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Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
(a)(1) A county may discount a marriage license fee under § 2-404(a) of this subtitle if the couple to be married has completed, within 1 year before the date of the application for the license, a premarital preparation course that meets the requirements specified in this section.
(2) The amount of any discount shall be determined by the county governing body.
(b) A premarital preparation course shall:
(1) include instruction regarding:
(i) conflict management;
(ii) communication skills;
(iii) financial responsibilities; and
(iv) children and parenting responsibilities; and
(2) consist of at least 4 hours of instruction.
(c) A premarital preparation course may be conducted by:
(1) a clinical professional counselor or a clinical marriage and family therapist licensed under Title 17, Subtitle 3A of the Health Occupations Article;
(2) a psychologist licensed under Title 18 of the Health Occupations Article;
(3) a social worker licensed under Title 19 of the Health Occupations Article;
(4) an official representative of a religious institution if the representative has relevant training; or
(5) any other qualified provider approved by a county governing body.
(d)(1) A premarital preparation course provider shall register with the clerk by filing a written affidavit containing:
(i) the provider's name, address, and telephone number;
(ii) a summary of the provider's qualifications and training; and
(iii) a statement that the provider shall comply with the course requirements specified in this section.
(2) The clerk may establish a roster of area premarital preparation course providers, including those who offer the course on a sliding fee scale or for free.
(e)(1) A premarital preparation course provider shall provide to each couple who completes the course a certificate of completion that specifies:
(i) the names of the couple;
(ii) the name of the provider; and
(iii) the date of completion of the course.
(2) To receive a discounted marriage license fee under this section, an applicant for a license shall verify completion of a premarital preparation course by filing with the clerk a valid certificate of course completion issued in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(f) Any cost for a premarital preparation course shall be paid by the applicant for a marriage license.
(g) The discount authorized by this section may not be applied to any fee used to fund domestic violence programs.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Maryland Code, Family Law § 2-404.1 - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/md/family-law/md-code-family-sect-2-404-1/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
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