K.S.A. » Chapter 23
Kansas Statutes Annotated

K.S.A. § 23-2504 (2026)

Solemnizing marriage; persons authorized to officiate

✓ current as of May 2026
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23-2504. Solemnizing marriage; persons authorized to officiate. (a) Marriage may be validly solemnized and contracted in this state, after a license has been issued for the marriage, in the following manner: By the mutual declarations of the two parties to be joined in marriage, made before an authorized officiating person and in the presence of at least two competent witnesses over 18 years of age, other than the officiating person, that they take each other as husband and wife.

(b) The following are authorized to be officiating persons:

(1) Any currently ordained clergyman or religious authority of any religious denomination or society;

(2) any licentiate of a denominational body or an appointee of any bishop serving as the regular clergyman of any church of the denomination to which the licentiate or appointee belongs, if not restrained from so doing by the discipline of that church or denomination;

(3) any judge or justice of a court of record;

(4) any municipal judge of a city of this state; and

(5) any retired judge or justice of a court of record.

(c) The two parties themselves, by mutual declarations that they take each other as husband and wife, in accordance with the customs, rules and regulations of any religious society, denomination or sect to which either of the parties belong, may be married without an authorized officiating person.

History: L. 1968, ch. 207, § 1; L. 1973, ch. 134, § 26; L. 1984, ch. 134, § 1; L. 1996, ch. 194, § 2; July 1.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 2019–2026 · leading case: In re Est. of McDonald, 2021 IL App (2d) 191113 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021).
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In re Est. of McDonald, 2021 IL App (2d) 191113 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021). “§ 9:244 (2016) (requiring marriage ceremony to be “performed in the presence of two competent witnesses of full age”); Kan. Stat. Ann. § 23-2504 (a) (West 2016) (providing that a marriage may be validly solemnized “[b]y the mutual declarations of the two parties to be joined in…”
In re Est. of McDonald, 2020 IL App (2d) 191113 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021). “§ 9:244 (2016) (requiring marriage ceremony to be “performed in the presence of two competent witnesses of full age”); Kan. Stat. Ann. § 23-2504 (a) (West 2016) (providing that a marriage may be validly solemnized “[b]y the mutual declarations of the two parties to be joined in…”
N. Nat. Gas Co. v. ONEOK Field Servs. Co. (Kan. 2019). “23-2504(a) ("Marriage may be validly solemnized and contracted in this state, after a license has been issued for the marriage.”
Duran v. Christena (Kan. Ct. App. 2026). “K.S.A. 23-2504(a) requires parties who wish to be joined in marriage to declare their intention to be married before an authorized officiant "and in the presence of at least two competent witnesses over 18 years of age.”
— K.S.A. § 23-2504(a) — 2 cases
N. Nat. Gas Co. v. ONEOK Field Servs. Co. (Kan. 2019). “23-2504(a) ("Marriage may be validly solemnized and contracted in this state, after a license has been issued for the marriage.”
Duran v. Christena (Kan. Ct. App. 2026). “K.S.A. 23-2504(a) requires parties who wish to be joined in marriage to declare their intention to be married before an authorized officiant "and in the presence of at least two competent witnesses over 18 years of age.”
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