Washington County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses for Washington County are issued by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The marriage desk is part of the clerk's office at 24 Summit Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21740, and the marriage phone line is 301-790-7991 Ext. 1. Only one party has to apply in person, but the application must include details for both parties. The clerk requires age proof for each person from an official government-issued birth certificate or another official government-issued document or record that demonstrates age.
A Washington County license is valid only for a ceremony performed in Washington County. The license is issued the same day the application is made, but Maryland's local rule makes it effective at 6:00 a.m. on the second calendar day after issuance. It remains valid for six months. That waiting period matters for couples who plan a Hagerstown ceremony soon after applying, and it also matters for nonresidents mailing an affidavit because the ceremony county must match the county named on the license.
The clerk's marriage page also points to Maryland's minor marriage authorization law. A Maryland resident who is 17 must meet the listed consent, medical, or court-authorization requirements, and a person under 17 may not marry in Maryland. The minor marriage authorization statute is useful context for restricted eligibility questions, but the clerk should be contacted before a minor marriage application is attempted.
The Maryland General Assembly page on minor marriage authorization is one of the assigned source captures for Washington County marriage records.
That source supports the clerk's warning that age and court authorization rules are part of the Washington County marriage license screening process.
Apply for Washington County Marriage Records
The in-person license process is built around one applicant appearing at the clerk's office with complete information for both parties. The person applying should bring the required government documents, know the prior marriage details for either party, and be ready to pay the license fee in an accepted form. A notary cannot replace the clerk for ordinary in-person applications.
- Confirm that the ceremony will take place in Washington County, Maryland, because the license is valid only in the county of issuance.
- Gather full legal names, current street addresses, age documents, birthplaces, Social Security numbers where applicable, marital status, and prior divorce or spouse death details.
- Apply with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 24 Summit Avenue, or use the nonresident affidavit only if neither party is a Washington County resident and an in-person application is inconvenient.
- Pay the Washington County marriage license fee by cash, certified check, or credit card. Personal checks are not accepted.
- Wait until the license becomes effective, then hold the ceremony in Washington County before the six-month expiration date.
Couples who want a civil ceremony by the clerk must schedule it after applying. Civil ceremonies are by appointment Monday through Friday, with appointment blocks in the morning and afternoon. Parties should arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, report to Room #212 to pay the ceremony fee, and keep the Marriage Room limit in mind. The clerk allows cameras, but the room is restricted to nine persons.
Washington County Marriage Application Fields
The marriage application asks for identity, residence, age, prior marital status, and relationship details. Some fields are part of the public license record, while sensitive fields such as Social Security numbers are not treated as ordinary public copy fields. Names should match the legal names used at the time of application because later copy requests also rely on those names.
| Field or Item | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name of each party | Text | Yes | Use legal names at application. |
| Current street address | Text | Yes | Required for each party. |
| Age | Number and document | Yes | Government age document required for both parties. |
| State or country of birth | Text | Yes | Country is used if born outside the United States. |
| Social Security Number | Text | Where applicable | Sensitive field, not an ordinary public copy field. |
| Marital status | Choice | Yes | Single, divorced, widow, or widower. |
| Prior marriage details | Text and date | Conditional | County, state, and date of divorce or spouse death. |
| Relationship by blood or marriage | Yes or no | Yes | Required by the clerk. |
Washington County Marriage Copy Fees
Washington County posts the core marriage license, civil ceremony, and marriage-copy fees on the clerk's marriage page. Divorce decree copy costs are handled through Circuit Court copy rules. The research record confirms the certification and exemplification add-on fees, but it did not locate the exact current per-page Circuit Court copy cost on the local clerk page, so decree requesters should confirm the page rate before mailing payment.
| Item | Amount or Payment Rule |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $60.00, cash, certified check, or credit card. No personal checks. |
| Civil ceremony by clerk | $25.00, paid in Room #212 by cash, certified check, or credit card. |
| Certified copy of Washington County marriage record | $5.50 each. |
| Plain copy of Washington County marriage record | $0.50 each. |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Per-page copy fee plus $5 certification fee, confirmed with the clerk. |
| Exemplified divorce decree copy | Per-page copy fee plus $10 exemplification fee, confirmed with the clerk. |
Note: Credit card payment rules can change near closing time, so confirm payment options before visiting late in the day.
Washington County Nonresident Affidavit
Maryland permits a mail application for certain nonresidents when neither party is a resident of Washington County and it is inconvenient for either party to appear. The parties complete the Non-Resident Affidavit in front of a Clerk of Court or comparable official where they live, then mail it with a money order or cashier's check payable to Clerk of Court. A notary public is not a comparable official for this process.
The affidavit asks for the Maryland county where the ceremony will occur, ceremony date if known, each party's legal name, date of birth, residence, place of birth, Social Security number, marital status, prior divorce or spouse death details, relationship question, delivery choice, signatures, phone numbers, and the comparable official's certification, title, seal, and office address. Comparable officials named in the research include a Clerk of a Court, Recorder of Deeds, and Prothonotary.
Get Washington County Marriage Copies
Certified and plain marriage copies are available from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in person or by mail. A mail request should go to Clerk of the Circuit Court, 24 Summit Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21740. The request must include the names of both parties as they were used at the time of license application, the date of marriage or at least the approximate year, the type and number of copies, and payment by check or money order payable to Clerk of Circuit Court.
The Washington County marriage copy request form asks for today's date, party names, marriage year or approximate year, marriage license number if known, number of certified copies, number of plain copies, total enclosed, requester name, mailing address, and phone. Historic marriage material also exists. The clerk records page lists marriage licenses and civil marriages from 1799 through the current date, and the historic-records material lists marriage records and marriage indexes for older date ranges.
Search Washington County Divorce Records
Divorce cases are family matters in the Circuit Court for Washington County. Public docket entries may be found through Maryland Judiciary Case Search when the record is not restricted. A public docket may show party names, filings, hearing entries, disposition, and post-judgment activity, but Case Search should not be treated as a complete scanned divorce file.
The Washington County records page lists divorce decrees under civil records with inclusive dates from 1908 through the current date. Copy requests and certified divorce decrees should be routed to the Circuit Court clerk. The judicial records request contact captured in research is Kevin Tucker, Clerk, Washington County Circuit Court, 24 Summit Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21740, phone 301-790-4972. Sensitive child, financial, address, support, custody, and protective information may be redacted or restricted even when the docket itself is public.
The Maryland MVA certified-record page was captured as a related identity-record example, not as a marriage or divorce custodian. The official MVA certified record request information shows how another Maryland agency distinguishes certified and non-certified public records.
For Washington County divorce decrees, the certified copy still comes from the Circuit Court clerk rather than the MVA or a vital-record search portal.
Restricted Washington County Family Records
Marriage records are generally requestable through the clerk, but not every field from an application is public. Social Security numbers and other protected identifiers are not ordinary public copy fields. Divorce records are more likely to include restricted material because family cases can contain child custody filings, support documents, financial statements, settlement terms, protected addresses, and domestic violence material.
A person who needs a sealed or restricted filing should expect to show party status, attorney authority, a court order, or another legal basis for access. A docket result is not the same thing as a right to every document in the file. For public users, the best route is to identify the case through Case Search, then ask the Circuit Court clerk which copy request process applies to the specific decree, order, or filing.
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