| How
do I get a marriage license?
Maryland requires that a marriage
license be obtained from the Circuit Court Clerk's Office in the county
where the marriage is to take place.
It is recommended that you contact
the Circuit Court Clerk's Office in the county where you plan to marry
as each county has different fees. The requirements for Charles County
are as follows:
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Only one of the parties needs to appear
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The fee is $40.00 cash only.
Exact change will speed your transaction.
The following information must be provided
by either the man or the woman:
- The full name of each party.
- The place of residence of each
party.
- State of birth of each party.
- The age of each party (An applicant
under age 21 will be asked to supply a photo identification.)
- Whether the parties are related
by blood or marriage and if so, in which degree of relationship.
- The marital status of each party.
- Whether either party was married
previously, and the date and place of each death or judicial determination
that ended any former marriage (to include a copy of any divorce decree).
- The social security number of
each party. (note: this will be kept in a secure area of the computer
and will not be made available for public inspection)
The license is issued at the same time
the application is taken; however, the license will reflect an effective
date and time at 6:00 a.m. on the second day after issue and will be valid
for 6 months. This means that for a Saturday wedding, you must apply
for a license no later than the close of business on Thursday.
You will be given three copies of
the marriage license, which the official performing the ceremony will complete.
Instructions for completion and distribution are on the copies of the license.
If you would like a civil ceremony, please note that there are no justices
of the peace in Maryland. Only the Clerk of the Circuit Court, or an appointed,
designated Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court, or a judge may perform civil
ceremonies.
In Charles County, the Clerk of the
Court and his designated deputies perform civil ceremonies at the Courthouse
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the exception of Holidays. Appointments are required.
Upon request, the Clerk of the Court will perform civil marriage ceremonies
by the sundial in the Courtyard, weather permitting. The fee charged
for a civil ceremony is $25.00 cash, payable in advance in the Clerk's
Office during the month that the ceremony will be performed.
Certified Copies of Marriage Licenses
Certified copies may be obtained from the Clerk's Office or you may request a certified copy by mail. Mail your request to the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Circuit Court for Charles County, Marriage Records Department, P. O. Box 970, LaPlata, Maryland 20646.
Please include in your request:
Names of Bride and Groom (Bride's name should be the name she used immediately before the marriage in question)
Date of Marriage
A check or money order in the amount of $5.00 for the certified copy, made payable to "Clerk of Court"
Your return address
For further information on obtaining a copy of a marriage license or questions about civil ceremonies, please call the Clerk's Office at 301-932-3308.
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