Baltimore City Marriage License Application: Waiting Period and Ceremony

To get a Baltimore City marriage license, one of you goes in person to the Circuit Court’s Marriage and Business Licenses office in the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse, gives information about both parties under oath, hands over proof of age and Social Security numbers, and pays $85 in cash. The license then sits for a short waiting period before it becomes effective. A Baltimore City marriage license application only works for a ceremony held in Baltimore City itself, and once effective the license is good for six months.

Where and How to Apply

Applications go through the Marriage and Business Licenses office in Room 627 of the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse at 100 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.¹

Only one party has to show up. That person gives the information for both parties under oath, signs the application, and pays the fee. The other party does not need to be there.²

The fee is $85, cash only. That total combines a $10 state fee with a local surcharge set by the Mayor and City Council.³ If you want the courthouse to perform a civil ceremony instead of using an outside officiant, that costs another $25 in cash, and you need to bring one witness who is at least 18.¹

What to Bring

The clerk enters information onto the application under oath, so the applicant at the window needs to know the following about both people:

Full legal name of each party.
Place of residence of each party.
Age of each party.
Whether the two of you are related by blood or marriage, and if so, how.
Marital status of each party.
For any prior marriage, the date and place it ended, whether by death, divorce, or annulment.

You also need documents. Each party must provide a Social Security number, which is entered into the electronic file but kept out of the public record. And you need a government-issued birth certificate or another official government document proving each party’s age. A valid photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport is the most practical way to cover both the age check and identity verification at the window. If either party does not have a Social Security number, tell the clerk rather than leaving the field blank.

If Neither of You Lives in Baltimore City

Non-residents planning to marry in Baltimore City can substitute a sworn affidavit for the in-person application. The affidavit has to contain the same information listed above and be notarized by a clerk or comparable official in the county, state, or country where the applicant lives. Social Security numbers and proof of age still come with it.²

Who Can Marry in Maryland

Both parties must be at least 18. Anyone under 17 cannot marry at all. A 17-year-old faces a narrow path that requires the consent of every living parent or guardian plus a certified court order authorizing the marriage; if parental consent is unavailable, the couple must instead provide a physician’s certificate confirming pregnancy or birth.⁴

You cannot marry a grandparent, parent, child, sibling, or grandchild. A marriage performed in Maryland that violates those rules is void.⁵

Both parties have to be legally single. If either of you was previously married, that marriage must have ended by divorce, annulment, or death before the clerk will issue a new license, and you will tell the clerk the date and place it ended. Maryland does not require a blood test or physical examination.

The Waiting Period

The license does not take effect the moment you pay. Under Maryland law, it becomes effective at 6 a.m. on the second calendar day after issuance. A license issued Monday cannot be used until Wednesday at 6 a.m.⁶

Once ready, the clerk can hand the license over in person or mail it to either party. You can also authorize someone else in writing to pick it up for you.⁶

A circuit court judge can authorize the license to take effect sooner for good cause, but only if at least one party is a Maryland resident or a member of the U.S. armed forces. Couples facing deployment or another emergency should ask the clerk about the waiver process.⁶

Where the License Works and How Long It Lasts

A Baltimore City marriage license is valid for ceremonies performed within Baltimore City only. Maryland law requires you to get the license from the clerk in the county or city where the ceremony will take place. If you plan to marry elsewhere in Maryland, apply at that county’s circuit court instead.⁶⁷

Once effective, the license stays valid for six months. If you don’t use it in that window, it expires and you start over with a new application and another $85 fee.⁸

Who Can Officiate

Maryland authorizes four categories of officiants:

Religious officials authorized by the rules and customs of their religious order or body.
A circuit court clerk.
A deputy clerk designated by the county administrative judge.
A judge, including any active or retired Maryland state judge, federal district or appellate judge, or U.S. Tax Court judge.

⁸

The religious-official category is broad and Maryland law does not specifically exclude ministers ordained online, but it does require the person to be authorized by the rules and customs of their religious body. If your officiant was ordained through an internet ministry, confirm with the clerk’s office before the ceremony that the credentials will be accepted. Anyone who performs a ceremony without proper authorization faces a $500 fine.⁸

Maryland does not require witnesses to sign the license itself. But if you hold the ceremony at the Baltimore City courthouse, the court requires you to bring at least one witness who is 18 or older.¹

After the Ceremony

The clerk issues multiple copies of the license. Your officiant completes and signs them after performing the ceremony. One copy returns to the clerk’s office to be recorded as the official marriage record, and you keep a copy. Instructions for which copy goes where are printed on the forms.

The signed license you walk away with is not a certified marriage certificate. For the certified copy that banks, employers, and government agencies typically require, go through the Maryland Division of Vital Records for any marriage on or after January 1, 2007. You can order one three ways:

Online through VitalChek at vitalchek.com, the DVR’s authorized vendor, with an added processing fee.
By mail, sending the application, photocopies of required identification, a check or money order payable to the Division of Vital Records, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036.
In person at the DVR lobby, by appointment only.

⁹

Only the spouses named on the record, their authorized representatives, or their attorneys can request a certified copy.⁹

1
Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Land Records and Licenses Division
2
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 2-402 – Application for License
3
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 2-404 – Fees for Licenses
4
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 2-301 – Marriage of Individual 17 Years Old
5
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 2-202 – Prohibited Marriages
6
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 2-405 – Issuance of License
7
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 2-401 – License Required
8
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 2-406 – Performance of Marriage Ceremony
9
Maryland Department of Health. Request Marriage Certificates