2016 Maryland Code
Family Law
Title 2 - Marriage
Subtitle 4 - Licensing and Performance
§ 2-409. Signing and disposition of marriage certificates
(a) Signing of certificate. -- 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) Disposition of certificates. --
(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) Duty of clerk when certificate not returned. -- 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) Disposition of certificates required; penalty. --
(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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