PRIA Logo™
MaineLD 83132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026)House

An Act Concerning the Filing of Marriage Licenses and the Recording of Intentions as Part of the Electronic Vital Records System

Sponsored By: Amy Kuhn (Democratic)

Became Law

DOMESTIC RELATIONSDOMESTIC RELATIONS - MARRIAGE

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Cautions can pause marriage licenses

Anyone who believes a person cannot lawfully marry can file a caution with the clerk or State Registrar and give reasons. The office withholds the license until the county probate judge approves the marriage. If a license was already issued, you may not marry until the judge approves. The office must tell you about this hold.

Marriage intention forms: access and privacy

You can apply to record your intention to marry regardless of sex. You must sign that the information is correct and that you are free to marry. If either person will change their name, list the new name. Your signature must be acknowledged by an official who can take oaths. The clerk attaches an electronic copy of the application to your marriage record in the state’s system. Most of the application is closed to the public for 50 years. The names of the parties and the intended wedding date stay public. People with a researcher ID can inspect it and get a noncertified copy. The law also removes an old subsection in the recording‑of‑intentions law.

Wedding-day signatures and filing timeline

Both parties must complete and sign the license certification. You can sign at issuance or at the wedding. The wedding must have at least two witnesses besides the officiant. The officiant and the two witnesses must sign the license; after those signatures, you are legally married. You or the officiant must return the license within 15 working days after the wedding. If it is late, the record is marked as a late filing. Clerks and the State Registrar record electronic copies in the state system.

Register marriages with missing records

If no official marriage record is found in state or town files, the State Registrar accepts a late registration. You can register your marriage by filing under this section’s rules. This creates an official record.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Amy Kuhn

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

Actions Timeline

  1. ACTPUB Chapter 130

    5/1/2026

  2. PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence.

    5/27/2025Senate

  3. PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

    5/27/2025House

  4. Report READ and ACCEPTED, in concurrence.READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-198) READ and ADOPTED, in concurrence.Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-198), in concurrence.Ordered sent down forthwith.

    5/21/2025Senate

  5. CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAYUnder suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-198).Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

    5/20/2025House

  6. Carried over, in the same posture, to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 519.

    3/21/2025House

  7. Report READ and ACCEPTED The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY in concurrence

    1/21/2025Senate

  8. Representative MEYER from the Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Reporting that the Bill be REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY.Report was READ and ACCEPTED.The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARYSent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

    1/21/2025House

  9. Received by the Clerk of the House on January 6, 2025.The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.

    1/6/2025House

Bill Text

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation