Title XXX — DOMESTIC RELATIONS

451.010. Marriage a civil contract. — Marriage is considered in law as a civil contract, to which the consent of the parties capable in law of contracting is essential. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 3360) Prior revisions: 1929 § 2973; 1919 § 7298; 1909 § 8279

451.020. Certain marriages prohibited — official issuing licenses to certain persons guilty of misdemeanor. — All marriages between parents and children, including grandparents and grandchildren of every degree, between brothers and sisters of the half as well as the whole blood,…

451.022. Public policy, same sex marriages prohibited — license may not be issued. — 1. It is the public policy of this state to recognize marriage only between a man and a woman. 2. Any purported marriage not between a man and a woman is invalid. 3. No recorder shall issue a mar…

451.030. Bigamous marriage void. — All marriages, where either of the parties has a former wife or husband living, shall be void, unless the former marriage shall have been dissolved. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 3362) Prior revisions: 1929 § 2975; 1919 § 7300; 1909 § 8281

451.040. Marriage license required, waiting period — presence not required, when — application, contents — license void when — common law of marriages void — lack of authority to perform marriage, effect — online applications, procedure. — 1. Previous to any marriage in this stat…

451.080. Recorder to issue license — form of. — 1. The recorders of the several counties of this state, and the recorder of the City of St. Louis, shall, when applied to by any person legally entitled to a marriage license, issue the same which may be in the following form: ­ ­ 2…

451.090. Issuance of license prohibited, when — proof of age. — 1. No recorder shall issue a license authorizing the marriage of any male or female under eighteen years of age. 2. The recorder shall state in every license whether the parties applying for same are of age. Applican…

451.100. Marriages solemnized by whom. — Marriages may be solemnized by any clergyman, either active or retired, who is in good standing with any church or synagogue in this state. Marriages may also be solemnized, without compensation, by any judge, including a municipal judge. …

451.110. Certificate of marriage to be given. — Every person solemnizing marriages under this chapter shall issue and deliver to the parties to such marriage a certificate thereof, which shall be furnished in blank by the officer who issues such license, setting forth the names a…

451.115. Marriages illegally solemnized — penalty. — Every person who shall solemnize any marriage, having knowledge of any fact which renders such marriage unlawful or criminal in either of the parties under any law of this state, or, having knowledge or reasonable cause to beli…

451.120. Penalty for solemnizing marriage without license, or failing to keep a record thereof. — Any person who shall solemnize any marriage wherein the parties have not obtained a license, as provided by this chapter, or shall fail to keep a record of the solemnization of any m…

451.130. Penalty for failure to issue, record or return license. — 1. If any recorder willfully neglect or refuse to issue a license to any person legally entitled thereto on application, on payment or tender of the fee provided for in section 451.150, or shall fail to refuse to …

451.150. Licenses to be recorded — fee. — The recorder shall record all marriage licenses issued in a well-bound book kept for that purpose, with the return thereon, for which he shall receive a fee of ten dollars to be paid for by the person obtaining the same. ­­-------- (RSMo …

451.151. Additional fee for issuing marriage license or certified copies — amount to be collected by county recorder, duty to deposit — how. — 1. In addition to any other fee for the issuance of a marriage license there is hereby imposed a fee of twenty dollars to be paid by the …

451.160. Names of children born before marriage shall be recorded. — The reputed father and mother of children who were born before the ceremony of marriage is performed, as provided by this chapter, may, at the time of solemnization of said marriage, give to the officer the name…

451.170. Lost record of marriage supplied, how. — In any county in this state where the record of any marriage has been lost or destroyed, such record may be supplied by the minister or officer who solemnized any such marriage, by filing in the recorder's office of such county a …

451.180. New certificate obtained, how. — In all counties in this state where records of marriages have been destroyed by fire or otherwise, any person whose record of marriage has been destroyed, or the heirs or descendants of such person, may obtain from the officer or minister…

451.190. Record supplied by certificate of witnesses, how. — If the minister or officer who solemnized any marriage, the record of which has been lost or destroyed, be dead, refuse to give a certificate as required by section 451.170, or his whereabouts be unknown, it shall be la…

[Repealed or reserved.]

451.210. Rerecording where marriage records are destroyed — fee. — In all counties of this state where the records of marriages have been burned or otherwise destroyed, the recorder of deeds or other officer whose duty it may be to record certificates of marriages shall purchase …

451.220. Marriage contracts to be in writing, acknowledged or proved. — All marriage contracts whereby any estate, real or personal, in this state, is intended to be secured or conveyed to any person or persons, or whereby such estate may be affected in law or equity, shall be in…

451.230. How acknowledged or proved — to be recorded, where. — Such marriage contracts shall be acknowledged or proved before the same officer and certified in the same manner as deeds of conveyance for land are or shall be required by law to be acknowledged or proved and certifi…

451.240. Contract so recorded shall impart notice, to whom. — When any such marriage contract is deposited in the recorder's office for record, it shall, as to all property affected by it in the county where the same is deposited, impart full notice to all persons of its contents…

451.250. Married persons to hold real and personal property as separate property — liable for what. — 1. All real estate and any personal property, including rights in action, belonging to any man or woman at his or her marriage, or which may have come to him or her during covert…

451.260. Rents of married person's real estate exempt from liability for spouse's debts, when. — The rents, issues and products of the real estate of any married person, and all moneys and obligations arising from the sale of such real estate, and the interest of such person's sp…

451.270. Property of married person exempt from debts of spouse incurred before marriage. — A spouse's property, except such as may be acquired from the other spouse, shall be exempt from all debts and liabilities contracted or incurred by his or her spouse before their marriage.…

451.290. Wife deemed femme sole, when. — A married woman shall be deemed a femme sole so far as to enable her to carry on and transact business on her own account, to contract and be contracted with, to sue and be sued, and to enforce and have enforced against her property such j…

451.300. Conveyance of property when one of the spouses is disabled and under conservatorship or a guardian ad litem is appointed. — The spouse of any person who is under conservatorship may join with the conservator in making partition of his or her own real estate held in joint…