{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/marriage-act-1949/section-75",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/marriage-act-1949/section-75.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Geo6/12-13-14/76",
  "legislation_title": "Marriage Act 1949",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/marriage-act-1949",
  "path": "section/75",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "75",
  "heading": "Offences relating to solemnization of marriages.",
  "text": "(1) Any person who knowingly and wilfully—\n(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(b) solemnizes a marriage according to the rites of the Church of England without banns of matrimony having been duly published (not being a marriage solemnized on the authority of a special licence, a common licence or a marriage schedule);\n(c) solemnizes a marriage according to the said rites (not being a marriage by special licence or a marriage in pursuance of section 26(1)(dd) of this Act) in any place other than a church or other building in which banns may be published;\n(d) solemnizes a marriage according to the said rites falsely pretending to be in Holy Orders;\nshall be guilty of felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.\n(2) Any person who knowingly and wilfully—\n(a) solemnizes a marriage (not being a marriage by special licence, a marriage according to the usages of the Society of Friends or a marriage between two persons professing the Jewish religion according to the usages of the Jews) in any place other than—\n(i) a church or other building in which marriages may be solemnized according to the rites of the Church of England, or\n(ii) the registered building office , approved premises or person’s residence specified as the place where the marriage was to be solemnized in the notices of marriage and (if so specified) in the marriage schedule required under Part III of this Act;\n(aa) solemnizes a marriage purporting to be in pursuance of section 26(1)(bb) of this Act on premises that are not approved premises;\n(b) solemnizes a marriage in any such registered building as aforesaid (not being a marriage in the presence of an authorised person) in the absence of a registrar of the district in which the registered building is situated;\n(bb) solemnizes a marriage in pursuance of section 26(1)(dd) or 26B(6) of this Act, otherwise than according to the rites of the Church of England, in the absence of a registrar of the registration district in which the place where the marriage is solemnized is situated;\n(c) solemnizes a marriage in the office of a superintendent registrar in the absence of a registrar of the district in which the office is situated;\n(cc) solemnizes a marriage on approved premises in pursuance of section 26(1)(bb) of this Act in the absence of a registrar of the district in which the premises are situated;\n(d) solemnizes a marriage on the authority of a marriage schedule when none of the conditions in section 31(3) is met; or\n(e) solemnizes a marriage on the authority of a marriage schedule after the expiration of the period which is, in relation to that marriage, the applicable period for the purposes of section 33 of this Act;\nshall be guilty of felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.\n(2A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3) A superintendent registrar who knowingly and wilfully—\n(a) issues a marriage schedule when none of the conditions in section 31(3) is met;\n(b) issues a marriage schedule after the expiration of the period which is, in relation to that marriage, the applicable period for the purposes of section 33 of this Act; or\n(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(d) solemnizes or permits to be solemnized in his office or, in the case of a marriage in pursuance of section 26(1)(bb) or (dd) or 26B(6) of this Act, in any other place any marriage which is void by virtue of any of the provisions of Part III of this Act;\nshall be guilty of felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.\n(4) No prosecution under this section shall be commenced after the expiration of three years from the commission of the offence.\n(5) Any reference in subsection (2) of this section to a registered building shall be construed as including a reference to any chapel registered under section seventy or 70A of this Act.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 75(1)(a) repealed (1.10.2012) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), ss. 114(1)(b), 120, Sch. 10 Pt. 11 (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 3(m)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(1)(b) substituted (4.5.2021) by The Registration of Marriages Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/411), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 44(2) (with Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words inserted by Marriage Act 1983 (c. 32, SIF 49:1), s. 1(7), Sch. 1 para. 20(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words substituted by Marriage Act 1983 (c. 32, SIF 49:1), s. 1(7), Sch. 1 para. 20(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(2)(a)(ii) inserted (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 34, s. 1(3), Sch. para. 7(a); S.I. 1995/424, art. 2(2)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(2)(a)(ii) substituted (1.1.2001) by 1999 c. 33, s. 169(1), Sch. 14 paras. 3, 30(1)(3)(a); S.I. 2000/2698, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(2)(a)(ii) substituted (4.5.2021) by The Registration of Marriages Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/411), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 44(3)(a) (with Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 75(2)(aa) inserted (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 34, s. 1(3), Sch. para. 7(b); S.I. 1995/424, art. 2(2)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "S. 75(2)(bb) inserted by Marriage Act 1983 (c. 32, SIF 49:1), s. 1(7), Sch. 1 para. 20(c)."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(2)(bb) inserted (13.3.2014) by Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (c. 30), s. 21(3), Sch. 7 para. 19(2); S.I. 2014/93, art. 3(k)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "S. 75(2)(cc) inserted (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 34, s. 1(3), Sch. para. 7(c);S.I. 1995/424, art. 2(2)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(2)(d) substituted (4.5.2021) by The Registration of Marriages Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/411), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 44(3)(b) (with Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(2)(e) substituted (4.5.2021) by The Registration of Marriages Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/411), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 44(3)(c) (with Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(2)(e) substituted (1.10.1997) by S.I. 1997/986, art. 2(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "S. 75(2A) omitted (4.5.2021) by virtue of The Registration of Marriages Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/411), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 44(4) (with Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "S. 75(3)(a) substituted (19.4.2021 for specified purposes, 4.5.2021 in so far as not already in force) by The Registration of Marriages Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/411), reg. 1(2)(8)(d), Sch. 1 para. 44(5)(a) (with Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F17",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(3)(b) substituted (19.4.2021 for specified purposes, 4.5.2021 in so far as not already in force) by The Registration of Marriages Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/411), reg. 1(2)(8)(d), Sch. 1 para. 44(5)(b) (with Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F18",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(3)(b) substituted (1.10.1997) by S.I. 1997/986, art. 2(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F19",
      "text": "Word in s. 75(3)(b) inserted (27.2.2023) by Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 (c. 28), s. 7(1), Sch. para. 1(8)(a) (with s. 8); S.I. 2023/88, reg. 2 (with regs. 3-17)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F20",
      "text": "S. 75(3)(c) omitted (27.2.2023) by virtue of Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 (c. 28), s. 7(1), Sch. para. 1(8)(b) (with s. 8); S.I. 2023/88, reg. 2 (with regs. 3-17)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F21",
      "text": "Words inserted by Marriage Act 1983 (c. 32, SIF 49:1), s. 1(7), Sch. 1 para. 20(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F22",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(3)(d) substituted (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 34, s. 1(3), Sch. para. 7(d)S.I. 1995/424, art. 2(2)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F23",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(3)(d) inserted (13.3.2014) by Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (c. 30), s. 21(3), Sch. 7 para. 19(3); S.I. 2014/93, art. 3(k)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F24",
      "text": "Words in s. 75(5) inserted (13.3.2014) by Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (c. 30), s. 21(3), Sch. 7 para. 19(4); S.I. 2014/93, art. 3(k)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 75(2)(a) excluded by Marriage (Registrar General's Licence) Act 1970 (c. 34), s. 16(4)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/12-13-14/76/section/75",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:20:09.980125+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}