§ 51-6. Solemnization without license unlawful. - North Carolina Statutes

Article 2.

Marriage Licenses.

§ 51‑6.  Solemnizationwithout license unlawful.

No minister, officer, or anyother person authorized to solemnize a marriage under the laws of this Stateshall perform a ceremony of marriage between a man and woman, or shall declarethem to be husband and wife, until there is delivered to that person a licensefor the marriage of the said persons, signed by the register of deeds of thecounty in which the marriage license was issued or by a lawful deputy orassistant. There must be at least two witnesses to the marriage ceremony.

Whenever a man and woman havebeen lawfully married in accordance with the laws of the state in which themarriage ceremony took place, and said marriage was performed by a magistrateor some other civil official duly authorized to perform such ceremony, and theparties thereafter wish to confirm their marriage vows before an ordainedminister or minister authorized by a church, or in a ceremony recognized by anyreligious denomination, federally or State recognized Indian Nation or Tribe,nothing herein shall be deemed to prohibit such confirmation ceremony;provided, however, that such confirmation ceremony shall not be deemed in lawto be a marriage ceremony, such confirmation ceremony shall in no way affectthe validity or invalidity of the prior marriage ceremony performed by a civilofficial, no license for such confirmation ceremony shall be issued by aregister of deeds, and no record of such confirmation ceremony may be kept by aregister of deeds. (1871‑2,c. 193, s. 4; Code, s. 1813; Rev., s. 2086; C.S., s. 2498; 1957, c. 1261; 1959,c. 338; 1967, c. 957, ss. 6, 9; 1977, c. 592, s. 2; 2001‑62, s. 6.)