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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>58372</law_id><section_number>20-23</section_number><catch_line>Order authorizing ministers to perform ceremony</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>20-24</reference></referred_to_by><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>When a minister of any religious denomination produces before the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> of any county or city in the Commonwealth, or before the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of such <span class="dictionary">court</span> or before the clerk of such <span class="dictionary">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&#x2019;s license and is serving as a regularly appointed pastor in his denomination, such <span class="dictionary">court</span>, or the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> thereof, or the clerk of such <span class="dictionary">court</span> at any time, may make an <span class="dictionary">order</span> authorizing such minister to celebrate the rites of matrimony in the Commonwealth. Any <span class="dictionary">order</span> made under this section may be rescinded at any time by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> or by the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> thereof. No <span class="dictionary">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></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7;&#xA7; 5079, 5080; 1962, c. 362; 1980, c. 154; 1981, c. 295; 2012, c. 565; 2016, c. 611.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
