The Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man has a discretion to allow marriages according to the rites of the Church of England to take place in circumstances other than those otherwise allowed by law.
The Bishop has issued guidelines indicating the matters to which he will have regard when considering applications for special licences.
If you wish to be married in the parish church of the parish in which at least one of you lives, you should contact your Rector or Vicar who can explain the options, which will be either after Banns or by Common Licence. You will not need a special licence. The same applies if at least one of you lives in one of the following parishes and you wish to be married in a licensed chapel in that parish:
| Parish | Chapel licensed for C of E marriages |
| Lezayre | St Stephen's, Sulby |
| Maughold | Christ Church, Dhoon |
| Malew | St Mark's Abbey Church, Ballasalla |
| Rushen | St Catherine's, Port Erin St Mary's, Port St Mary |
Otherwise you will need a special licence, obtainable through the Diocesan Registrar, whose address is —
The fee for a special licence is:
| From 1.1.09 | From 1.1.10 |
| £245.00 | £250.00 |
The procedure is as follows. Note: The forms referred to may be downloaded in PDF format (requires Adobe Reader or Foxit Reader): click on the relevant form number below. Alternatively they may be obtained from the Diocesan Registrar at practice@mannbenham.com or by post at the above address.