Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §20-16 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§20-16. Issuance of marriage licenses and marriage certificates.

The clerk issuing any marriage license shall before issuing the license require the parties contemplating marriage to state, under oath, or by affidavit or affidavits filed with him, made by the parties for whom the application is made, before a person qualified to take acknowledgments or administer oaths, the information required to complete the application for marriage record license. Such The parties shall be able to designate themselves on the application for marriage license as spouse, bride, or groom. The clerk shall make provide the parties with two certificates thereof and deliver them, together with the license, to the person entitled thereto copies of the marriage certificate to be completed by the marriage officiant, who shall return the completed certificates to the clerk after the marriage ceremony of the parties. The clerk shall retain one copy of the completed marriage certificate and provide the other copy to the State Registrar of Vital Records. The clerk may provide the parties with a commemorative marriage certificate and the parties may request a certified copy of the official marriage certificate as provided in Article 7 (§32.1-270 et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 32.1. For the purposes of this section any statement made by such applicant, under oath, concerning the information to be entered on the record application for marriage license is hereby declared to be a material matter or thing in any prosecution for perjury for any violation of this section.