{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-43-43-7","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 43, § 43-7","heading":"Solemnization of marriages","body":"A. All marriages must be contracted by a formal ceremony\n\nperformed or solemnized in the presence of at least two adult,\n\ncompetent persons as witnesses, by a judge or retired judge of any\n\ncourt in this state, or an ordained or authorized preacher or\n\nminister of the Gospel, priest or other ecclesiastical dignitary of\n\nany denomination who has been duly ordained or authorized by the\n\nchurch to which he or she belongs to preach the Gospel, or a rabbi\n\nand who is at least eighteen (18) years of age.\n\nB. 1. The judge shall place his or her order of appointment on\n\nfile with the office of the court clerk of the county in which he or\n\nshe resides.\n\n2. The preacher, minister, priest, rabbi, or ecclesiastical\n\ndignitary shall certify on the marriage certificate that he or she\n\nholds credentials or authority from his or her church or synagogue\n\nauthorizing him or her to solemnize marriages.\n\nC. No person herein authorized to perform or solemnize a\n\nmarriage ceremony shall do so unless he or she has good reason to\n\nbelieve the persons presenting themselves before him or her for\n\nmarriage are the identical persons named in the license, and for\n\nwhose marriage the same was issued, and that there is no legal\n\nobjection or impediment to such marriage.\n\nD. Marriages between persons belonging to the society called\n\nFriends, or Quakers, the spiritual assembly of the Baha'is, or the\n\nChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which have no ordained\n\nminister, may be solemnized by the persons and in the manner\n\nprescribed by and practiced in any such society, church, or\n\nassembly.\n\nR.L. 1910, § 3889. Amended by Laws 1951, p. 113, § 1; Laws 1961, p.\n\n285, § 1; Laws 1971, c. 298, § 1, emerg. eff. June 24, 1971; Laws\n\n1986, c. 24, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1986; Laws 1989, c. 333, § 3, eff.\n\nNov. 1, 1989; Laws 1998, c. 214, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1998; Laws 1999,\n\nc. 305, § 1, emerg. eff. June 4, 1999; Laws 2022, c. 241, § 3, eff.\n\nNov. 1, 2022.","path":["OK Code","Title 43"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os43.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"75517043814f49dfce2bdcd7d55ab12a1dc347170d5be3c05aea42181c5e02ff","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-43-43-601-903","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-43-43-7.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}