# Weirdest. Problem. Ever. What do I do with a marriage certificate that isn't mine? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 17, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876 "2017-11-17T16:27:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/1 "2017-11-17T16:27:59Z")
Soooo I have someone else’s marriage certificate. I still have my own, I just somehow was given someone else’s…what do I do with it? I’m assuming I obtained it when Mrs. Cups and I got our own license a month ago, it must have been hidden in the copies we had made, and we only discovered it now. Do we mail it somewhere? Back to the courthouse? I don’t know the people who’s certificate I have. I’m really quite lost. Any suggestions or lawyers in the house? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/2 "2017-11-17T16:33:09Z")
I don’t know that you need to do anything with it. Presumably, if the people who it belongs to ever need it for legal purposes, they’ll realize that it’s missing and pay the $20 to get a copy from the county. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/3 "2017-11-17T16:37:35Z")
Phone the Registry Office, & ask. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/4 "2017-11-17T16:38:39Z")
Change your names and identity. Problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/5 "2017-11-17T16:46:25Z")
Has your wife seen it? If not, hide it in a drawer and forget about it. Years from now when she discovers it and asks you about it, stutter and deny. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/6 "2017-11-17T17:01:20Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Has your wife seen it? > > If not, hide it in a drawer and forget about it. Years from now when she discovers it and asks you about it, stutter and deny. She discovered it! Thank the lord the SS office took the copy of our license because the copy she grabbed was ours, but the real thing was this random one we’ve never seen before ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/7 "2017-11-17T17:04:22Z")
It is not a great mystery, it’s just a copy, presumably, toss it. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/8 "2017-11-17T17:50:28Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Phone the Registry Office, & ask. Do this. People in this thread are assuming that it’s a copy, but if a clerical error was made, it might be the original! ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/9 "2017-11-17T17:52:34Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Phone the Registry Office, & ask. Original – this. Copy – toss or shred if you usually shred. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/10 "2017-11-17T17:53:55Z")
It is absolutely the original. NOT a copy. I’ll make the call. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/11 "2017-11-17T18:59:41Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > It is absolutely the original. NOT a copy. > > I’ll make the call. Post results here. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/12 "2017-11-17T20:50:37Z")
I’ll have to wait til Monday to do it, the wait times on the call were too long for me to do it at work, but I’ll be more free on Monday. I’ll update then ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/13 "2017-11-17T22:10:53Z")
Just sell it on etsy. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/14 "2017-11-17T22:53:19Z")
I’d check the phone book to see if they live nearby and drop it in their mailbox with no explanation. Give them a great life mystery to ponder. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/15 "2017-11-17T22:59:55Z")
Are the names common at all? If so watch the paper for wedding announcements of someone with the same name. The surreptitiously crash the wedding waiting for the “…Or forever hold your peace” part. Then make your big dramatic soap opera reveal. “_I_ have an Objection! This man/woman is already married! and I have the proof!” Everybody will laugh and laugh. ---
**Author:** ![DrForrester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@DrForrester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrForrester)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/16 "2017-11-18T05:45:05Z")
My grandfather was a religious leader. He performed many marriages. When he passed, I went through his files… and found a huge pile of marriage licenses. I really did not have a clue as to whether they were duplicates or if he’d just never bothered to send them in or what. So, I tracked down the appropriate addresses of the appropriate court houses & mailed them all. Guess how many replies I got? Not one. I still have no idea why he’d have the paperwork or whether he was really supposed to have it. But, the important thing is that I no longer have it. One less box in the attic. Anyone know what to do with 2000 sermons? ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/17 "2017-11-18T06:14:17Z")
> [@DrForrester](#): > > … > > Anyone know what to do with 2000 sermons? For some reason, sermons are _especially_ flammable. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/18 "2017-11-18T12:06:07Z")
> [@DrForrester](#): > > Anyone know what to do with 2000 sermons? Leave them on a mount. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-problem-ever-what-do-i-do-with-a-marriage-certificate-that-isnt-mine/801876/19 "2017-11-18T19:12:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Leave them on a mount. [golf clap]