Duties of Local Civil Registrar: Articles 24, 25, Family Code

1. Duties of the LCR

Art. 24. It shall be the duty of the local civil registrar to prepare the documents required by this Title, and to administer oaths to all interested parties without any charge in both cases. The documents and affidavits filed in connection with applications for marriage licenses shall be exempt from documentary stamp tax. (n)

Art. 25. The local civil registrar concerned shall enter all applications for marriage licenses filed with him in a registry book strictly in the order in which the same are received. He shall record in said book the names of the applicants, the date on which the marriage license was issued, and such other data as may be necessary. (n)

1) The Local Civil Registrar has the following duties:

(a) To receive and process marriage license applications (Family Code, Articles 11, 12);

(b) To require presentation of original birth certificates or, in default, baptismal certificate (Ibid., Article 12);

(c) To verify parental consent, if applicable (Ibid., Article 14);

(d) To verify parental advice, if applicable (Ibid., Article 15);

(e) To verify marriage counselling certificate (Ibid., Article 16);

(f) To prepare the notice related to the marriage license application (Ibid., Article 17);

(g) To post the notice on a bulletin board located outside of the LCR office in a conspicuous place within the building and accessible to the general public (Ibid);

(h) To require foreign nationals intending to marry in the Philippines the submission of a certificate of legal capacity to contract issued by a foreign national’s diplomatic or consular official (Ibid., Article 21);

(i) To require stateless persons or refugees intending to marry in the Philippines the submission of an affidavit stating the circumstances showing such capacity to contract marriage (Ibid., Par. 2, Article 21);

(j) To note down legal impediments that were reported including findings thereof (Ibid., Article 18);

(k) To comply with an order from a competent court or interested party directing the non-issuance of the marriage license (Ibid.,);

(l) To collect fees related to the issuance of the marriage license (Ibid., Article 19);

(m) To issue a marriage license (Ibid., Articles 19 and 20);

(n) To prepare documents related to the marriage license applications, marriage license, and related thereto (Ibid., Article 24);

(o) To administer oaths to all interested parties without any charge (Ibid.,); and

(p) To enter all marriage license applications and issuance of marriage license in a registry book strictly in the order in which the same are received (Ibid., Article 25).