi with WedProof

WedProof confirms your jurisdiction after the 2026 changes, prepares your documents and books the right Old Delhi slot. Use the form on this page for a free check.