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Last Updated: October 5th, 2023

5 Essential Facts to Know Before Officiating a Wedding in Maryland

The facts below cover all the important aspects of what requirements you need to meet to be able to legally officiate a wedding ceremony in Maryland.

1.

Who Can Officiate Weddings in Maryland?

This is the relevant exerpt from the Maryland Code § 2-406.


" (a) Authorized officials. -
...
(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; "



Basically, this means that as long as you are ordained through any church, you can officiate weddings.

2.

Are Online Ordinations Recognized in Maryland?

Yes. All online ordained ministers, including those ordained through AMM are recognized in Maryland.

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3.

Is Government Registration Required to Officiate a Wedding in Maryland?

The Maryland Government does not license, register, or certify ministers or wedding officiants. Officiant registration is not required in Maryland to officiate a wedding.

4.

What Office Do I Register with Before Officiating a Wedding in Maryland?

The Maryland Government does not have any office that licenses, registers, or certifies wedding officiants.

5.

What is the Minimum Legal Age to Officiate a Wedding in Maryland?

All Wedding Officiants in Maryland must be at least 18 years old.


Preparing to Officiate a Wedding in Maryland

As there is no officiant registration required in Maryland, once ordained your next step is to start preparing to officiate the wedding. If you have not officiated a wedding before, or it has been a while, check out our Maryland Officiant Ceremony Preparation page.


PREPARE FOR THE MARYLAND WEDDING CEREMONY

OFFICIANT GOVERNMENT REGISTRATION BY STATE

Maryland City Guides

  1. Baltimore
  2. Columbia

Professional Wedding Officiant Certification Course

Learn from the Pros to Officiate with Confidence!

Will You Marry Us? Gift Package

Who Will Officiate Your Wedding?

Choose Your Officiant with our "Will You Marry Us?" Gift Package.

Signature Wedding Officiant Package

Signature Wedding Officiant Package

Our premiere package contains everyting you need to officiate like a pro.

The Book of Wedding Vows and Ceremonies

The Book of Wedding Vows and Ceremonies

It's finally here! Timeless scripts and heartfelt vow inspiration to bring life to your ceremony.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter!

Checkout the AMM Blog

Stay up-to-date with the latest wedding industry trends.

Read our sample wedding ceremony scripts online

Sample Wedding Ceremony Scripts

Need inspiration? Check out our free ceremony scripts!

Wedding Officiant Training

Wedding Officiant Training

Everything you need to know to officiate.

Take Our Quiz

Test your understanding of Maryland Marriage Laws.

MORE Maryland OFFICIANT RESOURCES

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WITH AMM

Become a Wedding Officiant with Our Free Online Ordination!