St. Mary's County Marriage License
Marriage licenses for ceremonies in St. Mary's County are issued by the Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County. Maryland uses the county of ceremony rule, so a couple whose ceremony will take place in St. Mary's County uses this office even if one or both parties live elsewhere. The marriage license counter is at 41605 Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown, and the marriage license department uses extensions 74563 and 74580 through the main Clerk phone at 301-475-7844.
The St. Mary's County marriage license application is an in-person process during regular Clerk hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If neither party can appear because both are nonresidents, the Maryland Judiciary non-resident affidavit process may be used. That affidavit must go to a comparable marriage-license official in the outside jurisdiction. A notary alone is not enough. The license is issued after application, but it does not take effect until 6:00 a.m. two calendar days later. Once effective, it must be used within six months.
After the ceremony, the officiant returns the license so the Clerk can record it. That recorded license is the local marriage record. The Clerk can certify only St. Mary's County marriages, so a ceremony in another Maryland county has to be handled by the clerk for that other county.
The Maryland Judiciary's St. Mary's ADR and mediation page is one local family-court source connected to court services that may appear near domestic case research.
Mediation is not a marriage record search, but it matters when a family case has court activity that may not be reflected in the same way as a final divorce decree.
Apply for St. Mary's County Marriage Records
Applicants should treat the marriage license application as a sworn court-office filing. The Clerk asks for identity, residence, age, birth, Social Security, marital status, prior marriage, and relationship facts for both parties. The license fee is paid when the application is made. Civil ceremonies are separate from license issuance and require an appointment.
- Confirm the ceremony will take place in St. Mary's County. If the ceremony is in another Maryland county, apply in that county instead.
- Go to the Clerk of the Circuit Court during marriage license hours, or use the nonresident affidavit process when neither party can appear.
- Provide the required facts for both parties, including prior marriage termination details when either party was married before.
- Pay the $35 marriage license fee by cash or money order.
- Wait until the license becomes effective at 6:00 a.m. two calendar days later, then use it within six months.
- Make sure the officiant returns the completed license for recording after the ceremony.
For a courthouse civil ceremony, the St. Mary's page lists Monday through Friday ceremony times from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The ceremony fee is $25 by cash or money order, picture ID is required for both parties, guests are allowed, and an appointment is made through extensions 74563 or 74580.
St. Mary's County Marriage Form Fields
The marriage application field list is useful even when a person is only trying to find an older St. Mary's County marriage record. These same facts, especially names and date, help staff locate the recorded license when a certified copy is requested by mail or in person.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full name for both parties | Yes | Use legal names as they should appear on the license. |
| Place of residence | Yes | Required for each party. |
| Age | Yes | Minor marriage limits apply under Maryland law. |
| State or country of birth | Yes | Required for each party. |
| Social Security number | If applicable | Required when a party has a Social Security number. |
| Marital status | Yes | Single, divorced, widowed, or other applicable status. |
| Prior marriage termination | Conditional | Date and place of death or judicial determination ending a prior marriage. |
| Blood or marriage relationship | Yes | Degree of relationship must be stated if any exists. |
| Signature under oath | Yes | The applicant signs the statement under oath. |
Maryland Family Law ยงยง 5-2A-01 through 5-2A-04 are cited by the local marriage page for 17-year-old marriage and court-authorization rules. A person under 17 cannot marry. Because that area has court-approval details, current Judiciary guidance should control any minor-marriage question.
St. Mary's County Marriage and Divorce Fees
St. Mary's County marriage record fees come from the local Clerk marriage page. Divorce filing cost comes from the Maryland Circuit Court fee summary for a complaint for limited or absolute divorce. Other court copy and filing charges can vary by document or case type, so the Maryland Judiciary fee schedule hub is the current statewide source when a case needs more than a basic marriage copy.
| Item | Amount | Payment or source note |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license | $35 | Cash or money order. |
| Civil ceremony | $25 | Cash or money order, appointment required. |
| Certified marriage copy | $5.50 each | Check or money order for mail requests. |
| Plain marriage copy | $0.50 each | Non-certified copy. |
| Complaint for limited or absolute divorce | $165 | Circuit Court fee summary. |
Fee waivers may be available in civil and family cases through Maryland Courts filing-fee waiver help. A fee waiver request can be filed with the complaint or other case papers, but open costs may be handled later by the court.
Search St. Mary's County Marriage Records
There is no separate countywide marriage search database listed for St. Mary's County marriage licenses in the research. The access channels are the Clerk's Office counter, mail, and phone contact through the marriage license extensions. For a copy request, give the names at the time of marriage, the marriage date, the copy fee, a return address, and a telephone number. Mail requests go to Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County, PO Box 676, Leonardtown, MD 20650, and checks or money orders are payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County.
A certified copy is the copy most often needed for legal name changes, benefits, immigration, or other formal proof. A plain copy costs less but is not the same as a certified record. If the event was not a St. Mary's County ceremony, the local Clerk cannot certify it. The correct office is the clerk in the Maryland county where the ceremony occurred.
Note: Marriage copy requests work best when the exact marriage date is known, but staff can advise what is possible when the date is uncertain.
Find St. Mary's County Divorce Records
Divorce is a Circuit Court matter in St. Mary's County. A public summary may appear in Maryland Judiciary Case Search, especially when the filer has a case number, party name, court system, county, case type, or filing date range. Case Search is only the public summary. The full divorce file remains with the Clerk of the Circuit Court, and questions about full files or copies go through the civil department at extension 74562 or the courthouse counter at 41605 Courthouse Drive.
Maryland Judiciary family resources list divorce forms, including family forms such as Complaint for Absolute Divorce CC-DR-020, Counter-Claim for Absolute Divorce CC-DR-094, and Supplemental Page CC-DR-076. The Maryland Courts divorce help page identifies grounds such as mutual consent, six-month separation, and irreconcilable differences. Those forms and grounds explain filings, but they are not a substitute for the recorded court file.
Restricted family-law material may not be open through a routine St. Mary's County divorce records search. Financial statements, tax returns, child-related details, minor information, medical records, and sealed documents may require a court order or special authority. Case Search may show a docket entry without exposing the document behind it.
The county's Teen Court page is assigned to this record group because youth and family-adjacent court programs can affect how public access is described.
Youth matters are a reminder that some court activity tied to families or minors is not searched the same way as adult civil case summaries.
Certified Copies of St. Mary's Records
Certified marriage copies are requested from the St. Mary's County Clerk when the marriage occurred in St. Mary's County. Divorce decree copies are handled through the Circuit Court file, so the requester should identify the case number if known, party names, filing year or divorce date, document needed, copy type, return address, and contact phone. For divorce records not visible online, a written judicial-record request to the custodian or an in-person request during normal business hours is the fallback channel.
Maryland court-record rules distinguish public inspection from certified proof. Viewing a public case summary online does not create a certified copy. A certified copy bears court certification and is usually needed for another agency or legal proceeding. If the record is sealed, expunged, or contains restricted family information, staff may be unable to provide it without a judge's order.
Clerk of the Circuit Court
41605 Courthouse Drive
Leonardtown, MD 20650
Mailing: PO Box 676, Leonardtown, MD 20650
301-475-7844
Marriage Licenses: ext. 74563 / 74580
Civil Department: ext. 74562
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.