Civil registration of marriages in Nova Scotia began in 1758, with the introduction of procedures for obtaining a marriage license. The license was optional, surviving records are incomplete, and 'calling the banns' remained the preferred procedure for formalizing the marriage ritual. The parallel custom of posting a Marriage Bond, in addition to taking out a license, also dates from this early period. The bond was an optional adjunct which served to indicate the absence of legal impediments to the intended marriage; an incomplete series of these bonds exists for the years 1763-1864. Mandatory civil registration of marriages began in 1864 and has continued since, although compliance was not universal throughout the province until the early 20th century.