{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-23.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-23.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-23.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-23.html"}],"law_id":58372,"edition_id":1,"section_id":58372,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-23","catch_line":"Order authorizing ministers to perform ceremony","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7\u00a7 5079, 5080; 1962, c. 362; 1980, c. 154; 1981, c. 295; 2012, c. 565; 2016, c. 611.","full_text":"When a minister of any religious denomination produces before the circuit court of any county or city in the Commonwealth, or before the judge of such court or before the clerk of such court at any time, proof of his ordination and of his being in regular communion with the religious society of which he is a reputed member, or proof that he is commissioned to pastoral ministry or holds a local minister’s license and is serving as a regularly appointed pastor in his denomination, such court, or the judge thereof, or the clerk of such court at any time, may make an order authorizing such minister to celebrate the rites of matrimony in the Commonwealth. Any order made under this section may be rescinded at any time by the court or by the judge thereof. No oath shall be required of a minister authorized to celebrate the rites of matrimony, nor shall such minister be considered an officer of the Commonwealth by virtue of such authorization.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":213757,"text":"When a minister of any religious denomination produces before the circuit court of any county or city in the Commonwealth, or before the judge of such court or before the clerk of such court at any time, proof of his ordination and of his being in regular communion with the religious society of which he is a reputed member, or proof that he is commissioned to pastoral ministry or holds a local minister’s license and is serving as a regularly appointed pastor in his denomination, such court, or the judge thereof, or the clerk of such court at any time, may make an order authorizing such minister to celebrate the rites of matrimony in the Commonwealth. Any order made under this section may be rescinded at any time by the court or by the judge thereof. No oath shall be required of a minister authorized to celebrate the rites of matrimony, nor shall such minister be considered an officer of the Commonwealth by virtue of such authorization.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14353,"edition_id":1,"name":"Marriage Generally","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12711,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:51","permalink":{"id":178175,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14353,"identifier":"2","token":"20\/2","url":"\/20\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12711,"edition_id":1,"name":"Domestic Relations","identifier":"20","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":178075,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12711,"identifier":"20","token":"20","url":"\/20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":66582,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-13","catch_line":"License and solemnization required","url":"\/20-13\/","token":"20\/2\/20-13","metadata":false},{"id":86644,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-13.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/20-13.1\/","token":"20\/2\/20-13.1","metadata":false},{"id":71545,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-13.2","catch_line":"Marriage lawful regardless of sex, gender, or race of parties","url":"\/20-13.2\/","token":"20\/2\/20-13.2","metadata":false},{"id":55668,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-14","catch_line":"By whom license to be issued","url":"\/20-14\/","token":"20\/2\/20-14","metadata":false},{"id":83362,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-14.1","catch_line":"Duration of license; issuance of additional licenses","url":"\/20-14.1\/","token":"20\/2\/20-14.1","metadata":false},{"id":67609,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-14.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/20-14.2\/","token":"20\/2\/20-14.2","metadata":false},{"id":58474,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-15","catch_line":"Tax on license","url":"\/20-15\/","token":"20\/2\/20-15","metadata":false},{"id":63291,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-16","catch_line":"Issuance of marriage licenses and marriage certificates","url":"\/20-16\/","token":"20\/2\/20-16","metadata":false},{"id":84838,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-16.1","catch_line":"Clerk authorized to amend marriage records","url":"\/20-16.1\/","token":"20\/2\/20-16.1","metadata":false},{"id":69817,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-17","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/20-17\/","token":"20\/2\/20-17","metadata":false},{"id":80336,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-20","catch_line":"Clerk to file license and certificate; indexing names of parties; certified copies as evidence","url":"\/20-20\/","token":"20\/2\/20-20","metadata":false},{"id":60626,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-21","catch_line":"Clerk to furnish attorney for the Commonwealth list of licenses not returned by minister","url":"\/20-21\/","token":"20\/2\/20-21","metadata":false},{"id":78649,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-22","catch_line":"Attorney for the Commonwealth to ascertain before circuit court name of minister failing to return certificates","url":"\/20-22\/","token":"20\/2\/20-22","metadata":false},{"id":58372,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-23","catch_line":"Order authorizing ministers to perform ceremony","url":"\/20-23\/","token":"20\/2\/20-23","metadata":false},{"id":69426,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-24","catch_line":"Penalty for failure to certify record of marriage","url":"\/20-24\/","token":"20\/2\/20-24","metadata":false},{"id":79164,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-25","catch_line":"Persons other than ministers who may perform rites","url":"\/20-25\/","token":"20\/2\/20-25","metadata":false},{"id":66369,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-26","catch_line":"Marriage between members of religious society having no minister","url":"\/20-26\/","token":"20\/2\/20-26","metadata":false},{"id":68541,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-27","catch_line":"Fee for celebrating marriage","url":"\/20-27\/","token":"20\/2\/20-27","metadata":false},{"id":80371,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-28","catch_line":"Penalty for celebrating marriage without license","url":"\/20-28\/","token":"20\/2\/20-28","metadata":false},{"id":59731,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-29","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/20-29\/","token":"20\/2\/20-29","metadata":false},{"id":71366,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-30","catch_line":"Licenses of persons on federal reservations","url":"\/20-30\/","token":"20\/2\/20-30","metadata":false},{"id":76357,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-31","catch_line":"Belief of parties in lawful marriage validates certain defects","url":"\/20-31\/","token":"20\/2\/20-31","metadata":false},{"id":73616,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-31.1","catch_line":"When marriage legitimates children; issue of marriages prohibited by law, etc., legitimate","url":"\/20-31.1\/","token":"20\/2\/20-31.1","metadata":false},{"id":69033,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-32","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/20-32\/","token":"20\/2\/20-32","metadata":false},{"id":83541,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-33","catch_line":"Penalty for clerk issuing license contrary to law","url":"\/20-33\/","token":"20\/2\/20-33","metadata":false},{"id":66607,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-34","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/20-34\/","token":"20\/2\/20-34","metadata":false},{"id":81401,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-37","catch_line":"Validation of certain marriages when license issued by clerk of county court","url":"\/20-37\/","token":"20\/2\/20-37","metadata":false},{"id":83218,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-37.1","catch_line":"Validation of certain marriages solemnized outside of Commonwealth","url":"\/20-37.1\/","token":"20\/2\/20-37.1","metadata":false},{"id":72912,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-37.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/20-37.2\/","token":"20\/2\/20-37.2","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":78649,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-22","catch_line":"Attorney for the Commonwealth to ascertain before circuit court name of minister failing to return certificates","url":"\/20-22\/","token":"20\/2\/20-22","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":69426,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-24","catch_line":"Penalty for failure to certify record of marriage","url":"\/20-24\/","token":"20\/2\/20-24","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-23\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1962, chapter 362; in 1980, chapter 154; in 1981, chapter 295; in 2012, chapter 565<\/a>; in 2016, chapter 611<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":69426,"section_number":"20-24","catch_line":"Penalty for failure to certify record of marriage","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-24\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":178229,"object_type":"law","relational_id":58372,"identifier":"20-23","token":"20\/2\/20-23","url":"\/20-23\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-23\/","token":"20\/2\/20-23","dublin_core":{"Title":"Order authorizing ministers to perform ceremony","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-23","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

When a minister of any religious denomination produces before the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of any county or city in the Commonwealth, or before the judge<\/span> of such court<\/span> or before the clerk of such court<\/span> at any time, proof of his ordination and of his being in regular communion with the religious society of which he is a reputed member, or proof that he is commissioned to pastoral ministry or holds a local minister’s license and is serving as a regularly appointed pastor in his denomination, such court<\/span>, or the judge<\/span> thereof, or the clerk of such court<\/span> at any time, may make an order<\/span> authorizing such minister to celebrate the rites of matrimony in the Commonwealth. Any order<\/span> made under this section may be rescinded at any time by the court<\/span> or by the judge<\/span> thereof. No oath<\/span> shall be required of a minister authorized to celebrate the rites of matrimony, nor shall such minister be considered an officer of the Commonwealth by virtue of such authorization.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nORDER AUTHORIZING MINISTERS TO PERFORM CEREMONY (\u00a7 20-23)\n\nWhen a minister of any religious denomination produces before the circuit court\nof any county or city in the Commonwealth, or before the judge of such court or\nbefore the clerk of such court at any time, proof of his ordination and of his\nbeing in regular communion with the religious society of which he is a reputed\nmember, or proof that he is commissioned to pastoral ministry or holds a local\nminister’s license and is serving as a regularly appointed pastor in his\ndenomination, such court, or the judge thereof, or the clerk of such court at\nany time, may make an order authorizing such minister to celebrate the rites of\nmatrimony in the Commonwealth. Any order made under this section may be\nrescinded at any time by the court or by the judge thereof. No oath shall be\nrequired of a minister authorized to celebrate the rites of matrimony, nor shall\nsuch minister be considered an officer of the Commonwealth by virtue of such\nauthorization.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7\u00a7 5079, 5080; 1962, c. 362; 1980, c. 154; 1981, c. 295;\n2012, c. 565; 2016, c. 611.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}