{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-26.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-26.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-26.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-26.html"}],"law_id":66369,"edition_id":1,"section_id":66369,"structure_id":14353,"section_number":"20-26","catch_line":"Marriage between members of religious society having no minister","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 5081; 1968, c. 318; 1981, c. 295; 2016, c. 611.","full_text":"Marriages between persons belonging to any religious society which has no ordained minister, may be solemnized by the persons and in the manner prescribed by and practiced in any such society. One person chosen by the society shall be responsible for completing the certification of marriage in the same manner as a minister or other person authorized to perform marriages; such person chosen by the society for this purpose shall be required to execute a bond in the penalty of $500, with surety. 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.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":240939,"text":"Marriages between persons belonging to any religious society which has no ordained minister, may be solemnized by the persons and in the manner prescribed by and practiced in any such society. One person chosen by the society shall be responsible for completing the certification of marriage in the same manner as a minister or other person authorized to perform marriages; such person chosen by the society for this purpose shall be required to execute a bond in the penalty of $500, with surety. 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.","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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-26\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 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 1968, chapter 318; in 1981, chapter 295; in 2016, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?161+ful+CHAP0611\">611<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":178241,"object_type":"law","relational_id":66369,"identifier":"20-26","token":"20\/2\/20-26","url":"\/20-26\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-26\/","token":"20\/2\/20-26","dublin_core":{"Title":"Marriage between members of religious society having no minister","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-26","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Marriages between persons belonging to any religious society which has no ordained minister, may be solemnized by the persons and in the manner prescribed by and practiced in any such society. One person chosen by the society shall be responsible for completing the certification of marriage in the same manner as a minister or other person authorized to perform marriages; such person chosen by the society for this purpose shall be required to execute a <span class=\"dictionary\">bond<\/span> in the <span class=\"dictionary\">penalty<\/span> of $500, with <span class=\"dictionary\">surety<\/span>. No <span class=\"dictionary\">oath<\/span> 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.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nMARRIAGE BETWEEN MEMBERS OF RELIGIOUS SOCIETY HAVING NO MINISTER (\u00a7 20-26)\n\nMarriages between persons belonging to any religious society which has no\nordained minister, may be solemnized by the persons and in the manner prescribed\nby and practiced in any such society. One person chosen by the society shall be\nresponsible for completing the certification of marriage in the same manner as a\nminister or other person authorized to perform marriages; such person chosen by\nthe society for this purpose shall be required to execute a bond in the penalty\nof $500, with surety. No oath shall be required of a person authorized to\ncelebrate the rites of marriage, nor shall such person be considered an officer\nof the Commonwealth by virtue of such authorization.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 5081; 1968, c. 318; 1981, c. 295; 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}}