MARRIAGE LICENSE
INFORMATION
How to Obtain a License
Civil Ceremonies Performed by Clerk
Obtaining a certified copy
Obtaining
a License
- At
least one of the parties to be married must appear to make application (In
Cecil County, both parties must appear) (If neither party is a resident of
the county, application may be made by mail - see Non-Resident
Application below for more information)
- The
license is valid only in the county in which it was issued (The ceremony must
be performed in the same county in which the license was issued)
- A license
is not effective until 6:00 a.m. on the second calendar day after the license
is issued. (Example: License issued October 18th takes effect at 6:00 a.m.
on October 20th)
- The
license is issued the same day you apply, and is valid for 6 months (you must
be married within 6 months or the license will expire)
Information
you must provide at time of application for license:
Fee of $60.00
CASH ONLY in Washington County (fees vary from county to county)
Photo Identification
required for applicants aged 21 and younger
The following
information is required for each party:
- Full Name
- Current
Street Address
- Age
- State
of Birth (Country if born outside United States)
- Social
Security Number
- Marital
status (Single, Divorced, Widow or Widower)
- If either
party has been married before, the county, state, and date of each divorce
or death of spouse
- Whether
the parties are related by either blood or marriage
Non-Resident
Application
If neither
party to be married is a resident of the county in which the ceremony will take
place, Maryland law allows application for a marriage license to be made by
mail as follows:
Take the Non-Resident
Affidavit form to the Clerk of Court or comparable official in the county
in which you reside. Complete the form in the presence of that official, have
that official sign at the appropriate place, and mail the form with a money
order or cashier's check in the appropriate amount ($60.00 in Washington County),
payable to Clerk of Court, to the Clerk of Circuit Court for the county in which
you plan to be married. Comparable officials would include: Clerk of a Court;
Recorder of Deeds; Prothonotary. A Notary Public is not a comparable official.
Note that
this provision is a Maryland law. Clerks of Court in Maryland Counties will
provide this service. Officials in other states, however, are not bound by Maryland
law. Therefore, clerks of court or other officials in other states may not provide
this service. Check with the official well in advance of your wedding date to
be sure. If no comparable official will provide the service, one of the parties
(both parties in Cecil County) will have to travel to Maryland to make application
in person.
Marriage
of Minors (under age 18)
- 16 or
17 years old must have the consent of a parent or guardian (parent or guardian
must be with the minor at the time of application) OR have a certificate from
a licensed physician on the physician's letterhead stating that the physician
has examined the woman to be married and found that she is pregnant or has
given birth to a child. The certificate must be signed by the physician. (Certificates
signed by midwives or nurses are not sufficient.)
- 15 years
old must have the consent of a parent or guardian (parent or guardian must
be with the minor at the time of application) AND have a certificate from
a licensed physician on the physician's letterhead stating that the physician
has examined the woman to be married and found that she is pregnant or has
given birth to a child. The certificate must be signed by the physician. (Certificates
signed by midwives or nurses are not sufficient.)
- 14 years
and younger may not marry in Maryland.
Civil
Ceremonies Performed by the Clerk
- There
is a $25.00 cash (no checks are accepted) fee paid at the time of the ceremony
- No appointment
necessary
- Marriage
hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday, except holidays
- Location
- The ceremony will be performed in the Court House
Certified
Copies
Certified
copies may be obtained from the Marriage License Department. You may also request
a certified copy by mail. Mail your request to the Clerk of the Circuit Court,
95 W. Washington Street, Hagerstown, MD 21740. 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 (Approximate year at minimum)
- A
check or money order in the amount of $6.00 for the first certified copy requested,
plus $5.50 for each additional certified copy if requesting more than one
copy, payable to the Clerk of the Court.
For further information on obtaining a marriage license or questions about
civil ceremonies, please call 301-733-8660.
