19-A M.R.S. §654: Record of marriages

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.

2. Return of marriage license. The parties or 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 15 working days following the date on which the marriage is solemnized. The clerk and the State Registrar of Vital Statistics each shall retain a copy of the license. If a marriage license is returned later than 15 working days following the date on which the marriage is solemnized, the marriage must be marked as a late filing.

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;

B. The date the marriage officiant's license expires;

C. The date the lawyer was admitted to the Maine Bar; or

D. The date the person's temporary registration certificate was issued under section 655, subsection 1‑A.

4. Recorded by clerk or State Registrar of Vital Statistics. The clerk or State Registrar of Vital Statistics shall attach electronic copies of the completed marriage licenses returned under this section in the electronic system specified by the State Registrar of Vital Statistics.