1. (a) An applicant for a license may apply to the clerk only at the office of the clerk during regular office hours.

2. (b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, to apply for a license, one of the parties to be married shall:

   1. (1) appear before the clerk and give, under oath, the following information, which shall be placed on an application form by the clerk:

      1. (i) the full legal name of each party;
      2. (ii) the place of residence of each party;
      3. (iii) the date of birth of each party;
      4. (iv) whether the parties are related by blood or marriage and, if so, 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 place of each death or judicial determination that ended any former marriage;
   2. (2) sign the application form; and

   3. (3) provide the clerk with:

      1. (i) the Social Security number of each party who has a Social Security number; and
      2. (ii) a copy of an official government-issued birth certificate or other official government-issued document or record demonstrating the age of each party.

3. (c) The Social Security numbers of the parties:

   1. (1) shall be included in the electronic file for the marriage license application; and
   2. (2) except as provided in § 4-334 of the General Provisions Article, may not be disclosed as part of the public record of the marriage license application.

4. (d)

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

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

      1. (i) contain the information required by subsection (b) of this section; and
      2. (ii) be sworn to under oath before a clerk or other comparable official in the county, state, province, or country where the party resides.
5. (e) Until a license becomes effective, a clerk may not disclose the fact that an application for a license has been made except to the parent or guardian of a party to be married.

Added by Acts 1984, c. 296, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 1984. Amended by Acts 1988, c. 123, §§ 1, 2, eff. July 1, 1988; Acts 1992, c. 22, § 1, eff. April 7, 1992; Acts 1997, c. 609, § 1, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 1999, c. 336, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 1999; Acts 2003, c. 120, § 1, eff. June 1, 2003; Acts 2004, c. 25, § 1, eff. April 13, 2004; Acts 2014, c. 104, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 2014; Acts 2016, c. 125, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2016; Acts 2022, c. 175, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2022; Acts 2025, c. 226, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2025; Acts 2025, c. 227, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2025.

Formerly Art. 62, §§ 6, 7.