Marriage Licenses

Except for a few exceptional circumstances, the couple must appear in person at the Office of the Town Clerk in order to obtain a marriage license. The couple must complete and sign under oath an Intention of Marriage. Information necessary to completing this form is your social security number, your place of birth and your mother's maiden name. The fee for filing the Intention of Marriage is $35.00.

Massachusetts requires a mandatory three day waiting period from the time the Intention of Marriage is filed before a Marriage License can be issued. A waiver from this period may be obtained from the local District Court. A marriage license must be used within sixty days from the date of filing the Intention of Marriage and may be used for a ceremony conducted in any Massachusetts city or town. The member of the clergy or Justice of the Peace who performs the ceremony must sign the license and return it to the city or town where it was issued.

The Brookline Town Clerk also is a Justice of the Peace and has the legal authority to perform marriage ceremonies. Those desiring a civil ceremony should contact the Town Clerk well in advance of the date of the ceremony or call the Secretary of State's Commissions Section at (617) 727-2836 to obtain a list of other local Justices of the Peace.

Dog Licenses

Licensing your dog is an important public safety requirement. All owners or keepers of a dog six months or older is required by state law to license it annually. In the Town of Brookline this license must be obtained by the first day of April. A license will be issued only if the owner has evidence of a rabies vaccination which is valid as of the date of issuance. The fee for a dog license is $20.00. 

Hunting and Fishing Licenses

The Town Clerk serves as an agent for Massachusetts gaming and fishing licenses. The licenses issued by the Brookline Town Clerk are valid throughout the state. State law requires the Town Clerk to add a $1.00 surcharge to the fees listed below.

The fee schedule set by the State Division of Fisheries and Wildlife:

2003 Fees*

Resident Fishing	22.50**		27.50***
Resident Minor Fishing (15-17)	6.50**		11.50***
Resident Fishing, Age 65-69	11.25**		16.25***
Resident Fishing (Age 70 or over, or Paraplegic, blind or mentally retarded)	FREE		FREE
Non-resident Fishing			37.50***
Non-resident Fishing (3 day)			23.50***
Resident Fishing (3 day)	7.50**		12.50***
Non-resident Fishing (15-17)	6.50		11.50
Resident Hunting	22.50**		27.50***
Resident Hunting, 65-69	11.25**		16.25***
Resident Hunting, Paraplegic	FREE		FREE
Resident Alien Hunting	22.50**		27.50***
Non-resident Hunting, Big Game			99.50***
Non-resident Hunting, Small Game			65.50***
Resident Commercial Shooting Preserve (1 day)			10.00
Non-resident Commercial Shooting Preserve (1 day)			10.00
Resident Minor Hunting, Age 15-17	6.50**		11.50***
Resident Sporting	40.00**		45.00***
Resident Sporting, Age 65-69	20.00**		25.00***
Resident Sporting, Age 70 or Over	FREE		FREE
Resident Trapping	30.50**		35.50***
Resident Minor Trapping, Age12-17	6.50**		11.50***
Resident Trapping, Age 65-69	15.25**	20.25***
Duplicate Fishing	2.50**
Duplicate Hunting	2.50**
Duplicate Sporting	2.50**
Duplicate Trapping	2.50**
Archery Stamp	5.10**
Waterfowl Stamp			5.00***
Primitive Firearms Stamp			5.10***
Wildlands Stamp, Resident			5.00***
Wildlands Stamp, Non-resident			5.00***

*State law requires the Town Clerk to add a $1.00 surcharge to the listed fees.

**The fees in this column are for second resident licenses, free licenses, duplicate licenses or stamps.

***The fees in this column are for first resident licenses and all non-resident licenses. Cost includes a $5.00 fee for the Wildlands Conservation Stamp. 

Business Certificates (DBA)

All fictitious name certificates for businesses (commonly known as "doing business as" or "dba" certificates) are filed with the Town Clerk. Massachusetts requires any person or business entity who is conducting business under an alias (i.e. any other name than their own), including corporations, to file a business certificate in the community where their business is principally headquartered. This form (see below), also called a "DBA" which stands for "doing business as", contains the name and address of the business and the names and residences of the principals of the business. This certificate must be signed in the presence of a designated clerk in the Office of the Town Clerk or a Notary Public. The certificate is effective for four years and the filing fee is $50.00. The fee for filing an amendment is $10.00.

DBA certificates allow consumers to identify and locate the proprietor of a business. The filing of a "dba" certificate also serves as notice that the filer claims the exclusive use of the name contained in the certificate. Filing a business certificate at the local level, however, does not protect your name. If you have a business name or a symbol that you consider unique and valuable you may want to register it as a trademark or a service mark.

A "trademark" is any word, name, symbol or device, or combination of these used by a person (individual, partnership, corporation, or association) to identify his goods and to distinguish them from the goods of others. 

A "service mark" identifies and distinguishes a person's services and is given the same protection as a trademark. 

There is no requirement under the Trademark Law (M.G.L. Chapter 110B) that a person register with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. However, under M.G.L. Chapter 110, §5, any person doing business under name other than his own must file a business certificate with the town or city hall where he maintains an office.

You are not required to register your trademark or service mark with any governmental agency. Trademarks are protected under common law. However, by registering your mark, you may gain certain exclusive ownership benefits under statutory law. You should contact the Specialized Section in the Corporations Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth for further information. 

UCC Liens

UCC Liens are no longer filed with the Town Clerk.  You should contact the Commercial Code Section in the Corporations Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonweralth for further information.

Storage of Flammables

All holders of licenses for the storage, manufacture or sale of flammables or explosives, are required by Massachusetts state law to annually renew their registration. The renewal certificate must be signed by the holder of the license, if the license was granted prior to July 1, 1936, otherwise by the owner or occupant of the land licensed. The Renewal Certificate of Registration must be filed on or before April 30, accompanied by a filing fee of $200.

Raffles and Bazaars

Nonprofit organizations in existence for more than two years, that are either veterans' organizations chartered by Congress; church or religious organizations; fraternal or fraternal benefit societies; educational or charitable organizations; civic or service club organizations; or a club or organization operated exclusively for pleasure, recreation and other nonprofit purposes, where no part of the net earnings inures to the benefit of any member or shareholder, may apply to the Town Clerk to conduct a raffle or a bazaar.

A raffle is an arrangement for raising money by the sale of tickets, certain among which, as determined by chance after the sale, entitle the holder to prizes. A bazaar is a place maintained by the sponsoring organization for disposal by means of chance of one or both of the following prizes: (1) merchandise of any value, or (2) cash awards, not to exceed $25.00 each. The fee to file an application to conduct a raffle or a bazaar is $50.00.

VITAL RECORDS - Births, Deaths and Marriages

The Town Clerk is the Town's Registrar of Vital Records and Statistics. He accepts for filing and maintains records of all births, deaths and marriages that occur in Brookline. The Town Clerk is authorized to issue certified copies of birth, death and marriage records, and administers adoption and record-change depositions. Certified copies of birth, death and marriage records may be obtained from the Office of the Town Clerk in person, during regular business hours or by mail. The fee for a certified copy of a vital record is $10.00.

Board of Appeals

Any person aggrieved by reason of their inability to obtain a permit or an enforcement action from any administrative officer under the provisions of M.G.L., C.40A, by the regional planning agency or by any officer or board of the Town, may file an appeal with the Board of Appeals. Notice of the appeal must be filed with the Town Clerk within 30 days after the order or decision is made or within 30 days after failure of the Zoning Administrator to act within 35 days (see below for the Appeal Form).

An application for an appeal may be submitted by a person, such as the owner, his agent or attorney, who has a legal interest in the property, or by a person who has an enforceable contract to purchase the property or by a person who has a fiduciary interest in the property such as a real estate broker. The application must be submitted in triplicate and accompanied with a filing fee of $225.00, for the Town of Brookline, and an advertisement fee of $20.00, for the Tab Newspaper.