Find Anne Arundel County Marriage Records

Getting a Marriage License in Anne Arundel County

Marriage licenses for Anne Arundel County are issued by the Circuit Court License Department at 8 Church Circle, Room H101, Annapolis, MD 21401. The department handles new marriage license applications, civil ceremony appointments, and certified marriage copies. Marriage license and copy hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday except weekends and state holidays. The office notes that no credit card transactions are processed after 4:00 p.m., so applicants who arrive late in the day should plan another payment method or return during posted hours.

One applicant may appear in person and provide information for both future spouses. The application takes about 15 minutes and is signed under oath. Maryland does not require a blood test. The Anne Arundel County marriage license has a 48-hour waiting period before it can be used, remains valid for six months after issuance, and is valid only for a ceremony performed in Anne Arundel County. The applicant must provide proof of age, current address details, Social Security information when applicable, and prior marriage information for each person.

The official Anne Arundel County marriage license page is the source for the local license counter, copy hours, ceremony rules, and payment instructions.

That local page is the best starting point when the need is a new license, a civil ceremony, or a certified copy of an Anne Arundel County marriage record.

Apply for Anne Arundel County Marriage Records

Applicants should prepare the details for both spouses before visiting the License Department. The office needs exact prior divorce or death details when either person was married before, including month, day, year, county, and state. Anne Arundel County does not require applicants to bring prior divorce documents for the marriage license application, but the dates and locations must still be accurate. A 17-year-old applicant is subject to Maryland minor-marriage limits and must have the required consent or a qualifying court order. Minors under 17 may not marry.

1. Go to the Circuit Court License Department at 8 Church Circle, Room H101, during posted license hours.
2. Bring government-issued proof of age, such as a birth certificate, driver's license, or passport.
3. Provide the required information for both future spouses, including birth data, address, Social Security status, and prior marriage history.
4. Sign the application under oath and pay the Anne Arundel County marriage license fee.
5. Wait 48 hours before the license is valid, then use it within six months for a ceremony in Anne Arundel County.

For applicants who cannot apply in Anne Arundel County in person at least 48 hours before the ceremony, Maryland allows a nonresident affidavit process. The affidavit must be signed by a local Clerk of Circuit Court or comparable official where the applicant lives. It is then mailed to the Anne Arundel County Clerk of the Circuit Court with the required fee as a money order or certified check. Personal checks are not accepted for the nonresident affidavit process.

Anne Arundel Marriage Application Fields

The marriage license application asks for identity, age, residence, Social Security, and prior-marriage details. The Social Security number is required by federal and state law when the applicant has one, but it is not printed on the marriage license. Citizenship is not required. If a person had a prior marriage, the application calls for exact divorce or death details, because those facts affect whether the new marriage license can be issued.

Anne Arundel County Marriage and Divorce Fees

Marriage fees in Anne Arundel County are published by the Circuit Court License Department. The research file did not provide a current local divorce filing fee or certified divorce decree fee, so those amounts are not stated here. Divorce filing and copy charges should be verified with the Civil and Family Department or the statewide court fee schedule before payment.

Accepted payment for an in-person marriage license includes cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or money order. Civil ceremonies accept cash or Visa, MasterCard, and Discover; personal checks are not accepted for ceremonies. Certified copy requests by mail may be paid by personal check, cashier's check, or money order payable to the Clerk of the Court.

How to Look Up Anne Arundel County Marriage Records

The Circuit Court has Anne Arundel County marriage records from 1905 to the present. Certified copies may be requested in person at the License Department or by mail. A mail request should include the names of the parties, the date of marriage, the marriage license number if known, a daytime phone number, the number of copies requested, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope when faster return handling is desired.

For a routine Anne Arundel County marriage records search, the most useful identifiers are the spouses' names and exact marriage date. The license number helps but is not required by the research file. Certified copies are often needed for name changes, benefits, immigration files, and other formal uses, so a public docket entry or a personal copy may not be enough. The Clerk's License Department is the local record custodian for these marriage records.

The state marriage license law is reflected in Maryland Family Law § 2-401, which is one of the legal sources behind the license process.

The statute image supports the local rule that a marriage license is a legal court-issued record, not just a ceremony receipt.

How to Find Anne Arundel County Divorce Records

Anne Arundel County divorce records are Circuit Court family records. The Civil and Family Department handles divorce, custody, child support, name changes, and related noncriminal filings. Case metadata may appear in Maryland Judiciary Case Search, but a certified decree, complete file copy, or copy of a specific order must be requested through the clerk's family records channel. When a divorce case is still active, docket entries can also show hearings, motions, orders, and judgment activity.

Family court files can contain sensitive financial, child, address, and personal details. Some information may be sealed, redacted, or unavailable to the general public. Adoption and juvenile material is restricted, and child-related details may be limited even when a divorce docket is public. People who need a certified divorce decree for remarriage, benefits, or legal proof should request the specific decree or judgment, not just rely on a public search result.

A broader Anne Arundel County court records search can help locate the case number before a divorce copy request is sent to the clerk.

Certified Copies and Mail Requests

Certified marriage copies come from the Clerk of the Circuit Court License Department. The mail request should be directed to the appropriate clerk department at 8 Church Circle in Annapolis, with the record identifiers, phone number, requested copy count, payment, and return envelope. In-person requesters may use the License Department counter during posted marriage license and copy hours.

Certified divorce copies are handled differently because divorce records are civil and family court records. Requesters should use the Civil and Family Records contact channel, identify the case number if possible, and ask for the decree, judgment, or specific order needed. The clerk can distinguish between a plain copy and a certified copy. Certified copies are the version normally required for formal legal use.

Anne Arundel Divorce and Family Help

Divorce filing itself begins in Circuit Court, not with a state vital records counter. The process generally includes filing Maryland family-law forms, paying filing fees or requesting a fee waiver, serving the other party, attending scheduling conferences or hearings, completing mediation or parent education if ordered, and obtaining a final judgment. The Family Law Help Center in Suite 301 assists self-represented litigants with divorce, custody and visitation, child support, and name-change questions.

Marriage and divorce records have different access channels in Anne Arundel County. Marriage licenses and certified marriage copies are handled by the License Department. Divorce dockets and decrees are handled through Civil and Family Records. Statewide Case Search can help with public case metadata, but it is not a certified record and may not show sealed or restricted family details.