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Maryland Code, Family Law § 2-409

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) Each marriage certificate shall contain:

(1) the name, signature, and title of the authorized official who performs the marriage ceremony; or

(2) if the individuals are married in a Society of Friends marriage ceremony, the signatures of the individuals and the attestation of the certificate by 2 overseers of the marriage ceremony.

(b)(1) The authorized official who performs the marriage ceremony shall:

(i) hand 1 marriage certificate to the individuals; and

(ii) return, within 5 days from the date of the marriage ceremony, the other marriage certificate to the clerk who issued the license to which the certificates were attached, but if the authorized official who performs the marriage ceremony dies or resigns, some other individual shall return the certificate.

(2) If the individuals are married in a Society of Friends marriage ceremony, they:

(i) may keep 1 marriage certificate; and

(ii) within 5 days from the date of the marriage ceremony, shall return the other marriage certificate to the clerk who issued the license to which the certificates were attached.

(c) If the marriage certificate is not returned within 6 months after the date on which the license becomes effective, the clerk who issued the license shall attempt to determine whether the marriage ceremony was performed and, if so, the name of the authorized official who performed the marriage ceremony.

(d)(1) An individual who performs a marriage ceremony or who is married in a Society of Friends marriage ceremony may not violate the provisions of subsection (b)(1)(ii) or (2)(ii) of this section.

(2) An individual who violates any provision of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine in an amount that the court considers appropriate.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Maryland Code, Family Law § 2-409 - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/md/family-law/md-code-family-sect-2-409/

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