Lessons Learned: Marriage License Signatures
I frequently work with couples who have a family member or friend officiate their wedding ceremony, particularly in DC and Maryland. Sometimes this friend is able to legally sign the marriage license, and sometimes they are leading the public ceremony but the legalities have been taken care of separately. When it is done legally, I always help them fill out the marriage license and ensure it is completed correctly and returned promptly to the state. Often times the officiant doesn’t know off hand the address of the ceremony, as an example. Twice I’ve found mistakes after the fact and have had to go long lengths to get them fixed. The State of California is VERY particular about mistakes, and they will not accept a license with any whatsoever.
I work in three different locations: Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland. So I have to stay up to date with all their different marriage laws. For example, in DC you can opt to sign your own marriage license, skipping an officiant altogether. But in Virginia, you pretty much have to have a professional officiant to sign your marriage license. Maryland will allow any one, even an online-ordained person, sign a license as a marriage officiant.
Another quirk: in Maryland you must get the license in the county where your wedding ceremony is taking place. In Virginia you can get a license in any county, regardless of where your ceremony will be — within the state, of course.
Each locality might have different rules about waiting periods, and if the marriage license will expire at any point if you don’t fill it out and return it.
It often surprises folks to know that usually the couple does not sign the marriage license, only the officiant. The state assumes that since you applied for the license in the first place, then you are good to go with the whole marriage thing.
Lessons Learned is a recurring series about the little and sometimes not so little things I learn at each and every wedding. Even after 14 years and 200+ weddings under my belt, I still learn something new at each one!
