Maine Revised Statutes
Subchapter 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS
19-A §654. Record of marriages

§654. Record of marriages
(CONTAINS TEXT WITH VARYING EFFECTIVE DATES)
1. Copy. Every person authorized to unite persons in marriage shall make and keep a record of every marriage solemnized by that person in conformity with the forms and instructions prescribed by the State Registrar of Vital Statistics pursuant to Title 22, section 2701.
[PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
2. Return of marriage license. The person who solemnized the marriage shall return the marriage license to the State Registrar of Vital Statistics or the clerk who issued the license within 7 working days following the date on which the marriage is solemnized by that person. The clerk and the State Registrar of Vital Statistics each shall retain a copy of the license.
[PL 2019, c. 340, §13 (AMD).]
3. Statement including officiant and witnesses. The marriage license returned must contain a statement giving the names of the parties united in marriage, place and date of the marriage, the new name of either party if either party intends to change that party's name, the signature of the person by whom the marriage was solemnized and the names of the 2 witnesses. The person who solemnized the marriage shall add the title of the office by virtue of which the marriage was solemnized, the residence of the person who solemnized the marriage and:
A. The date ordained or authorized by a religious faith to perform marriages; [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
B. (TEXT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 7/01/23) The date the notary public's commission expires; [PL 2011, c. 111, §1 (AMD).]
B. (TEXT EFFECTIVE 7/01/23) The date the marriage officiant's license expires; [PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. B, §3 (AMD); PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. B, §7 (AFF).]
C. The date the lawyer was admitted to the Maine Bar; or [PL 2011, c. 111, §1 (AMD).]
D. The date the person's temporary registration certificate was issued under section 655, subsection 1‑A. [PL 2011, c. 111, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2019, c. 82, §2 (AMD); PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. B, §3 (AMD); PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. B, §7 (AFF).]
4. Recorded by clerk or State Registrar of Vital Statistics. The clerk or State Registrar of Vital Statistics shall record all marriage licenses returned under this section.
[PL 2019, c. 340, §13 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1995, c. 694, §B2 (NEW). PL 1995, c. 694, §E2 (AFF). PL 2001, c. 574, §5 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 111, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 82, §2 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 340, §13 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. B, §3 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. B, §7 (AFF).