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SB0355 • 2026

Family Law - Marriage License Applications - Appearance in Court

Family Law - Marriage License Applications - Appearance in Court

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Senator Ready
Last action
2026-01-28
Official status
In the Senate - Hearing 2/10 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Family Law - Marriage License Applications - Appearance in Court

Requiring both parties to be married, rather than one party, to appear before the clerk of a circuit court to apply for a marriage license.

What This Bill Does

  • Requiring both parties to be married, rather than one party, to appear before the clerk of a circuit court to apply for a marriage license.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Hearing 2/10 at 1:00 p.m.

  2. 2026-01-23 Senate

    First Reading Judicial Proceedings

  3. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Family Law - Marriage License Applications - Appearance in Court

Official Summary Text

Requiring both parties to be married, rather than one party, to appear before the clerk of a circuit court to apply for a marriage license.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0355*

SENATE BILL 355
D4 6lr0924
CF HB 95
By: Senator Ready
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Family Law – Marriage License Applications – Appearance in Court 2

FOR the purpose of requiring both parties to be married, rather than one party, to appear 3
before the clerk of a circuit court to apply for a marriage license; and generally 4
relating to marriage license applications. 5

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
Article – Family Law 7
Section 2–402(b) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Family Law 12
Section 2–402(d) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Family Law 18

2–402. 19

(b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, to apply for a license, [one 20
of the] BOTH parties to be married shall: 21

(1) appear before the clerk and give, under oath, the following information, 22
which shall be placed on an application form by the clerk: 23
2 SENATE BILL 355

(i) the full legal name of each party; 1

(ii) the place of residence of each party; 2

(iii) the date of birth of each party; 3

(iv) whether the parties are related by blood or marriage and, if so, 4
in which degree of relationship; 5

(v) the marital status of each party; and 6

(vi) whether either party was married previously, and the date and 7
place of each death or judicial determination that ended any former marriage; 8

(2) sign the application form; and 9

(3) provide the clerk with: 10

(i) the Social Security number of each party who has a Social 11
Security number; and 12

(ii) a copy of an official government–issued birth certificate or other 13
official government–issued document or record demonstrating the age of each party. 14

(d) (1) If the parties to be married are not residents of the county where the 15
marriage ceremony is to be performed, the clerk shall accept, instead of the application 16
specified in subsection (b) of this section, an affidavit from one of the parties to be married. 17

(2) The affidavit required under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall: 18

(i) contain the information required by subsection (b) of this section; 19
and 20

(ii) be sworn to under oath before a clerk or other comparable official 21
in the county, state, province, or country where the party resides. 22

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 23
October 1, 2026. 24