Article 47 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
المادة 47 من نظام الأحوال المدنية
The Article requires the husband or wife to report marriage, divorce, revocation, dissolution and khul, allows their parents or relatives to do so, and lifts this duty where there is an electronic link with the competent court.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
أ- على الزوج أو الزوجة التبليغ عن حالة الزواج أو الطلاق أو الرجعة أو التطليق أو المخالعة، ويجوز لوالد الزوج أو والد الزوجة أو أحد أقربائهما القيام بواجب التبليغ.
ب- تنتفي مسؤولية التبليغ المنصوص عليها في الفقرة (أ) من هذه المادة، في حال وجود ربط إلكتروني بين إدارة الأحوال المدنية والمحكمة المختصة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 47 explained in plain English
This Article sets out who bears the duty to report events concerning marriage and its ending in the civil status records.
The events covered: marriage, divorce, revocation, dissolution (tatliq) and khul (mukhala'a).
Those required to report:
- The rule is that the duty to report falls on the husband or the wife.
- The husband's father, the wife's father or one of their relatives may perform this duty; the text allows them to do so without obliging them.
When does the duty to report lapse? The responsibility to report stated above lapses where there is an electronic link between the civil status department and the competent court. If the information passes electronically from the court to civil status, the spouses are no longer responsible for reporting.
Its relationship to neighboring Articles:
- Article 46 requires the marriage contract, the divorce and revocation document, and the khul and dissolution judgments, where both parties or one of them is a Saudi, to be presented to one of the civil status offices within two months of their date to be registered and stamped.
- Article 48 requires the civil status department, as soon as it receives these documents, to record their content on the spouses' entry.
Anyone with a problem in registering a marriage or divorce may contact civil status or consult a lawyer who specializes in personal status.
Practical example
Abdullah married in Qassim, and his family wants to be sure the marriage is registered with civil status. The rule is that the duty to report falls on Abdullah or his wife, and the father of either of them or one of their relatives may perform it. If the marriage was documented at a court electronically linked to civil status, the responsibility to report lapses for them.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 47 of Civil Status Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Family & Personal Status Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Family & Personal Status Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Nasser Al-Adhali Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 47 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
Who is responsible for reporting a marriage or divorce to civil status?
The husband or the wife, and the father of either of them or one of their relatives may make the report.
Is reporting required if the court is electronically linked to civil status?
No. The responsibility to report lapses where there is an electronic link between the civil status department and the competent court.
Does the reporting cover khul and revocation?
Yes. The Article covers marriage, divorce, revocation, dissolution and khul.
Amendment history
Amendment
Official amendment text (Arabic)
أ- على الزوج أو الزوجة التبليغ عن حالة الزواج أو الطلاق أو الرجعة أو التطليق أو المخالعة، ويجوز لوالد الزوج أو والد الزوجة أو أحد أقربائهما القيام بواجب التبليغ.
ب- تنتفي مسؤولية التبليغ المنصوص عليها في الفقرة (أ) من هذه المادة، في حال وجود ربط إلكتروني بين إدارة الأحوال المدنية والمحكمة المختصة.
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
تقع مسئولية التبليغ عن الزواج والطلاق والرجعة والتطليق والمخالعة على الزوج، ومع هذا يجوز للزوجة ولوالد الزوج ولوالد الزوجة أو أحد أقربائهما القيام بواجب التبليغ.
More articles on Registering Marriage and Divorce
- Article 46
The Article requires marriage contracts, and divorce, revocation, khul and dissolution documents and judgments, to be presented to civil status within two months if one party is a Saudi.
يجب تقديم عقد الزواج ووثيقة الطلاق والرجعة والأحكام الصادرة بالمخالعات والتطليق متى كان طرفاها أو أحدهما سعوديا إلى أحد مكاتب الأحوال المدنية وذلك خلال شهرين من
- Article 48
The Article requires the civil status department to record the content of a marriage contract, or a revocation, divorce, dissolution or khul document or judgment, on the spouses' entry as soon as it receives it.
على إدارة الأحوال المدنية فور تسلمها عقد الزواج أو وثيقة الرجعة أو الطلاق أو حكم التطليق أو المخالعة تدوين مضمونها على قيد الزوجين.
- Article 49
The Article refers the registration of a marriage in which one spouse is Saudi and the other is not to rules set by the Implementing Regulations.
إذا كان أحد الزوجين سعوديا والآخر غير سعودي فيكون التسجيل وفقا لقواعد تحددها اللائحة التنفيذية.
- Article 50
The Article allows either spouse to request the family register from civil status, and makes the husband responsible if it is not requested within sixty days of the marriage contract, as the Implementing Regulations specify.
لأي من الزوجين طلب الحصول على سجلّ الأسرة من إدارة الأحوال المدنية، وتقع المسؤولية على الزوج إذا لم يتقدم بطلب استخراجه خلال ستين يوماً من تاريخ عقد الزواج، وذل
- Article 51
The Article requires authorized marriage officiants and court clerks to notify civil status weekly of marriage, divorce, revocation, dissolution and khul events and judgments establishing lineage and declaring a missing person dead.
يجب على المأذونين الشرعيين في نهاية كل أسبوع إشعار إدارة الأحوال المدنية التي يتبعونها ببيان على النموذج المعد لذلك يتضمن جميع واقعات الزواج والطلاق والرجعة مع
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.