How to Get a Marriage License in Baltimore: Step by Step
Published October 17, 2026
If you want your nikah to be a legal marriage in Maryland as well, you need a marriage license first. Here is how it works in Baltimore, from applying to collecting the license, in plain steps.
We could not read the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Land Records & Licenses Department (Marriage & Business Licenses) page directly when writing this guide, so some details may have changed. Please confirm everything on the official website before you go.
At a glance
- Where
- Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Land Records & Licenses Department (Marriage & Business Licenses), Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse, 100 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 (Marriage & Business Licenses: Room 627; Land Records: Room 610)
- Booking
- Fee
- $85 Marriage application fee, cash only. A marriage ceremony at the court is a separate $25 (cash only) and requires a witness aged 18 or older. Cash registers close at 4:00 PM.
- Payment
- Marriage application: cash only (per the court's fee list). Other Land Records & Licenses transactions accept money orders, certified bank checks and corporate checks payable to 'Circuit Court for Baltimore City'.
- Who attends
Step by step
- Apply. The court's licensing page lists a marriage application fee and a licensing desk (Room 627) but does not describe the application steps; contact the desk at (410) 333-3790.
- Book or plan your visit.
- Gather your ID and documents. See the list below. Bring originals.
- Attend and pay. Marriage application: cash only (per the court's fee list). Other Land Records & Licenses transactions accept money orders, certified bank checks and corporate checks payable to 'Circuit Court for Baltimore City'.
- Give the license to your officiant. Your imam needs it at the ceremony, and must be authorized to solemnize marriages in Maryland.
Good to know
- Hours for Marriage & Business Licenses: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
- Court marriage ceremonies: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; bring a witness 18 or older ($25, cash only).
- Certified copies: $5.50 per copy.
- The city court page does not list ID, divorce, SSN, age, residency, waiting-period, validity or officiant rules; these were not verified.
Your nikah and the license
The license is what makes your marriage legal. Your nikah is the religious ceremony. If your imam is authorized to solemnize marriages in Maryland, one ceremony can be both. See imams serving Baltimore and our Maryland nikah guide for who may officiate and how the marriage is recorded.
A few common questions
How much is a marriage license in Baltimore?
Do I need an appointment in Baltimore?
Can I get my license in one place and marry in another?
Do I need a marriage license for a nikah?
Planning a nikah in Baltimore?
Tell us your date and we will help you find an imam, including one who can register the marriage if you want the legal side done the same day.
Details come from the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Land Records & Licenses Department (Marriage & Business Licenses) website, checked in October 2026. Fees, hours and booking rules change, so confirm before you go. Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Land Records & Licenses Department (Marriage & Business Licenses): marriage license page. Contact: (410) 333-3790 (Marriage & Business Licenses, Room 627). This guide is general information, not legal advice.