
Congratulations! If you've found yourself at this page it is likely that you are either planning to be married or have been asked to perform a wedding ceremony in Maryland. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Maryland. The information provided below will walk you through the steps one must follow to become a minister and perform a valid wedding ceremony in the state of Maryland.
- ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
- Minister Registration Required: No
- Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
- Minister's Minimum Age: 18
- Marriage License Waiting Period: 2 Days
- Marriage License Valid For: 6 Months
- Marriage License Return Within: By Expiration
1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in Maryland
If you haven't already, you should get ordained online with the Universal Life Church. Ordination is free and can be completed in just a matter of minutes. Thousands of legally valid marriages are performed by ULC ministers around the world every year. Begin the process by clicking the big blue button below!
2 Officiating a Wedding in Maryland
Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk). Let them know that you are a minister of the Universal Life Church in Seattle, and ask what they will require of you to officiate a legal marriage.
Select your County Clerk to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.
Select a county contact

Maryland's Top Wedding Spot
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, set in a lighthouse on the Miles River
3 License to Marry in Maryland
After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. We typically advise ministers in Maryland to get an Ordination Package. While minister registration is not technically required in Maryland you may be required to present proof of your ordination to the local authorities before any marriages you perform will be accepted as having been legally solemnized. As an added bonus, having this proof of your ordination will provide peace-of-mind to any couple that you intend to marry. Additionally, please attempt to leave at least 3 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your order, to ensure that you receive all of your materials in advance.
4 How to get Married in Maryland
Now that you've done all of the above, you are ready to perform the wedding! Be sure that the couple has picked up their Maryland marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 6 months, and there is a 2-day mandatory waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in Maryland and when the ceremony may be legally performed. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office before its date of expiry.
At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Maryland, after they've received their license to marry by getting ordained online, asking for guidance on how to perform a wedding ceremony. Once the legal matters have been taken care of, officiating a wedding (while a sometimes-daunting task) can be a great deal of fun. We would suggest that new Maryland wedding ministers concerned about the ceremony peruse one of our helpful wedding guides. The minister training section of our website should offer a helpful refresher for more experienced ministers.
5 Maryland Wedding Planning Considerations
If you intend to officiate a wedding in Maryland soon, you're in luck! Here is some useful information to help plan and conduct your wedding ceremony. Maryland wedding season is almost equally split between both summer and fall. Summers are frequently hot, with temperatures peaking in the mid-nineties, and very humid. Fall brings much more reasonable temperatures -- the average high is usually in the mid-sixties. Remember to dress appropriately! Take note that barn weddings are very popular in Maryland. Popular barn wedding destinations include Bohemia River Lookout, the White Barn at Lucas Farm, Spring Hill Manor, and many others. If your wedding ceremony is going to take place in a barn, bring some comfortable shoes. Waterfront weddings and courthouse weddings are also common in Maryland. How much should an officiant charge for weddings in Maryland? That depends on several factors, including how experienced the officiant is, how much preparation will be involved, and if travel will be required. For example, make sure to account for the mileage from your home to the ceremony location.

Maryland Marriage Code
Marriage in Maryland is governed by the Family Law section of Maryland's Revised Statutes. Ministers who got ordained online with the Universal Life Church have successfully solemnized thousands of weddings in the state. Below, you will find that we have reproduced a relevant excerpt of this code.(2) A marriage ceremony may be performed in this State by: (i) any official of a religious order or body authorized by the rules and customs of that order or body to perform a marriage ceremony; (ii) any clerk; (iii) any deputy clerk designated by the county administrative judge of the circuit court for the county; or (iv) a judge. View the Maryland Statutes on the official state site.
To view the in-depth wedding laws for Maryland state:
Maryland Marriage Laws⇓ Show the rest
Allegany County
30 Washington StreetCumberland, Maryland
21502
Phone: (301) 777-5923
Allegany County website »
Anne Arundel County
8 Church CircleAnnapolis, Maryland
21401
Phone: (410) 222-1397
Anne Arundel County website »
Baltimore County
County Courts Building<br>401 Bosley AvenueTowson, Maryland
21204
Phone: (410) 887-2607
Baltimore County website »
Calvert County
175 Main StreetPrince Frederick, Maryland
20678
Phone: (410) 535-1600
Calvert County website »
Caroline County
109 Market StreetDenton, Maryland
21629
Phone: (410) 479-1811
Caroline County website »
Carroll County
55 N. Court StreetWestminster, Maryland
21157
Phone: (410) 386-8710
Carroll County website »
Cecil County
129 E. Main StreetElkton, Maryland
21921
Phone: (410) 996-1021
Cecil County website »
Charles County
200 Charles StreetLa Plata, Maryland
20646
Phone: (301) 932-3201
Charles County website »
City of Baltimore
100 North Calvert St., Rm. 628Baltimore, Maryland
21202
Phone: (410) 333-3780
City of Baltimore website »
Dorchester County
206 High StreetCambridge, Maryland
21613
Phone: (410) 228-0481
Dorchester County website »
Frederick County
100 W. Patrick StreetFrederick, Maryland
21701
Phone: (301) 600-1976
Frederick County website »
Garrett County
203 S. 4th Street, Room 109Oakland, Maryland
21550
Phone: (301) 334-1937
Garrett County website »
Harford County
7 West Courtland StreetBel Air, Maryland
21014
Phone: (410) 638-3489
Harford County website »
Howard County
6095 Marshalee Drive, Suite 120Elkridge, Maryland
21075
Phone: (410) 313-5850
Howard County website »
Kent County
103 N. Cross StreetChestertown, Maryland
21620
Phone: (410) 778-7460
Kent County website »
Montgomery County
50 Maryland AvenueRockville, Maryland
Phone: (240) 777-9460
Montgomery County website »
Prince George's County
14701 Gov. Oden Bowie DriveUpper Marlboro, Maryland
Phone: (301) 952-3331
Prince George's County website »
Queen Anne's County
200 N. Commerce StreetCentreville, Maryland
21617
Phone: (410) 758-1773
Queen Anne's County website »
Somerset County
30512 Prince William StreetPrincess Anne, Maryland
21853
Phone: (410) 845-4840
Somerset County website »
St. Mary's County
41605 Courthouse DriveLeonardtown, Maryland
20650
Phone: (301) 475-7844
St. Mary's County website »
Talbot County
11 North Washington Street, Suite 16Easton, Maryland
21601
Phone: (410) 822-2611
Talbot County website »
Washington County
24 Summit AvenueHagerstown, Maryland
21740
Phone: (301) 733-8660
Washington County website »
Wicomico County
101 North Division Street, Room 105Salisbury, Maryland
21801
Phone: (410) 543-6551
Wicomico County website »
Worcester County
One West Market Street, Room 104Snow Hill, Maryland
21863
Phone: (410) 632-5500
Worcester County website »