§ 15-3-5 Officials empowered to join
persons in marriage. –
Every ordained clergy or elder in good standing, every justice of the supreme
court, superior court, family court, workers' compensation court, district
court or traffic tribunal, the clerk of the supreme court, every clerk or
general chief clerk of a superior court, family court, district court, or
traffic tribunal, magistrates, special or general magistrates of the superior
court, family court, traffic tribunal or district court, administrative clerks
of the district court, administrators of the workers' compensation court,
every former justice or judge and former administrator of these courts and
every former chief clerk of the district court, and every former clerk or
general chief clerk of a superior court, the secretary of the senate, elected
clerks of the general assembly, any former secretary of the senate or any
former elected clerk of the general assembly who retires after July 1, 2007,
judges of the United States appointed pursuant to Article III of the United
States Constitution, bankruptcy judges appointed pursuant to Article I of the
United States Constitution, and United States magistrate judges appointed
pursuant to federal law, may join persons in marriage in any city or town in
this state; and every justice and every former justice of the municipal courts
of the cities and towns in this state and of the police court of the town of
Johnston and every probate judge and every former probate judge may join
persons in marriage in any city or town in this state, and wardens of the town
of New Shoreham may join persons in marriage in New Shoreham.
(G.L. 1896, ch. 191, § 8; C.P.A. 1905, § 1228; G.L. 1909, ch. 243,
§ 8; P.L. 1922, ch. 2207, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 287, § 8; P.L.
1932, ch. 1896, § 1; P.L. 1933, ch. 2042, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 415,
§ 8; P.L. 1949, ch. 2290, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 15-3-5; P.L. 1974,
ch. 290, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 326, § 1; P.L. 1979, ch. 327, § 1;
P.L. 1980, ch. 382, § 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 363, § 2; P.L. 1987, ch. 489,
§ 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 561, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 607, § 1; P.L.
1990, ch. 139, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 163, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 132,
§ 5; P.L. 1991, ch. 205, § 4; P.L. 1994, ch. 103, § 1; P.L.
1994, ch. 199, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 249, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 451,
§ 1; P.L. 2002, ch. 70, § 1; P.L. 2002, ch. 123, § 1; P.L. 2004,
ch. 6, § 42; P.L. 2004, ch. 444, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 174, § 1;
P.L. 2007, ch. 259, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 85, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 89,
§ 1.)