New Hampshire HB 1260: relative to marriage registration forms and delayed certificates of marriage.

Bill Text

HB 1260-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

5Mar2026... 0693h

04/09/2026 1312s

2026 SESSION

 26-2430

 04/09

HOUSE BILL 1260-FN

AN ACT relative to marriage registration forms and delayed certificates of marriage and relative to the confidentiality of divorce records.

SPONSORS: Rep. Dargie, Hills. 43; Rep. Petrigno, Hills. 43

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

 This bill:

 I. Permits marriage applicants to complete the marriage application in advance, establishes a fee for filing a delayed marriage certificate, and updates all relevant statutory language in the chapter to be gender neutral. 

 II. Establishes rules governing the confidentiality of records of divorce proceedings and allows for petitions to seal divorce records.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

5Mar2026... 0693h

04/09/2026 1312s 26-2430

 04/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to marriage registration forms and delayed certificates of marriage and relative to the confidentiality of divorce records.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Definitions; Marriage License. Amend RSA 5-C:1, XXII to read as follows: 

 XXII. "Marriage license" means the vital record document that is completed by the [bride and groom]marriage applicants and the clerk of the town or city showing that all legal requirements have been met and the couple is eligible to be married. 

 2 Marriage Registration Forms. Amend RSA 5-C:41 to read as follows: 

 5-C:41 Marriage Registration Forms. 

 I. There shall be 2 forms for the completion of a marriage registration. The marriage application worksheet, which shall be the form that is used to record marriage intentions, shall be completed by the prospective [bride and groom]marriage applicants and the clerk of the town or city and shall contain the information needed to complete the marriage license. The marriage license, which shall be the form that is used to record that the marriage ceremony has taken place and to record who solemnized the marriage, shall be completed by the [bride, groom]marriage applicants, the officiant, and the clerk of the town or city in accordance with this section and RSA 5-C:42. The marriage license shall be the official copy of the certificate of marriage when the marriage is registered with the division. 

 II. The marriage application worksheet may be completed online or offline ahead of time, and shall be completed by the prospective [bride and groom]marriage applicants by signing it in the office of the clerk of the town or city. The town or city clerk shall also sign the marriage application worksheet. The information supplied by [the groom]both marriage applicants shall include his or her full name; his or her usual residence by street and number, city, town or location, county and state; his or her birthplace; his or her date of birth; his or her social security number; his or her father's full name; his or her father's birthplace; his or her mother's maiden name; and his or her mother's birthplace. If applicable, a party shall also provide their surname if different from their current name. [The information supplied by the bride shall include her full name and maiden surname, if different; her usual residence by street and number, city, town or location, county and state; her birthplace; her date of birth; her social security number; her father's full name; her father's birthplace; her mother's maiden name; and, her mother's birthplace.] 

 II-a.(a) Upon entering into marriage, either party may retain his or her surname prior to the marriage or change his or her surname to the surname of the other party or change the surname to a hyphenated combination of the full surnames of both parties. If a party requests a surname change under this paragraph, that party may also change his or her middle name to his or her surname prior to the marriage. Each party shall indicate on the marriage application worksheet the party's name after marriage. 

 (b) Provided that the change is not made for a fraudulent criminal or wrongful purpose, the name of each party after marriage as indicated on the marriage application worksheet and marriage license shall become the sole legal name of each party after marriage. If a party indicates a name change other than as described in subparagraph (a), the party shall request approval of the court. 

 III. The clerk of the town or city shall complete the following statistical and legal information on the marriage application worksheet for both