{"data":{"id":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-48-2-401","jurisdiction":"us-wv","citation":"W. Va. Code § 48-2-401","heading":"Persons authorized to perform marriages.","body":"A religious representative who has complied with the provisions of section 2-402, a family court judge, a circuit judge or a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, is authorized to celebrate the rites of marriage in any county of this state. Celebration or solemnization of a marriage means the performance of the formal act or ceremony by which a man and woman contract marriage and assume the status of husband and wife.\nFor purposes of this chapter, the term \"religious representative\" means a minister, priest or rabbi and includes, without being limited to, a leader or representative of a generally recognized spiritual assembly, church or religious organization which does not formally designate or recognize persons as ministers, priests or rabbis.","path":["CHAPTER 48. DOMESTIC RELATIONS.","ARTICLE 2. MARRIAGES.","PART 4. MARRIAGE CEREMONY."],"source_url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/48-2-401/","current_through":"as of 2026-08-03; contains at least the enactments of the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T00:30:20Z","sha256":"ec46d291bda327af9aa78edb9065f889ed3efbd00ab56c216e7fd5f37cce895f","source_id":"us-wv","stale":true,"prev":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-48-2-303","next":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-48-2-402"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}