Maryland Marriage License Requirements 2026: Fees, Wait, Age

In Maryland, the clerk of the circuit court issues marriage licenses, and you must apply in the county where the wedding will take place. Under Title 2, Subtitle 4 of the Maryland Family Law Article (sections 2-401 to 2-410), the license is not effective until 6 a.m. on the second calendar day after it is issued, and the ceremony must happen within 6 months after that. The fee is set by each county on top of a $10 state base fee, and you must be 18, or 17 with both parental consent and a court order.

For other states, see our guide to marriage license requirements by state.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers getting a marriage license and marrying in Maryland under the Maryland Code, Family Law Article, sections 2-201, 2-202, 2-301 and 2-401 to 2-410, with procedures from the Montgomery, Prince George's, Baltimore County and Baltimore City circuit court clerks. It does not cover divorce, ordering older marriage records, common-law marriage, or the rules of other states.

Where to Get a Marriage License in Maryland

Apply to the clerk of the circuit court for the county where you plan to hold the ceremony. Baltimore City has its own circuit court clerk. Section 2-401(a) of the Family Law Article states: "An individual may not marry in this State without a license issued by the clerk for the county in which the marriage is performed."

That rule is stricter than in many states. A Maryland license is valid only in the county that issues it, so a couple who apply in Montgomery County cannot use that license for a ceremony in Annapolis or Ocean City. The Maryland Judiciary's tip sheet says it directly: "You must go to the circuit court in the county in which you plan to perform the ceremony."

You apply at the clerk's office during regular business hours. No county page checked for this article offers an online or video application, though Prince George's County uses an appointment system. Baltimore City's marriage license office (100 N. Calvert St., Room 627) is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Does one person or both have to appear?

Under the statute, one of you applies in person, under oath, and signs the application (Fam. Law 2-402(b)). The Judiciary's tip sheet puts it plainly: "Only one person needs to be present to apply for a marriage license." Baltimore County says the same.

Applying from out of town

You do not need to live in Maryland. If neither of you lives in the county where the ceremony will be performed, the clerk must accept a sworn affidavit from one of you instead of an in-person appearance (Fam. Law 2-402(d)). The affidavit is sworn before a clerk or comparable official where that person lives. Montgomery and Prince George's counties offer a mailed non-resident application, paid by money order.

Once issued, the license can be delivered in person or by mail to either of you, or to someone you authorize in writing (Fam. Law 2-405(f)).

What to Bring

Under Fam. Law 2-402, the applicant gives the following under oath for both parties:

• Full legal name, residence and date of birth
• Whether the two of you are related by blood or marriage, and how
• Marital status, and for any earlier marriage, the date and place it ended by death or court judgment
• The Social Security number of each party who has one (kept in the clerk's electronic file and not open to the public)
• A copy of an official government-issued birth certificate or another official government-issued document showing each party's age

The Judiciary's tip sheet adds what to have ready for a past marriage: for a divorce, the date of the order and the state and county that granted it; for a spouse who died, the death certificate and where the death occurred. Prince George's County lists a driver's license, birth certificate, military ID or passport as acceptable identification.

If the clerk finds a legal reason the two of you should not marry, the clerk withholds the license unless a court orders it issued (Fam. Law 2-405(e)).

How Much a Maryland Marriage License Costs

The statute sets a $10 state base fee (Fam. Law 2-404(a)). Each county, or group of counties, may add a surcharge for domestic violence programs, and the statute gives several counties their own higher caps. The result is that the price differs from county to county.

We could not reach an official Anne Arundel County page listing its marriage license fee, so it is not shown. The statute lets Anne Arundel add a surcharge of up to $45 to the base fee. For any county, the clerk's own page is the final word, and fees can change.

Maryland offers no fee discount for a premarital education course in the current text of section 2-404.

Other charges you may see:

• Replacement license: $10 (Fam. Law 2-404(a)).
• Courthouse ceremony: $25, or $30 in Cecil County (Fam. Law 2-410). When a judge performs it, you pay the clerk before the license is issued.
• Certified copy of the marriage certificate: $5.50 per copy in Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

Waiting Period: When the License Takes Effect

You can usually walk out with the license the day you apply, but you cannot use it right away. Section 2-405(d)(1) provides that "a license is not effective until 6 a.m. on the second calendar day after the license is issued."

In practice, a license issued on a Monday becomes effective at 6 a.m. on Wednesday. Montgomery and Baltimore counties describe this as a 48-hour wait, and Montgomery tells couples to buy the license at least 48 hours before the ceremony. The statute's actual rule is the 6 a.m. effective time, which Prince George's County quotes on its own page.

Getting the wait waived

For good cause, a judge of the circuit court for the county where you apply may sign an authorization making the license effective earlier (Fam. Law 2-405(d)). That option is available only if one of you is a Maryland resident or a member of the armed services.

How Long the License Is Valid

The ceremony must take place within 6 months after the license becomes effective. Section 2-406(b) states: "Within 6 months after a license becomes effective, any authorized official may perform the marriage ceremony of the individuals named in the license."

Count from the effective date, not the application date. Baltimore County's page counts six months from the application, but the statute controls. If the signed certificate is not returned within 6 months after the effective date, the clerk must try to find out whether the ceremony took place.

Age Requirements

You must be 18 to marry in Maryland without a court's involvement. Since October 1, 2022, the only exception is for 17-year-olds, and section 2-301(b) states that "An individual under the age of 17 may not marry."

The change came from House Bill 83 of 2022, "Family Law - Marriage of Minors," enacted as Chapter 175 of the 2022 Laws of Maryland and effective October 1, 2022.

The rule for 17-year-olds

A 17-year-old may marry only with both of the following (Fam. Law 2-301(a)):

1. Consent from each living parent, guardian or legal custodian, or, if that consent is missing, a certificate from a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner that the woman to be married is pregnant or has given birth; and
2. A certified copy of a circuit court order authorizing the marriage, presented to the clerk no earlier than 15 days after the order was issued.

The court process is in sections 5-2A-01 to 5-2A-04 of the Family Law Article. The 17-year-old files the petition in their own name in the circuit court for the county where they live. The court appoints a lawyer for the minor, holds an evidentiary hearing and interviews the minor separately.

Parental wishes or a pregnancy alone are not enough. If every parent opposes the marriage, a rebuttable presumption weighs against it. The court must find that the marriage is voluntary and free of coercion and that the minor is mature and self-sufficient. It may not grant the order where, for example, the intended spouse held a position of authority or trust over the minor, a protective or peace order was issued against the intended spouse, or the pregnancy or child is evidence of a sexual crime.

A minor considering this route may also want to read about Maryland emancipation laws.

Who Cannot Marry in Maryland

Section 2-201(b) states: "Only a marriage between two individuals who are not otherwise prohibited from marrying is valid in this State." The application asks about any earlier marriage and how it ended, so a person who is still married cannot get a license.

Section 2-202 lists the relatives you may not marry. A marriage within these relationships is void, and entering one is a misdemeanor:

• Fine of $1,500: grandparent, parent, child, sibling or grandchild.
• Fine of $500: grandparent's spouse, spouse's grandparent, parent's sibling, stepparent, spouse's parent, spouse's child, child's spouse, grandchild's spouse, spouse's grandchild, or sibling's child.

First cousins are not on the list, so section 2-202 does not prohibit a marriage between first cousins.

Blood Tests and Medical Requirements

The marriage license sections of the Family Law Article (2-401 to 2-410) contain no blood test or medical exam requirement. The only related step is informational. The Maryland Department of Health supplies birth control information and a list of local family planning clinics, and section 2-405(g) provides that "the clerk shall make the information and list available to each applicant for a license."

Who Can Perform the Ceremony

Under Fam. Law 2-406(a), these officials may perform a marriage in Maryland:

• Any official of a religious order or body "authorized by the rules and customs of that order or body to perform a marriage ceremony"
• Any circuit court clerk, or a deputy clerk the clerk designates
• A judge, which the statute defines broadly to include Maryland District Court, circuit court and appellate judges, judges of a U.S. District Court, a U.S. Court of Appeals or the U.S. Tax Court, and judges of any state court (active, or retired but eligible for recall)

Performing a ceremony without authority is a misdemeanor with a $500 fine. The license sections of the Family Law Article contain no registration requirement for officiants. The Judiciary's tip sheet sums up the religious route: "The officiant must be an official of a religious group and authorized by that group to perform marriage ceremonies."

The statute does not address online ordination. Whether a particular officiant qualifies turns on whether the religious body's rules and customs authorize that person, so if your officiant was ordained online, ask the clerk before the wedding. Section 2-406 also provides no one-day officiant designation for a friend or relative.

Courthouse weddings

Clerks perform civil ceremonies at the courthouse for $25 in Montgomery, Prince George's, Baltimore County and Baltimore City, and the statute sets $30 for Cecil County (Fam. Law 2-410). Each county's administrative judge sets when and where clerk ceremonies take place. Baltimore City holds ceremonies Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., charges the $25 fee in cash only, and requires a witness age 18 or older to be present.

The statute sections reviewed here do not themselves require witnesses, but some courthouses do. Ask your clerk.

Quaker ceremonies

The statute provides a separate certificate form for a marriage performed in a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) ceremony (Fam. Law 2-403(b)(2)), and the couple handles the certificate themselves (Fam. Law 2-409).

After the Ceremony

The license comes with two certificates. The officiant gives one to the couple and returns the other to the clerk who issued the license "within 5 days from the date of the marriage ceremony" (Fam. Law 2-409). In a Quaker ceremony, the couple keeps one and returns the other within 5 days. Returning the certificate late is a misdemeanor, with a fine the court considers appropriate.

The issuing clerk keeps the marriage license record (Fam. Law 2-501). To order certified copies later, see Maryland marriage and divorce records. If you plan to change your surname, see Maryland name change laws and our guide to changing your name after marriage.

2026 Bill on Both Parties Appearing (Not Law)

House Bill 95 and Senate Bill 355 of the 2026 session would require both parties, not one, to appear before the clerk, with an affidavit route for a party who cannot appear because of military service, incarceration, hospitalization or other good cause. HB 95 passed the House of Delegates 136-0 on February 26, 2026, but the legislature's bill page still shows it at first reading in the Senate, referred to Judicial Proceedings, with no passage, chapter number or signature recorded. SB 355 shows only hearings. On that record neither bill is law, so the one-party rule in section 2-402 still applies.

Common Myths About Maryland Marriage Licenses

• "A 17-year-old can marry with a parent's consent." Since October 1, 2022, a 17-year-old also needs a circuit court order, and no one under 17 may marry.
• "A Maryland license works anywhere in the state." It is valid only in the county that issued it.
• "The wait is exactly 48 hours." The license takes effect at 6 a.m. on the second calendar day after it is issued.
• "The license costs $10 everywhere." $10 is only the state base fee. The counties checked charge $35 to $85.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Maryland marriage licenses under the Maryland Code, Family Law Article, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. Fees and office procedures differ by county and change over time. For your specific situation, contact the clerk of the circuit court in the county where you plan to marry or a lawyer licensed in Maryland.

Related

• Marriage license requirements by state
• Maryland marriage and divorce records
• Maryland name change laws
• How to get a copy of your marriage certificate
• Pennsylvania marriage license requirements
• West Virginia marriage license requirements

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in Maryland?

It depends on the county. The state base fee is $10 (Fam. Law 2-404), and counties add surcharges: Baltimore County charges $35, Montgomery $55, Prince George's $70 and Baltimore City $85, cash only.

Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Maryland?

Yes. Under Fam. Law 2-405(d), the license is not effective until 6 a.m. on the second calendar day after it is issued. A circuit court judge can authorize an earlier effective time for good cause if one party is a Maryland resident or a service member.

How long is a Maryland marriage license good for?

The ceremony must take place within 6 months after the license becomes effective (Fam. Law 2-406(b)).

Can I get a marriage license in one Maryland county and marry in another?

No. Fam. Law 2-401 requires a license from the clerk for the county where the marriage is performed, and the license is valid only in that county.

Do both people have to be present to apply for a Maryland marriage license?

No. Under Fam. Law 2-402(b) and the Maryland Judiciary tip sheet, one party can appear and apply for both.

Do you have to be a Maryland resident to get married in Maryland?

No. If neither of you lives in the county where the ceremony will be held, the clerk must accept a sworn affidavit from one of you in place of an in-person appearance (Fam. Law 2-402(d)).

Can a 17-year-old get married in Maryland?

Only with parental consent (or a medical certificate of pregnancy or birth) plus a certified circuit court order authorizing the marriage, presented at least 15 days after the order issued (Fam. Law 2-301). No one under 17 may marry.

Can first cousins marry in Maryland?

First cousins are not among the relationships Fam. Law 2-202 prohibits. The list covers relatives such as parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and several in-law and step relationships.

Does Maryland require a blood test to get married?

No. The license sections of the Family Law Article (2-401 to 2-410) do not require a blood test or medical exam.

Who can perform a wedding in Maryland?

A religious official authorized by the rules and customs of the religious body, a circuit court clerk or designated deputy clerk, or a judge as defined in Fam. Law 2-406. A courthouse ceremony costs $25 ($30 in Cecil County).

Who returns the marriage license after the wedding in Maryland?

The officiant gives one certificate to the couple and returns the other to the clerk who issued the license within 5 days of the ceremony (Fam. Law 2-409).