Virginia Marriage Laws | § 20-25

Code of Virginia 20-25

Persons other than ministers who may perform rites.

Upon petition filed with the clerk and payment of applicable clerk's fees, any circuit court judge may issue an order authorizing one or more persons resident in the circuit in which the judge sits to celebrate the rites of marriage in the Commonwealth. Any person so authorized shall, before acting, enter into bond in the penalty of $500, with or without surety, as the court may direct; however, upon a showing that the person would otherwise be qualified for in forma pauperis status, the court may waive such bond. Any order made under this section may be rescinded at any time. No oath shall be required of a person authorized to celebrate the rites of marriage, nor shall such person be considered an officer of the Commonwealth by virtue of such authorization.

Any judge or justice of a court of record, any judge of a district court, any retired judge or justice of the Commonwealth, any active, senior, or retired federal judge or justice who is a resident of the Commonwealth, or any current or former (i) member of the General Assembly, (ii) Governor of Virginia, (iii) Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, or (iv) Attorney General of Virginia, or (v) clerk of a circuit court of the Commonwealth who is a resident of the Commonwealth may celebrate the rites of marriage anywhere in the Commonwealth without the necessity of bond or order of authorization.

Code 1919, § 5080; 1938, c. 152; 1981, c. 295; 1981, Sp. Sess., c. 15; 1983, c. 64; 1985, c. 195; 1987, c. 149; 2003, c. 228; 2004, cc. 612, 680; 2012, c. 802; 2016, c. 611.; SB1142 2021; ch. 789 2023; Amended by SB175 CHAPTER 499, Eff. July 1st, 2024

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More Virginia Marriage Laws

§ 20-38.1 Certain marriages prohibited.
§ 20-14 By whom license to be issued.
§ 20-16 Issuance of marriage licenses and marriage certificates.
§ 20-16.1 Clerk authorized to amend marriage records.
§ 20-25 Persons other than ministers who may perform rites.
§ 20-31.1 When marriage legitimates children; issue of marriages prohibited by law, etc., legitimate.
§ 20-39 Prohibition continues notwithstanding dissolution of previous marriage.
§ 20-43 Bigamous marriages void without decree.
§ 20-45.1 Void and voidable marriages.
§ 20-40 Punishment for violation of such prohibition; leaving Commonwealth to avoid.
§ 20-48 Minimum age of marriage.
§ 20-23 Order authorizing ministers to perform ceremony.
§ 20-13.2 Marriage lawful regardless of sex, gender, or race of parties.
§ Article I. Bill of Rights Section 15-A. Marriage Fundamental right to marry.
§ 20-13.2 Marriage lawful regardless of sex, gender, or race of parties.
§ 20-13 License and solemnization required.
§ 20-15 Tax on license
§ 20-14.1 Duration of license; issuance of additional licenses.
§ 20-20 Clerk to file license and certificate; indexing names of parties; certified copies as evidence.
§ 20-21 Clerk to furnish attorney for the Commonwealth list of licenses not returned by minister.
§ 20-22 Attorney for the Commonwealth to ascertain before circuit court name of minister failing to return certificates.
§ 20-26 Marriage between members of religious society having no minister.
§ 20-28 Penalty for celebrating marriage without license.
§ 20-30 Licenses of persons on federal reservations.
§ 20-31 Belief of parties in lawful marriage validates certain defects.
§ 20-24 Penalty for failure to certify record of marriage.
§ 20-33 Penalty for clerk issuing license contrary to law.
§ 20-37 Validation of certain marriages when license issued by clerk of county court.
§ 20-37.1 Validation of certain marriages solemnized outside of Commonwealth.
§ 20-27 Fee for celebrating marriage.
§ Va. Const. art. I, § 15-A. Marriage
§ 32.1-267 Records of marriages; duties of officer issuing marriage license and person officiating at ceremony; blocking of social security number.