The Special Marriage Act was enacted to provide a special form of marriage by any person in India and all Indian nationals in foreign countries irrespective of the religion either party to the marriage may profess. The Act extends to the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir and also applies to citizens of India. 

The Special Marriage Act provides a special form of marriage for the people of India and all Indian nationals in the foreign countries.

It is for the good of the Indian citizens abroad, the act provides for the appointment of diplomatic and consular officers as marriage officers for solemnizing and registering marriages between citizens of India in a foreign country.

There are certain formalities are prescribed before the marriage officer can register the marriage...

Conditions For Special Marriage

• That neither party has a spouse living at the time of marriage.
   

• That neither party is incapable of giving a valid consent to the marriage due to unsoundness of mind.
   

• That neither party has been suffering from mental disorder of  any kind or to such an extent as to be unfit for marriage and the procreation of children.
   

• That neither party has been subject to recurrent attacks of epilepsy or insanity.
   

• The bridegroom has completed the age of 21 years and the bride the age of 18 years at the time of marriage.
  
                    Notice Book and Publication
   

• The marriage Officer shall keep all notices given under Section 5 with the records of his office and shall also forthwith enter a true copy of every such notice in a book prescribed for that purpose, to be called the Marriage Notice Book, and such book shall be open for inspection at all reasonable times, without fee, by any person desirous of inspecting the same.
   

• The Marriage Officer shall cause every such notice to be published by affixing a copy thereof to some conspicuous place in his office and before the expiration of 30 days from the date on which the notice was published any person can object to the marriage that it would contravene any of the conditions necessary for the marriage.

State Registration

• The State Government may grant a license to any Christian either by name or as holding any office for the time being, authorizing him to grant certificates of marriage between Indian Christians.
   

• Any such licence may be revoked by the authority by which it was granted and every such grant or revocation shall be notified in the Official Gazette.
   

• Where either of the parties to an intended marriage is not permanently residing within the local limits of the district of the Marriage Officer to whom the notice has been given under section 5, transmitted to the Marriage Officer of the district within whose limits such party is permanently residing, and that Marriage Officer shall thereupon cause a copy thereof to be affixed to some conspicuous place in his office.

Prohibited Relationship

• Relationship by half or uterine blood as well as by full blood
   

• Illegitimate blood relationship as well as legitimate
   

• Relationship by adoption as well as by blood
   

• And all terms of relationship in this Act shell be construed accordingly.
  
                          Intended Marriage

• When a marriage is intended to be solemnized under this Act, the parties to the marriage shall give notice thereof in writing in the form specified in the Second Schedule to the Marriage Officer of the district in which at least on of the parties to the marriage has resided for a period of not less than 30 days immediately preceding the date on which such notice is given.