§ 14-309. Clergy.

District of ColumbiaStatutes

Ask Donna

How this section applies to your facts.

DC Code › Title 14 › Chapter 3 › § 14-309

This text was captured on Aug 14, 2026. It is a snapshot, not a live feed, so check the official code before relying on it.

Text

A priest, clergyman, rabbi, or other duly licensed, ordained, or consecrated minister of a religion authorized to perform a marriage ceremony in the District of Columbia or duly accredited practitioner of Christian Science may not be examined in any civil or criminal proceedings in the Federal courts in the District of Columbia and District of Columbia courts with respect to any —

(1) confession, or communication, made to him, in his professional capacity in the course of discipline enjoined by the church or other religious body to which he belongs, without the consent of the person making the confession or communication; or

(2) communication made to him, in his professional capacity in the course of giving religious or spiritual advice, without the consent of the person seeking the advice; or

(3) (A) communication made to him, in his professional capacity, by either spouse or domestic partner, in connection with an effort to reconcile estranged spouses or domestic partners, without the consent of the spouse or domestic partner making the communication.

(B) for the purposes of this paragraph, the term “domestic partner” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 32-701(3) .

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.