{"data":{"id":"us-ny/n.y.-penal-law-255.00","jurisdiction":"us-ny","citation":"N.Y. Penal Law § 255.00","heading":"Unlawfully solemnizing a marriage","body":"§ 255.00 Unlawfully solemnizing a marriage.\n  A person is guilty of unlawfully solemnizing a marriage when:\n  1. Knowing that he is not authorized by the laws of this state to do\nso, he performs a marriage ceremony or presumes to solemnize a marriage;\nor\n  2. Being authorized by the laws of this state to perform marriage\nceremonies and to solemnize marriages, he performs a marriage ceremony\nor solemnizes a marriage knowing that a legal impediment to such\nmarriage exists.\n  Unlawfully solemnizing a marriage is a class A misdemeanor.","path":["Penal Law","Part 3. Specific Offenses","Title O. Offenses Against Marriage, the Family, and the Welfare of Children and Incompetents","Article 255. Offenses Affecting the Marital Relationship"],"source_url":"https://legislation.nysenate.gov/api/3/laws/PEN/255.00","current_through":"2026-09-11","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:32:45Z","sha256":"1f811a4b33f4e98024561c3745c8c481aa95fa8df1c23318092f7090c397682b","source_id":"us-ny","stale":false,"prev":"us-ny/n.y.-penal-law-250.71","next":"us-ny/n.y.-penal-law-255.05"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}