{"data":{"id":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-207-39","jurisdiction":"us-ma","citation":"Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 207, § 39","heading":"Solemnization of marriage; justice or non-resident clergymen","body":"Section 39. The governor may in his discretion designate a justice of the peace in each town and such further number, not exceeding one for every five thousand inhabitants of a city or town, as he considers expedient, to solemnize marriages, and may for a cause at any time revoke such designation. The state secretary, upon payment of twenty-five dollars to him by a justice of the peace so designated, who is also a clerk or an assistant clerk of a city or town or upon the payment of fifty dollars by any other such justice, shall issue to him a certificate of such designation.\nThe state secretary may authorize, subject to such conditions as he may determine, the solemnization of any specified marriage anywhere within the commonwealth by the following nonresidents: a minister of the gospel in good and regular standing with his church or denomination; a commissioned cantor or duly ordained rabbi of the Jewish faith; an authorized representative of a Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is in accordance with the usage of their community; the Imam of the Orthodox Islamic religion; a duly ordained priest or minister of the Buddhist religion; a minister in fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association and ordained by a local church; a leader of an Ethical Culture Society which is recognized by the American Ethical Union and who is duly appointed and in good and regular standing with the American Ethical Union; a justice of a court or a justice of the peace authorized to solemnize a marriage by virtue of their office within their state of residence; and, it may be solemnized in a regular or special meeting for worship conducted by or under the oversight of a Friends or Quaker Monthly Meeting in accordance with the usage of their Society. A nonresident may solemnize a marriage according to the usage of any church or religious organization which shall have complied with the provisions of the second paragraph of section 38. A certificate of such authorization shall be issued by the state secretary and shall be attached to the certificate issued under section twenty-eight and filed with the appropriate city or town clerk. If one of the nonresidents enumerated above solemnizes a specified marriage anywhere within the commonwealth without having obtained a certificate under this section, the state secretary, upon application of such person, may issue a certificate validating such person's acts. The certificate of validation shall be filed with the certificate issued under section twenty-eight of chapter two hundred and seven.\nIn addition to the foregoing, the governor may designate any other person to solemnize a particular marriage on a particular date and in a particular city or town, and may for cause at any time revoke such designation. The state secretary, upon the payment to the secretary of $25 for applications delivered by mail, facsimile or hand or $20 for applications submitted electronically, shall issue to said person a certificate of such designation. Such certificate shall expire upon completion of such solemnization.","path":["Part II","Title III","Chapter 207"],"source_url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartII/TitleIII/Chapter207/Section39","current_through":"amendments passed before May 31, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-17T05:24:37Z","sha256":"d39fbb72046adde8ea596550b6b59cf818d7a204c8ab721d4d59fc37bbef2047","source_id":"us-ma","stale":false,"prev":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-207-38","next":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-207-40"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}