Pennsylvania Wedding Laws

§ 1503

(a) General rule.--The following are authorized to solemnize marriages between persons that produce a marriage license issued under this part: (1) A justice, judge or magisterial district judge of this Commonwealth. (2) A former or retired justice, judge or magisterial district judge of this Commonwealth who is serving as a senior judge or senior magisterial district judge as provided or prescribed by law; or not serving as a senior judge or senior magisterial district judge but meets the following criteria: (i) has served as a magisterial district judge, judge or justice, whether or not continuously or on the same court, by election or appointment for an aggregate period equaling a full term of office; (ii) has not been defeated for reelection or retention; (iii) has not been convicted of, pleaded nolo contendere to or agreed to an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition or other probation without verdict program relative to any misdemeanor or felony offense under the laws of this Commonwealth or an equivalent offense under the laws of the United States or one of its territories or possessions, another state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a foreign nation; (iv) has not resigned a judicial commission to avoid having charges filed or to avoid prosecution by Federal, State or local law enforcement agencies or by the Judicial Conduct Board; (v) has not been removed from office by the Court of Judicial Discipline; and (vi) is a resident of this Commonwealth. (3) An active or senior judge or full-time magistrate of the District Courts of the United States for the Eastern, Middle or Western District of Pennsylvania. (3.1) An active, retired or senior bankruptcy judge of the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Eastern, Middle or Western District of Pennsylvania who is a resident of this Commonwealth. (4) An active, retired or senior judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit who is a resident of this Commonwealth. (5) A mayor of any city or borough of this Commonwealth. (5.1) A former mayor of a city or borough of this Commonwealth who: (i) has not been defeated for reelection; (ii) has not been convicted of, pleaded nolo contendere to or agreed to an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition or other probation without verdict program relative to a misdemeanor or felony offense under the laws of this Commonwealth or an equivalent offense under the laws of the United States or any one of its possessions, another state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a foreign nation; (iii) has not resigned the position of mayor to avoid having charges filed or to avoid prosecution by Federal, State or local law enforcement agencies; (iv) has served as a mayor, whether continuously or not, by election for an aggregate of a full term in office; and (v) is a resident of this Commonwealth. (6) A minister, priest or rabbi of any regularly established church or congregation. (b) Religious organizations.--Every religious society, religious institution or religious organization in this Commonwealth may join persons together in marriage when at least one of the persons is a member of the society, institution or organization, according to the rules and customs of the society, institution or organization. (c) Marriage license needed to officiate.--No person or religious organization qualified to perform marriages shall officiate at a marriage ceremony without the parties having obtained a marriage license issued under this part.

§ 1301

(a) General rule.--No person shall be joined in marriage in this Commonwealth until a marriage license has been obtained. (b) Place of marriage ceremony.--A license issued under this part shall authorize a marriage ceremony to be performed in any county of this Commonwealth. (c) Identity of applicants.--Prior to issuance of the license, the person issuing the license must be satisfied as to the identity of both of the applicants.

§ 1302

(a) General rule--No marriage license shall be issued except upon written and verified application made by both of the parties intending to marry. (b) Contents.--The application shall contain the following: (1) The full name of the applicants. (2) The occupation, birthplace, residence and age of the applicants. An applicant intending to marry who is a program participant in the Address Confidentiality Program under Chapter 67 (relating to domestic and sexual violence victim address confidentiality) may use the substitute address designated by the Office of Victim Advocate pursuant to Chapter 67 as the address of their residence.(3) Whether the marriage contemplated is the first, second or other marriage of an applicant. (4) A statement that neither of the applicants is afflicted with transmissible disease. (5) The full name, residence, occupation and birthplace of the parents of each applicant, including the maiden name of the mother of each applicant. An applicant may use the substitute address designated by the Office of Victim Advocate pursuant to Chapter 67 for a parent's residence if: (i) the applicant is a program participant in the Address Confidentiality Program under Chapter 67 and the applicant resides with the applicant's parents; or (ii) the applicant's parent is a program participant in the Address Confidentiality Program under Chapter 67. (6) Any other facts necessary to determine whether a legal impediment to the proposed marriage exists.

§ 1310

The marriage license shall not be valid for a longer period than 60 days from the date of issue and shall be in substantially the following form: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ss: No...... County of (name) To any person authorized by law to solemnize marriage: You are hereby authorized to join together in holy state of matrimony, according to the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, (name) and (name). Given under my hand and seal of the Court of Common Pleas of (name), at (city, borough or town), on (date). Signed .......................... (Official Title)

§ 1302

(a) General rule.--No marriage license shall be issued except upon written and verified application made by both of the parties intending to marry. (b) Contents.--The application shall contain the following: (1) The full name of the applicants. (2) The occupation, birthplace, residence and age of the applicants. An applicant intending to marry who is a program participant in the Address Confidentiality Program under Chapter 67 (relating to domestic and sexual violence victim address confidentiality) may use the substitute address designated by the Office of Victim Advocate pursuant to Chapter 67 as the address of their residence.(3) Whether the marriage contemplated is the first, second or other marriage of an applicant. (4) A statement that neither of the applicants is afflicted with transmissible disease. (5) The full name, residence, occupation and birthplace of the parents of each applicant, including the maiden name of the mother of each applicant. An applicant may use the substitute address designated by the Office of Victim Advocate pursuant to Chapter 67 for a parent's residence if: (i) the applicant is a program participant in the Address Confidentiality Program under Chapter 67 and the applicant resides with the applicant's parents; or (ii) the applicant's parent is a program participant in the Address Confidentiality Program under Chapter 67. (6) Any other facts necessary to determine whether a legal impediment to the proposed marriage exists.

§ 1504

(a) General rule.--The original marriage certificate shall be signed by the person solemnizing the marriage and given to the parties contracting the marriage. The duplicate certificate shall be signed by the person or by a member of the religious society, institution or organization solemnizing the marriage and returned for recording within ten days to the court which issued the license.