JCE clarifies: no same-sex marriages registered in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.- The Central Electoral Board (JCE) reaffirmed that it has not registered and will not register any same-sex marriages, emphasizing that such unions are not recognized under the Dominican Constitution or current laws.

The clarification followed comments by former U.S. ambassador James “Wally” Brewster, who announced on social media that he had “officiated” a wedding between two men in Santiago. In response, the JCE stated that only Civil Registry Officials and duly accredited religious institutions are authorized to perform marriages in the Dominican Republic — and only between a man and a woman.

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Citing Articles 55 and related provisions of the Constitution, as well as Laws Nos. 4-23 and 198-11, the JCE reiterated that Dominican law recognizes exclusively heterosexual marriages, whether civil or religious. The institution concluded by affirming that it “has not officiated, registered, nor will it register any marriage that violates the Constitution or the law.”