On April 6, 1807, the Territorial legislature passed "An Act Concerning the Celebration of Marriages." Among the detailed previsions in this act was Section 27, which read "No marriage shall be celebrated by any person who shall not previously have obtained a license for that purpose from any parish judge within the territory." Further, this section stipulated that any "priest or minister of the gospel, regularly ordained or admitted into any religious society" could obtain a license, provided he had produced "his credentials of proofs of his ordination" to the judge of the parish court, had taken an oath of allegiance "to support the constitution of the United States," and presented a bond of $2000 "for the faithful performance of his trust." In New Orleans, the judge of the City Court was authorized to issue marriage licenses to the credentialed priests or ministers.

An act "to alter and ammend" this act was passed on 3/17/1809, nullifying the required bond and stating that it was no longer necessary for a priest or minister to obtain a license in order to celebrate marriages.