Maryland Marriage Certificate Apostille: How to Get a Certified Copy and Apostille (Montgomery County Guide, 2026)

October 20, 2026 · DC Mobile Notary™ — Washington, DC

Quick answer

To apostille a Maryland marriage certificate, you need a certified copy of the marriage record and an apostille from the Maryland Secretary of State in Annapolis.

Order the certified copy from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county that issued your marriage license. For Montgomery County, that's the License Department at 50 Maryland Avenue in Rockville. For marriages on or after January 1, 2007, you can also order from the Maryland Department of Health's Division of Vital Records. Then send it to the Secretary of State, which charges $5 per document. No notarization is needed. Photocopies and keepsake ceremony certificates can't be apostilled.

DC Mobile Notary™ handles both steps for you. We retrieve your certified copy from the Montgomery County Circuit Court in 1–2 business days, get the Maryland apostille, and ship it anywhere in the world. Call 202-247-0837.

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Maryland marriage certificate apostille at a glance

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Step 1: Get a certified copy of your Maryland marriage certificate

In Maryland, your marriage record is kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county that issued your marriage license. That's usually, but not always, the county where you married. For marriages since 2007, the state's Division of Vital Records also holds the record.

Get a recent certified copy. The Secretary of State authenticates the signature on your copy. If you don't have a current copy, it asks you to call 410-974-5521 first to confirm it can be authenticated. An older copy may be signed by a clerk or registrar who's no longer in office, so a fresh copy avoids the question.

What can't be apostilled:

• Photocopies or scans of your marriage certificate
• The decorative or keepsake certificate you received at the ceremony
• Plain (non-certified) copies from the clerk

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Montgomery County: getting your marriage certificate in Rockville

If your license came from Montgomery County, your record is with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Rockville. That holds whether you married in Bethesda, Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Germantown or anywhere else in Maryland.

If you'll need your marriage recognized abroad, order your certified copy after the officiant has returned the signed certificate and the clerk has recorded it.

Also apostilling a notarized document? A power of attorney or affidavit notarized in Maryland goes first to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the notary is commissioned. For Montgomery County notaries, that's the License Department in Rockville. Then the document goes to the Secretary of State. Marriage certificates skip that step.

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Step 2: Get the apostille from the Maryland Secretary of State

• Where: Certification Desk, Office of the Secretary of State, 16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 · 410-974-5521 · dlCertifications_sos@maryland.gov
• Fee: $5 per document. By mail, pay by U.S. check or money order made out to "Secretary of State."
• What to mail: your certified copy, the Secretary of State's mailing checklist, a note naming the country where the document will be used with your contact details, payment, and a prepaid return envelope or FedEx or UPS label.
• Processing: about 3–4 business days for FedEx and UPS; 7–14 business days by regular mail.
• In person: certification hours are 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on weekdays. As of October 2026, the office says walk-ins aren't available, appointments are limited to 10 documents per customer per day, and it will switch to mail-only once construction begins on the building. Check before you drive to Annapolis.

For countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, the Maryland apostille is the final step. You don't need the U.S. Department of State.

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Apostille or embassy legalization? It depends on the country

For non-Hague countries, we take your document through every step. Our expedited U.S. Department of State turnaround is 9 business days, and we handle the embassy step here in Washington, DC. See embassy legalization.

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How DC Mobile Notary™ gets it done for you

You don't need to visit Rockville or Annapolis. We deal with the court and the Secretary of State for you.

1. Tell us about your marriage. Where and when you married, and the country where you'll use the certificate. Start your order online or use our free 24-hour pre-check.
2. We retrieve your certified copy directly from the Montgomery County Circuit Court, usually in 1–2 business days.
3. We get the Maryland apostille from the Secretary of State: about 5 business days standard, or 2–3 business days expedited.
4. Non-Hague country? We continue through the U.S. Department of State and the embassy or consulate.
5. Translation, if required. Many countries want a certified translation of the certificate and the apostille. See certified translation.
6. We ship it to you, with free UPS 2-Day shipping in the U.S. and quoted international shipping to any country.

Full-service pricing starts at $195. See current prices on our marriage certificate and apostille service page.

Married in another Maryland county? Call us. We'll tell you the fastest route for your county. Ordering from Vital Records instead? You'll need an authorization letter signed by one spouse and notarized. We can notarize it with a mobile notary in DC, Maryland or Virginia, or online from anywhere.

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Why people trust us with their marriage certificates

• 10 years of experience. We've handled apostilles and embassy legalizations since 2016: more than 100,000 documents for use in 90+ countries.
• We know what gets rejected. Wrong county, an outdated copy, a photocopy, or an apostille for a country that needs legalization. We catch these before they cost you weeks.
• You hear it before you pay. Our free pre-check tells you whether your document can be apostilled.
• A+ BBB rating and a 4.9-star average across Google, Yelp and Trustpilot.
• One team for every step: the certified copy, the Maryland apostille, the U.S. Department of State, embassies, translation and delivery.

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Common mistakes that delay a Maryland marriage certificate apostille

• Ordering from the wrong county. The record is in the county that issued the license, not necessarily where the wedding took place.
• Sending a photocopy or the ceremony keepsake. Only a certified copy from the clerk or Vital Records works.
• Using an old certified copy without checking that the Secretary of State can still authenticate the signature.
• Getting it notarized. A Maryland marriage certificate goes straight to the Secretary of State. Notarizing it adds nothing.
• Getting an apostille for a non-Hague country such as the UAE, which needs the full legalization chain instead.
• Forgetting the translation the receiving country requires.
• Driving to Annapolis without an appointment while walk-ins are suspended.

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Contact DC Mobile Notary™

DC office: 2001 L St NW, Suite 545, Washington, DC
Mail physical documents to: 5315 Langston Blvd, Suite B, Arlington, VA 22207
Phone: 202-247-0837 | Email: support@dcmobilenotary.com

→ Start your marriage certificate order
→ Free 24-hour pre-check
→ Maryland apostille and embassy legalization
→ All apostille services

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Frequently asked questions

How do I get an apostille on a Maryland marriage certificate?
Get a certified copy from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county that issued your marriage license, or from the Maryland Division of Vital Records for marriages since January 1, 2007. Then send it to the Maryland Secretary of State in Annapolis for the apostille. The fee is $5 per document.

Where do I get a certified copy of my marriage certificate in Montgomery County, Maryland?
From the License Department of the Montgomery County Circuit Court, 50 Maryland Avenue, North Tower, First Floor, Room 1300, Rockville, MD 20850. It's open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone: 240-777-9460.

Can Maryland Vital Records issue my marriage certificate?
Yes, for marriages on or after January 1, 2007. For earlier marriages, order from the circuit court. Only a spouse, a spouse's attorney, or a representative with a notarized letter signed by a spouse can order from Vital Records.

Does a Maryland marriage certificate need to be notarized before the apostille?
No. A certified copy carries the seal and signature of the issuing office, and the Secretary of State authenticates that signature directly.

How long does a Maryland marriage certificate apostille take?
The Secretary of State processes mailed requests in about 3–4 business days with FedEx or UPS, or 7–14 business days by regular mail, plus shipping. Through DC Mobile Notary™, we retrieve the certified copy in 1–2 business days and get the apostille in about 5 business days, or 2–3 business days expedited.

How much does it cost?
The Secretary of State charges $5 per document, plus the clerk's or Vital Records' copy fee. Our full-service pricing starts at $195. See our marriage certificate and apostille service page for current prices.

Can I apostille a photocopy or the certificate from my ceremony?
No. Only a certified copy issued by the circuit court clerk or the Division of Vital Records can be apostilled.

What if my destination country isn't in the Hague Convention?
Your marriage certificate needs Maryland certification, U.S. Department of State authentication, and then legalization by the destination country's embassy or consulate. We handle all three.

My license was issued in another county. Where is my record?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the county that issued the license, not necessarily the county where the wedding took place.

Can you help if I live outside Maryland or outside the U.S.?
Yes. We retrieve the certified copy, get the apostille, and ship the finished document to any address in the U.S. or abroad. You don't need to visit Maryland.

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Official sources

• Maryland Secretary of State — Certifications and Authentication: https://sos.maryland.gov/Certifications/Pages/default.aspx
• Maryland Department of Health, Division of Vital Records — Request Marriage Certificates: https://health.maryland.gov/vsa/Pages/marriage.aspx
• Montgomery County Circuit Court — How do I get a marriage license?: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/circuit-court/how-do-i/how-do-i-get-marriage-license
• Montgomery County Circuit Court Law Library — Apostille and Standard Certification Guide (PDF): https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cct/Resources/Files/law-library/Apostille-Standard-Certification-Guide.pdf
• Maryland Judiciary — Request for a certified copy of a marriage license (clerk form, PDF): https://www.mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/import/clerks/washington/pdfs/certifiedcopymarriage.pdf

This article is general information about document authentication procedures, not legal advice. Government hours, fees and requirements change. Confirm what your receiving authority requires before you submit.