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The information below pertains to marriage license information for marriages taking place in CALVERT COUNTY ONLY. There are 24 jurisdictions in Maryland. You MUST contact the County/City Court in the location where you plan to marry for marriage license information.

How to apply Application may be made Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at the office of the Clerk of Circuit Court. If it is not convenient to visit the Clerk’s Office in the county where the marriage is to take place, you may apply for a license using a Non-Resident Affidavit form. This form must be taken to the Clerk of the Circuit Court or comparable official where you reside.

A “comparable official” would be the public official in the State, County, or Province where you reside who issues marriage licenses or performs the same duties as the Clerk of Circuit Court in Maryland. A notary public’s affidavit is not sufficient, since that official, although a public officer, does not perform the same duties and is not comparable to a Clerk of Court in Maryland.

• Full name
• Place of residence
• Age
• State or Country of birth
• Whether or not the parties are related by blood or marriage, and if so, to what degree of the relationship
• Marital Status: Single (never married), Divorced or Widowed
• The date and place of EACH death or judicial determination that ended any former marriage(bring divorce decrees or court orders from ALL previous marriages)
• Social Security Number
• Photo ID is required for those applying in person
• You must obtain your license from the county where the marriage will take place.

The marriage license will be issued at the time of application. The license may not be used prior to the effective date, which is 6:00 a.m. on the second calendar date after issuance. The license must be used within 6 months of the effective date. Replacement licenses may be obtained, during the 6 month period the original license is valid, for a fee of $10.00.

Applicants under the age of 18, see guidelines, Memo from Kathy P. Smith to the couple Memo from Kathy P. Smith to the minister Certified Copies of your marriage license can be obtained from our office by requesting them in writing or in person. We can only provide copies of licenses for marriages that took place in Calvert County.

There is a $5.50 fee per copy. You may use our Request for Certified Copy of Marriage License form for your convenience. Please note, the form is not required. Simply provide us with the names of both parties (at time of application) and the date of marriage.

• Make checks payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
• Our mailing address is: 175 Main Street, Prince Frederick, MD 20678.
• We can only provide copies of licenses originally issued in Calvert County.
• Civil Ceremonies are performed Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.
• To 4:00 p.m.
• At the Calvert County Courthouse.

The fee is $25.00, paid by either cash, check, money order, or credit card (Visa and Mastercard) immediately prior to the ceremony. Appointments for civil ceremonies may be made by calling the Clerk’s office at 410-535-1600 ext.2269 or 301-855-1243 ext.2269 during business hours.

Ceremonies are performed in space available. Courtrooms may not be scheduled in advance. Many beautiful weddings have taken place on the Courthouse lawn, weather permitted. Ceremonies can be performed by an official of a religious order (such as an ordained minister), the Clerk of the Circuit Court, a deputy clerk designated by the county administrative circuit court judge, a judge.

See Family Law 2-406 for further detail. Maryland does not require celebrants to register with the state. However, it is crucial that the celebrant properly complete the license form and return it to our office within 5 days of performing the ceremony.

1. it is the intent of both parties to be married
2. a ceremony must take place where both parties are present
3. the ceremony must be presided over by a celebrant who has apparent authority to perform it
4. the marriage does not violate the laws or public policy of the State
5. the officiant will need to complete and sign both originals of the marriage certificate, giving one to the married couple and, within 5 days after the ceremony, return the other to the office of the clerk that issued the license.

Correction to Marriage Records may be requested in writing (along with supporting documentation, for example: birth certificate to prove your name is spelled differently than what is shown on your marriage record). You may, for your convenience, use our Correction Request form,

• Names of both Parites (as it appears on your license)
• Marriage License Number
• Date of Marriage
• Daytime Telephone Number
• Information to be corrected along with supporting documentation

*Important – you must be a party to the record to request a correction. There is a $10 fee for duplicate licenses and an additional $5.50 fee for any certified copies you may require. Fees – paid by cash, check, money order, or credit card (Visa and Mastercard) Marriage License: $55 Civil Ceremony: $25 Duplicate License (replacement license prior to marriage): $10 Certified License (replacement license after marriage): $5.50

How do you get certified to marry someone in Maryland?

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. If, however, it is not convenient for you to visit the Clerk’s Office in that county, you may apply using a Non-Resident Marriage License Application-Affidavit,

Can anyone be ordained in Maryland?

Become a Maryland Wedding Officiant with our Free Online Ordination – If you are considering getting ordained online to officiate weddings in Maryland, then you have come to the right place. The first thing you should know is that it is 100% legal for you to get ordained online in Maryland to officiate weddings.

Can a judge marry you in Maryland?

Getting a marriage license in Maryland? If you are eligible to marry in Maryland, visit the Circuit Court Clerk’s office in the county where your marriage is to take place. Marriage between same sex partners is legal in Maryland, as long as the law does not otherwise prohibit the individuals from marrying (for example, where they are closely related).

• Call or visit the website of the Circuit Court Clerk’s office where you plan to marry because each jurisdiction has different license fees.
• If it is not convenient for you to visit the Circuit Court Clerk’s office where you wish to marry, you may apply using a Non-Resident Affidavit (except in Cecil County where both parties must apply together in person).

Call the Clerk’s Office to have a copy of the affidavit sent to you or check the Clerk’s website to see if you can download it. The marriage license is effective at 6:00 a.m. on the second calendar day after the license was issued, unless the court grants an exception.

Is it legal to marry your cousin in Maryland?

Keeping Marriage in the Family Most people balk at the idea of first cousins marrying each other, but the practice isn’t as forbidden or as risky as you may think. In other parts of the world, marrying your first cousin is socially acceptable; in the United States, it’s a bit more taboo.

But in 21 states, it is legal for first cousins to get married, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures’ website (NCSL). Professor Alan Bittles of Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University in Australia has studied cousin marriages for the past 30 years. He says it’s likely 10.4 percent of people worldwide are married to a close relative or are the children of such a marriage.

“This equates to over 700 million people,” Bittles says. Where It’s Legal, Where It’s Not According to the NCSL, cousin marriage is legal in: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina (in North Carolina, first-cousin marriage is legal, but double-cousin marriage is prohibited), Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia.

Arizona: If both are 65 or older, or one is unable to reproduce Illinois: If both are 50 or older, or one is unable to reproduce Indiana: If both are at least 65 Maine: If couple obtains a physician’s certificate of genetic counseling Utah: If both are 65 or older, or if both are 55 or older and one is unable to reproduce Wisconsin: If the woman is 55 or older, or one is unable to reproduce

First-cousin marriage is prohibited in: Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Health Risks to Offspring The assumption that children of first cousins are likely to suffer from health problems has been around for centuries, Bittles says. “Although there has been a tradition of cousin marriage among royalty, major land-owning families and some business dynasties, the highest rates of consanguinity are actually among the rural poor whose general health status often is marginal,” he says.

“Under these circumstances, unless appropriate allowance is made for adverse family socioeconomics, just about all health problems have simply been blamed on consanguinity, even though there usually is no specific evidence of a causal relationship between consanguinity and the disorder in question.” Bittles’ studies have found that the instance of major health problems in the offspring of cousins is much lower than you may think.

” an excess risk of early death or major ill health of 3.5 percent among the children of first cousins—which is much less than would have anticipated,” Alan says.”In general terms, our studies have shown that the health risks attributed to consanguinity have been exaggerated.” Reverse the Bans? Because of the modest health risks and access to genetic counseling and premarital advice for cousin couples, Bittles says state bans on first-cousin marriage appear to be unnecessary.

“Given decreasing family sizes and ever-increasing educational, employment and social mobility, it seems almost inevitable that the prevalence of cousin marriage in the U.S. and other Western countries will decline,” he says. “There is certainly no evidence that if the states which currently ban first cousin marriage were to repeal their legislation, a great demand for such marriages would result.” Related Resources : Keeping Marriage in the Family

Do you need an officiant to get married Maryland?

Get Married! – Once a marriage license is approved, it cannot be used until 6 a.m. on the second calendar day after the license was issued. For example, if your license is approved on July 6th, it doesn’t legally become valid until 6 a.m. on July 8th. A Maryland marriage license expires six months after the day it becomes effective.

1. A copy of the marriage license for the officiant’s personal records.
2. A copy of the marriage license that must be returned to the circuit court from which it was obtained within five days.
3. A copy for the couple.

Per Klimas, additional witnesses are not required to sign the marriage license, and the copy the couple keeps is not considered legal proof of marriage. A certified copy of the marriage certificate can be purchased from the county after the county receives the signed marriage license from the officiant. The cost of a certified marriage certificate in Maryland is $5.50.

What are the marriage laws in Maryland?

Parental Consent – To marry without parental consent, a person must be at least 18 years old.

If one of the parties is 16 or 17 years old, the parties may marry with parental consent OR if a physician certifies that a female to be married is pregnant or has given birth to a child. For an individual who is 15 years of age, marriage is permitted only with parental consent AND a physician’s certification that a female to be married is pregnant or has given birth. Individuals under 15 cannot marry in Maryland.

Read the Law: Md. Code, Family Law § 2-301

Can you marry your sister in Maryland?

Can you marry a sibling in Maryland? – Maryland does not allow siblings to marry. Half-siblings are also not allowed to marry in the state.

How do you get married at the courthouse in Maryland?

Frequently Asked Questions about Marriage Licenses – If the parties getting married are residents of Montgomery County and at least 18 years old, they will appear before the clerk and provide the following under oath:

The full name of each party; The place of residence of each party; The age of each party; Whether the parties are related by blood or marriage and, if so, the degree of relationship; The marital status of each party; and Whether either party was married previously, and the date and place of each death or judicial determination that ended any former marriage.

The parties will then sign the Marriage Application Form and provide the clerk with the Social Security number of each party who has a Social Security number. (Please note the Marriage Application Form is not online because parties need to appear in person.) Parties do not need to bring any specific form of ID with them when they get a marriage license.

If the applicants to be married do not live in Montgomery County and are unable to appear in person to apply, they may apply for a marriage license using a Non-Resident Marriage Application (PDF), This form must be sworn to under oath and signed before a Clerk of the Court or comparable official where the applicants reside.

Mail this form along with a $55 money order payable to “Clerk of the Court,” to the License Department.

While only one party is required to apply for a marriage license, each party must provide a copy of an official government-issued birth certificate or other official government-issued document or record demonstrating their age. Minors under the age of 17 are no longer permitted to get married. An individual 17 years old may not marry unless:

the individual has the consent of each living parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the minor person either in person or through an affidavit signed under the seal of a notary public; OR if the individual does not have the required consent, a certificate from a licensed physician, licensed physician assistant, or certified nurse practitioner that states the woman to be married has been examined by the physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner and is found to be pregnant or has given birth to a child; AND the individual presents a certified copy of an order granting authorization to marry in accordance with the provisions of Title 5, Subtitle 2A of the Family Law Article not earlier than 15 days after the order was issued. To obtain an order granting authorization to marry, a minor who is 17 years old may file a petition in the Circuit Court in the county in which the minor resides, and an evidentiary hearing on the petition must be held to determine if an order of authorization to marry may be granted.

Read the Law: Md. Code, Family Law §5-2A-01, 5-2A-02, 5-2A-03, 5-2A-04 Marriage ceremonies are performed by appointment only. If you wish to hold your ceremony at the courthouse, please contact the License Department at 240-777-9460 or in person. You must obtain your marriage license before you may schedule a ceremony.

• The fee for the ceremony is $25 cash or money order.
• Ceremony participants don’t need to take a number.
• They should arrive ten minutes early.
• The ceremony takes ten minutes and rings are optional.
• Witnesses are not needed.
• MAXIMUM capacity for a civil ceremony is SIX (6) people including ceremony participants.

Guests should wait in the lobby. You must be on time. Once the ceremony begins, no one is allowed in the ceremony room. Certified copies of Marriage Licenses from 1993 forward are available from the Montgomery County Circuit Court. You will need certified copies of your marriage license to use as a legal document of proof of your marriage for the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), Social Security Administration, etc.

• You can make a request at any time for a Certified Copy of your Marriage License by completing the attached request (PDF) and sending it to the License Department.
• If you are getting married at the court, you can purchase a certified copy of your marriage when you pay for the civil ceremony.
• The cost of a Certified Copy is $5.50; a Non-Certified copy costs $.50.

For certified copies of Marriage Licenses before 1990 please contact the Maryland Archives at 410-260-6400 or online, For copies of marriage licenses for marriages on or after January 1, 1990, contact the Maryland Vital Statistics Administration at 800-832-3277 or online,

• Correction to marriage records must be requested in writing (along with supporting documentation — for example, a birth certificate to prove your name is spelled differently than what is shown on your marriage record).
• If the error was made by the License Department, there will be no charge for the correction.

You would complete the Marriage License Correction Request form (PDF) and file it with the License Department. If incorrect information was given at the time of your marriage application, then you must file a petition to correct a marriage record, with supporting documentation, with the Family Department along with a fee of $165.

The Family Department will open a new suit, and it will be sent to the judge for an order to be issued. If a couple has been married in another state or country and one of the parties is a citizen of Maryland, the couple may record the marriage (“foreign marriage”) at the License Department. The parties must provide a certificate of marriage signed by the individual who performed the marriage or an official certified copy of the marriage record.

There is no fee to record a foreign marriage, Visit the U.S. Passports & International Travel page for information about planning for a marriage in a foreign country. Fees for each of the following, except for ceremonies, may be paid in cash, money order, or Visa/Mastercard (credit cards can only be used when visiting the court in person).

Marriage License (Resident/Non-Resident): $55.00 – NO REFUNDS Civil Ceremony (if being done at the court): $25.00 (cash or money order) Duplicate License (replacement license prior to marriage): $10.00 Copy of License (non-certified): $.50

Is it illegal to marry your sibling in Maryland?

What information do I need to bring to obtain a marriage license? Marriage Licenses How do I change my name after I get married? Use your new name consistently and have your name changed on all important documents and papers. In some instances, you will be able to take your original marriage license to an agency and they will make copies.

Other agencies will require that you obtain a certified copy of the marriage license. A certified copy can be obtained from the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county where the license was issued. The cost for a certified copy is $5.50. I am a woman and I am planning to be married soon. Must I take my partner’s name? No.

In Maryland, a woman has the legal right to keep her birth name. May my partner and I both change our names to a hyphenated version of our two names or to a new name? You can make either change. More men are changing their names for marriage. In Maryland, any person may choose any name after they are married, as long as s/he does so consistently and is not acting illegally.

• I was married in another state/country.
• Can I register the marriage here? A marriage that took place outside of Maryland is considered a “foreign marriage.” You may register a foreign marriage with the Clerk of the Circuit Court for a fee.
• The document must be in English.
• Do I have to obtain a license in the county where I live? You must obtain a license issued by the Clerk for the county in which the ceremony is going to take place.

(Family Law 2-401) I applied for a marriage license. When does the license become effective? Does it expire? The license becomes effective at 6 a.m. on the second calendar day after the license is issued (generally referred to as a 48 hour waiting period) and the marriage ceremony must take place within 6 months of the effective date.

Are same sex marriages valid to be performed in Maryland? Yes. Please read the Civil Marriage Protection Act, Are there certain degrees of relationships that are prohibited from marrying? Yes. Any marriage performed in this State prohibited by Family Law 2-202 is void. Generally, marriages within 3 degrees of direct lineal consanguinity or within the first degree of collateral consanguinity are prohibited.

(Consanguinity is defined as the relationship of persons of the same blood or origin. Direct Lineal Consanguinity is the relationship between persons who are directly descended or ascended from one another. Collateral consanguinity is the relationship between persons who have the same ancestor but do not descend or ascend from one another.) According to Maryland Annotated Code Family Law 2-202, a man may not marry his: grandmother, mother, daughter, sister or granddaughter.

• He also may not marry his grandfather’s wife, wife’s grandmother, father’s sister, mother’s sister, stepmother, wife’s mother, wife’s daughter, son’s wife, grandson’s wife, wife’s granddaughter, brother’s daughter or sister’s daughter.
• A woman may not marry her: grandfather, father, son, brother, or grandson.

She also may not marry her: grandmother’s husband, husband’s grandfather, father’s brother, mother’s brother, stepfather, husband’s father, husband’s son, daughter’s husband, husband’s grandson, brother’s son, sister’s son, or granddaughter’s husband.

Can you marry your sister in Alabama?

Alabama Marriage Requirements – Love may have its legal limits in many states, but Alabama’s marriage laws are relatively liberal. There are only a handful of hard restrictions when it comes to whom, how and when you may marry in Alabama, including:

Minors under 16 years of age cannot marry, but minors between ages 16 and 18 may with the consent of their parents or guardians. You cannot marry children, siblings, parents, uncles, aunts, grandchildren, grandparents or great grandparents of any relation. You can marry first cousins without restriction, however. If you were previously married and divorced, you must wait 60 days after the divorce is finalized before remarrying. No state residency requirement, though some counties may enforce a local residency requirement. Proxy marriages (i.e. when a third party performs the ceremony in place of the bride or groom) are prohibited. Same-sex marriage is legal in Alabama, but some counties may refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex partners.

In which country brother can marry sister?

P.Oxy 2858 – To Agathodaimon and Herakleidesscribes of the metropolis, from Kephalas son of Heron son of Theon and from his wife who is sister of the same father and of the same mother,Didumewe register the son born to us, Didumos. We deposit a notification of his birth.

• This is a document registering the birth of a son.
• The parents are citizens of the Metropolis Arsinoe.
• This was a privileged status and their reference of being husband and wife as well as brother and sister was necessary to identify themselves.
• Here is another example of a brother-sister couple registering the birth of their child: Apynchis and Tapasis, his sister-wife, registering their eight year old daughter 14 February 185 AD To Hermophilos, royal scribe of the Arsinoite nome.

Herakleides division, from Aphynchis, son of an unknown father and his mother Tapholemis, and from his sister Tapasis, born from the same mother who is also his wifewe register our daughter Taesis, who was born to us both and is now eight years old The next papyri source comes from two parents who were also children of a brother-sister marriage.

What do you need to marry in Maryland?

Waiting Period – After application, the license, which is not effective until 6:00 a.m. on the second calendar day, will be issued. (i.e.48 hour waiting period) The license must be used within 6 months (you must marry within 6 months or the license will be void).

Only one of the parties needs to appear to apply for the marriage license (unless using a Non-Resident Marriage Application to marry outside of Somerset County, then both parties must appear). Both parties must be over 18 years of age. Forms of identification for each person: driver’s license, birth certificate or a passport (Applicants 17 and younger are required to call the License Department prior to applying.) The fee is $25.00 – CASH only Neither a blood test nor witnesses are required in Maryland.

What are the marriage laws in Maryland?

Parental Consent – To marry without parental consent, a person must be at least 18 years old.

If one of the parties is 16 or 17 years old, the parties may marry with parental consent OR if a physician certifies that a female to be married is pregnant or has given birth to a child. For an individual who is 15 years of age, marriage is permitted only with parental consent AND a physician’s certification that a female to be married is pregnant or has given birth. Individuals under 15 cannot marry in Maryland.

Read the Law: Md. Code, Family Law § 2-301

How much is a marriage certificate in Maryland?

Fees – When applying using a Non-Resident Affidavit –

You must pay all fees by money order or certified check, payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Personal checks are NOT accepted. The marriage license fee is $35.00, There is an additional fee of $25.00 for civil ceremonies performed by a judge, the clerk of court, or a designated deputy clerk of the circuit court, payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the time of the application. Photo identification is required for applicants.