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§ 2-409. Signing and disposition of marriage certificates

West's Annotated Code of MarylandFamily Law

West's Annotated Code of Maryland
Family Law (Refs & Annos)
Title 2. Marriage (Refs & Annos)
Subtitle 4. Licensing and Performance (Refs & Annos)
MD Code, Family Law, § 2-409
§ 2-409. Signing and disposition of marriage certificates
Currentness
Signing of certificate
(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.
Disposition of certificates
(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.
Failure to return certificate
(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.
Prohibition; penalty
(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.

Credits

Added by Acts 1984, c. 296, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 1984. Amended by Acts 1999, c. 336, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 1999.
Formerly Art. 62, §§ 4, 5, 15.
MD Code, Family Law, § 2-409, MD FAMILY § 2-409
Current through legislation effective through April 9, 2023, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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