Ghana launches app to verify marriage, divorce records

Ghanaians can now use a new digital platform to verify marriage and divorce records and confirm the legitimacy of marriage officers, venues and licensed Islamic officiants.

The platform, Marrify, was unveiled in Accra on August 28 by Marry Right Ghana Limited in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

Designed as a searchable marriage and divorce registry, Marrify contains records covering ordinance, customary and Islamic marriages.

Members of the public can conduct searches using information such as the names of spouses, towns, churches, denominations, marriage certificate numbers and Gazette numbers.

The platform also features a database of marriage officers authorised to conduct civil or ordinance marriages, as well as licensed marriage venues and Imams.

According to its operators, the information is sourced from official institutions and records, including the Registrar-General’s Department, courts, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, and the Ghana Gazette.

Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, urged prospective couples to make verification a key part of the marriage process.

Lartey said the platform would enable individuals to independently confirm important information rather than relying solely on assurances from prospective partners or service providers.

She also called on Marry Right Ghana to maintain close collaboration with government agencies, religious organisations, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to ensure that information on Marrify remains reliable and regularly updated.

The digital registry also contains divorce records derived from court rulings and judgments. In some cases, the divorce records are linked to the corresponding marriage records.

However, Marrify cautions users against treating an unsuccessful search as conclusive evidence that an individual has never been married.

The platform explained that its database is still being populated, meaning some existing records may not yet have been uploaded.

Individuals and institutions can also submit marriage and divorce records, along with supporting documents, for verification and inclusion on the platform.

The initiative is expected to strengthen access to marriage-related information and help members of the public make better-informed decisions when entering into marriages.