Who are the persons who are legally authorized to join persons in marriage?

Full question:

Who are the persons legally authorized to join persons in marriage? Is there any Connecticut law in this regard?

• Category: Marriage
• Date: 04/07/2025
• State: Connecticut

Answer:

There are a lot of options available for who can solemnize marriages in Connecticut. Those include:

• Judges and retired judges, including federal judges and judges of other states.
• Family support magistrates, family support referees, state referees, and justices of the peace of Connecticut.
• All ordained or licensed members of the clergy, from any state.

Here's the law.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-22 reads:
 
“(a) Persons authorized to solemnize marriages in this state include (1) all judges and retired judges, either elected or appointed, including federal judges and judges of other states who may legally join persons in marriage in their jurisdictions, (2) family support magistrates, family support referees, state referees and justices of the peace who are appointed in Connecticut, and (3) all ordained or licensed members of the clergy, belonging to this state or any other state. All marriages solemnized according to the forms and usages of any religious denomination in this state, including marriages witnessed by a duly constituted Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is, are valid. All marriages attempted to be celebrated by any other person are void.
(b) No public official legally authorized to issue marriage licenses may join persons in marriage under authority of a license issued by himself, or his assistant or deputy; nor may any such assistant or deputy join persons in marriage under authority of a license issued by such public official.
(c) Any person violating any provision of this section shall be fined not more than fifty dollars.”