Montgomery County Marriage Licenses

Montgomery County marriage licenses come from the Circuit Court Clerk's office in Rockville, located at 50 Maryland Avenue, North Tower. This is Maryland's most populous county, with major communities including Silver Spring, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Rockville itself. Whether you live in any of these areas or are coming from out of state, all marriage license applications go through the same Rockville office. This page covers the in-person-only application process, the $55 fee, civil ceremony details, and how to search Montgomery County marriage records.

Montgomery County Circuit Court Marriage License Office

Montgomery County has its own county-run court system. The office you visit is at 50 Maryland Avenue, North Tower Room 1300, Rockville, MD 20850. Call (240) 777-9460 for questions. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is closed on weekends and state holidays. Walk-in applications are accepted. Ceremonies require a separate appointment and can have a maximum of 10 people total in attendance.

One important thing to know: Montgomery County does not have an online application form. The application must be completed in person at the Rockville office. You cannot download or fill out the form ahead of time and bring it in. Both parties do not need to appear together, but the one who comes in must have all the required information for both people. Plan to spend about 20 to 30 minutes at the office.

The official Montgomery County marriage license page at montgomerycountymd.gov provides requirements and hours for the Rockville courthouse.

This page is hosted on the county's own website rather than mdcourts.gov, which reflects the fact that Montgomery County operates its own court administration system.

The Montgomery County Circuit Court main page provides information on the full range of court services at the Rockville courthouse.

The court's main page is a useful reference if you need other services at the Rockville courthouse in addition to your marriage license application.

Applying for a Montgomery County Marriage License

Go to the North Tower Room 1300 at 50 Maryland Avenue in Rockville during office hours. One party must appear in person. The other party does not need to be present but must have their information ready for the applying party to provide. The form is completed at the office with the help of a clerk.

Each party must provide their full legal name, current address, age, and state or country of birth. Both need valid government-issued photo IDs. Both must provide their Social Security numbers. Maryland law requires these numbers, though they are not printed on the marriage license. If either party was previously married, you need the exact date and county or state of each divorce. If a prior spouse died, provide the date and place of death. Missing any of this information means you cannot complete the application at that visit.

The $55 fee is paid at the time of application by cash, check, money order, or credit card. The license is issued the same day. Maryland's 48-hour waiting period then begins. The license becomes valid at 6:00 a.m. on the second calendar day. Under Maryland Family Law Section 2-401, no ceremony may take place without a valid license in hand. The license is good for six months. You must use it for a ceremony within Montgomery County. No residency requirement exists. No blood test is needed. Same-sex marriages have been legal in Maryland since January 1, 2013. As of October 2022, no one under 17 may marry, and a 17-year-old requires a court order. Out-of-state couples can use the Non-Resident Marriage License Form CC-FM-066 as a reference for the non-resident application process.

Note: Montgomery County's in-person-only application policy means there is no shortcut. Both parties must have their information organized before the applying party visits the Rockville office.

Civil Ceremonies at the Montgomery County Courthouse

Civil marriage ceremonies are performed by appointment at the Rockville courthouse. Call (240) 777-9460 to schedule. The ceremony fee is $25, paid at the time of the ceremony. Cash, check, money order, or credit card are accepted. A maximum of 10 people total may attend, including the couple being married. This limit is enforced.

Maryland has no justices of the peace. Ceremonies at the courthouse are performed by the Clerk or a judge. If you choose a private officiant for a venue elsewhere in Montgomery County, that person must be legally authorized to perform ceremonies in Maryland. The Maryland People's Law Library explains the legal requirements for officiants throughout the state. The officiant must return the signed certificate to the Montgomery County Clerk within five days. For certified copies of the marriage record after your ceremony, use the certified copy request form from montgomerycountymd.gov to submit your request.

Montgomery County Marriage License Records Search

To get a certified copy of a Montgomery County marriage license, use the request form at montgomerycountymd.gov linked above, or contact the Clerk's office at (240) 777-9460. The fee is $5.50 per certified copy. Include both parties' names and the date of marriage in any written request. The office at 50 Maryland Avenue, North Tower Room 1300, Rockville handles all copy requests.

For historical records, the Maryland State Archives marriage records guide covers Montgomery County collections available in Annapolis. These include older court marriage licenses from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Maryland State Archives marriage references index is searchable online and can help you narrow down a search before requesting physical records. FamilySearch also has Maryland County Marriages collections that include Montgomery County data, all free to search online.

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers court case filings in Montgomery County but does not include marriage license records. For statewide vital records from January 1, 2007 onward, contact the Division of Vital Records in Baltimore at (410) 764-3038, located at 6764 B Reisterstown Road.

Maryland Marriage Law and How It Applies in Montgomery County

Maryland law sets the rules for all counties including Montgomery. The 48-hour waiting period is mandatory from the day of application. No blood test is required. No witnesses are needed to apply, though your officiant may require them at the ceremony. Social Security numbers are required on the application but not printed on the license.

The six-month validity period is statewide. If your license expires, you must apply again and pay the $55 fee a second time. Montgomery County licenses are county-specific. You must marry within the county's boundaries. After the ceremony, the officiant returns the signed certificate to the Rockville clerk within five days. This is a legal requirement under Maryland law. If you have questions about how the law applies to your specific situation, the Maryland People's Law Library is a free resource that covers marriage law in plain language.

Cities in Montgomery County

All cities and communities in Montgomery County use the Rockville courthouse for marriage license applications. Marriage licenses in Maryland are county-specific, so all residents of the cities below apply at the same office at 50 Maryland Avenue in Rockville.

Nearby Counties in Maryland

Maryland marriage licenses are county-specific. If you plan to marry in a nearby county, you must get a license from that county's Clerk of Circuit Court.