Please note: The Town issues marriage licenses but does not perform wedding ceremonies.
Before coming into the Town Office
- Please call ahead to be sure the Town Clerk is in the office.
- Plan 45 minutes for filling out paperwork and the Clerk’s processing time.
- It is best to come into the Town Office 2-3 weeks ahead of your wedding date to ensure there are no schedule conflicts with the Town Clerk’s availability.
- More lead time may be required during elections.
- The Town Clerk has limited availability the week prior to and the week following an election.
Marriage Intentions (PDF) (License Application, fillable form, print single-sided) – BLACK INK only, legible; you must wait to sign in the presence of the Town Clerk (watch for county vs country).
Marriage License Info & Requirements
- Valid Picture ID: Maine Driver’s License/State ID Card, or Passport
- Court Certified Divorce Decree: of most recent divorce for each applicant (must have raised seal of originating court), observing 21 day wait period (or provide certified court waiver)
- Proof of Embden Residency: (street address) If not on driver’s license; current vehicle registration, current utility bill, current bank statement, current paystub, current state correspondence, other current official documentation denoting street residence.
- Form Requires: Names of both applicants’ parents; including both mothers’ maiden name, middle names (for all), and all parents’ state/province, & country of birth
- Must be Present: both applicants must appear to sign in presence of the Town Clerk (exceptions: incarceration/imminent death)
- Social Security Numbers: are required to be listed on the form
- Must be at least 18 years of age: If under 18; see requirements for parental consent/Judge of Probate
Fees
(The Town of Embden accepts credit cards. If you would like to use a credit card, please be aware that there is an additional fee of: $1.00 for transactions up to $40.00 and 2 ½% for any transactions over $40.00)
- Marriage License:$40.00
- License is valid for 90 days from date of issue
- Marriage Certificate(s) – Issued after ceremony is complete:
- The fee for one certified copy is $15.00.
- The fee for additional certified copies of the same record is $6.00 each. (See below for more information).
Where do I obtain a Marriage License?
- If both the members of the couple are residents of the same Town in Maine, a marriage license must be obtained in the Town where both live. After obtaining a marriage license, the couple are free to marry anywhere within the State of Maine.
- If one person resides in one Town, and the other person in another, a marriage license may be obtained from either Town, but not both. Choose where it is most convenient to obtain a certified copy of the marriage at a later date. After obtaining a license, the couple are free to marry anywhere within the State of Maine.
- If one person resides in the State of Maine, and the other person outside the State, then a marriage license must be obtained in the Town where the Maine resident lives if they intend to be married in the State of Maine. After obtaining a marriage license, the couple are free to marry anywhere within the State of Maine.
- If both the members of the couple live outside the State of Maine, a marriage license can be obtained in any Town in the State of Maine. After obtaining a license, the couple are free to marry anywhere within the State of Maine. It is strongly suggested that the marriage license is obtained in the Town where the marriage will take place so that it will be easy to remember where to apply for a marriage certificate at a later date.
- When the Town Clerk completes the marriage license, the couple will be given the license along with a packet of information explaining to the person performing the ceremony how to fill out the ceremony section of the marriage license. The marriage license and informational sheets should be presented to the officiant (the person performing the wedding ceremony i.e. pastor, notary public, etc.). That person is responsible for filling out the ceremony section of the marriage license and obtaining two witness signatures. The officiant is solely responsible for mailing the marriage license back to the issuing Town Clerk within 7 days of the wedding ceremony. The couple is not permitted to submit the marriage license to the Town Clerk after the wedding ceremony.
Marriage Certificates
Once the wedding ceremony is complete, and the Town Clerk receives the marriage license back at the Town Office, the Town Clerk uploads the information and scans the license into the State’s system. After the license is recorded, the couple may call to obtain a Certificate of Marriage from the Office of the Town Clerk.
The Certificate of Marriage is needed for a name change on a driver’s license, passport, bank account, social security card, etc.
Please note that the Town Clerk does not automatically mail the certificate of marriage. You may call the Town Clerk and indicate the # of copies you would like prepared at (207) 566-5551. It is the couples’ responsibility to appear before the Town Clerk to fill out an application (PDF) and pay the fee to obtain the marriage certificate.
Effective July 12, 2010, the new law preventing fraudulent use of vital records went into effect. Maine’s new law requires a person requesting a copy of marriage records less than 50 years old to provide documentation establishing their direct and legitimate interest in the records.
Individuals who may access marriage records less than 50 years old include:
- The members of the couple named on the record
- The parent(s) named on the record
- Guardian (must show court issued guardianship papers)
- Descendants of the person named on the record (child, grandchild, must show lineage)
- Registrant’s legal custodian, guardian, or conservator or respective authorized representative (includes attorney, physician, or funeral director). Must show notarized statement from person or his/her family or proof of contract.
- Family: Grandparent, sibling, stepparent, stepchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law (must show proof of relationship).
- Genealogists who have a Maine CDC issued researcher identification card and have a direct and legitimate interest in the record. Must show personal ID, Maine ODRVS researcher card and written authorization to receive the record (direct and legitimate interest).
Proof of identity must be presented to the Town Clerk. A brief application for securing a copy of the vital record must be filled out and presented, along with positive identification such as a driver’s license, passport, or other government-issued picture identification that clearly shows that the person requesting the record is who they say they are. Identification requirements apply whether the records are requested in person or by mail. More information on this issue may be found at www.mainepublichealth.gov.
The fee for obtaining a certified copy of a marriage certificate is $15.00 for the first copy of the record, and $6.00 for each additional copy of the same record purchased at the same time. Certified copies may be obtained at the Town Clerk’s Office during regular business hours. Non-certified copies stamped “Not for Legal Use” are $5.00.
In order to obtain a marriage certificate through the mail, the applicant needs to fill out a vital records search application and enclose a copy of proper identification and proof of lineage, if applicable. The application, along with the fee and a self-addressed, stamped envelope should be mailed to the Town Clerk at 809 Embden Pond Road, Embden, ME 04958. Except for elections and vacation – the request is typically processed the same day it is received.