§ 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, administrative 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; every former chief clerk of the district court; every former clerk, administrative 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; 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 the administrator of the Johnston municipal court, while he or she is serving as an administrator, 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.

History of Section. (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; P.L. 2013, ch. 321, § 1; P.L. 2013, ch. 351, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 484, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 512, § 1.)