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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>63291</law_id><section_number>20-16</section_number><catch_line>Issuance of marriage licenses and marriage certificates</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="20">Domestic Relations</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="2">Marriage Generally</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The clerk issuing any marriage license shall require the parties contemplating marriage to state, under <span class="dictionary">oath</span>, the information required to complete the application for marriage license. The parties shall be able to designate themselves on the application for marriage license as spouse, bride, or groom. The clerk shall provide the parties with two copies of the marriage certificate to be completed by the marriage officiant, who shall return the completed certificates to the clerk after the marriage ceremony of the parties. The clerk shall retain one copy of the completed marriage certificate and provide the other copy to the State Registrar of Vital Records. The clerk may provide the parties with a commemorative marriage certificate and the parties may request a certified copy of the official marriage certificate as provided in Article 7 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="State Registrar may reproduce records; disposition of documents from which permanent reproductions made" href="/32.1-270/">32.1-270</a> et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 32.1. For the purposes of this section any statement made by such applicant, under <span class="dictionary">oath</span>, concerning the information to be entered on the application for marriage license is hereby declared to be a <span class="dictionary">material</span> matter or thing in any <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> for <span class="dictionary">perjury</span> for any violation of this section.</p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7; 5074; 1928, p. 314; 1938, p. 151; 1968, c. 318; 2015, c. 708.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
