Can i officiate a wedding

District of Columbia: Wedding Officiants: Ordained ministers of the gospel may perform marriages. Florida: Wedding Officiants: All regularly ordained ministers of the gospel in communion with some church may perform marriages.

Georgia: Wedding Officiants: Any minister who is authorized by his or her church may perform marriages. Hawaii: Wedding Officiants: Any minister may perform marriages if they are authorized by their church to do so.

Idaho Wedding Officiants: Marriages may be performed by priests or ministers of the gospel of any denomination. Illinois: Wedding Officiants: Marriages may be performed by ministers of the gospel in regular standing in the church or society to which they belong. Indiana: Wedding Officiants: Ministers of the gospel and priests of every church throughout the state may perform marriages.

Iowa: Wedding Officiants: Ministers of the gospel who are ordained by their church may perform marriages. Kansas: Wedding Officiants: Any ordained clergyman of any religious denomination or society may perform marriages. Kentucky: Wedding Officiants: Marriages may be performed by any minister of the gospel or priests of any denomination with any religious society. Louisiana: Wedding Officiants: Ministers of the gospel or priests of any denomination in regular communion with any religious society may perform marriages.

Massachusetts: Wedding Officiants: Ordained ministers of the gospel may perform marriages. You must file a copy of your ordination certificate and a statement from the church saying that you are in good standing. Please let us know well in advance if you need a statement from us. Michigan: Wedding Officiants: A minister of the gospel who is ordained or authorized by his or her church to perform marriages and who is a pastor of a church in this state, or continues to preach the gospel in this state may perform marriages.

Minnesota: Wedding Officiants: Any licensed or ordained minister of the gospel in regular communion with a religious society may perform marriages. Mississippi: Wedding Officiants: Any ordained minister of the gospel who is in good standing with his or her church may perform marriages. Missouri: Wedding Officiants: Marriages may be performed by any clergyman who is a citizen of the United States and who is in good standing with any church or synagogue in this state.

Montana: Wedding Officiants: Ministers of the gospel of any denomination may perform marriages. Nebraska: Wedding Officiants: Any ordained clergyman whatsoever, without regard to the sect to which they belong may perform marriages. Nevada: Wedding Officiants: Any ordained minister in good standing with his denomination, whose denomination is incorporated or organized or established in the State of Nevada may perform marriages.

New Hampshire: Wedding Officiants: Marriages may be performed by any ordained minister of the gospel who resides in the state and is in good standing with his church. Ministers not residing in the state may obtain permission to perform a marriage upon application to the Secretary of State. Title B-8, 8B-8 New Mexico: Wedding Officiants: Any ordained clergyman whatsoever, without regard to the sect to which he or she may belong may perform marriages.

These include: Various government officials ; a member of the clergy or minister who has been officially ordained and granted authority to perform marriage ceremonies from a governing church body in accordance with the rules and regulations of the church body; a member of the clergy or minister who is not authorized by a governing Church body but who has been chosen by a spiritual group to preside over their spiritual affairs; other officiants as specified by Section 11 of the Domestic Relations Law.

Ship captains are not authorized to perform marriage ceremonies in New York State. In cases where the denomination publishes a directory of its clergy, the registrant may show that he or she is listed in that directory. Such confirmation can also consist of a certificate or letter showing that the registrant graduated from the seminary or theological school pertaining to the denomination.

In cases where the denomination does not have such a directory, the registrant must show several pieces of documentary proof of authority. First, the registrant must present an ordination certificate accompanied, if necessary, by an English translation thereof.

Ordination certificates issued by the Universal Life Church or its affiliates are not acceptable as evidence of clerical authority based on Ranieri v. Ravenal v. County Second, the registrant must present a letter from his or her local congregation verifying that he or she is the pastor or associate pastor of that congregation, and that the congregation therefore consents to the registering of that individual. Lastly, if the church is incorporated, the registrant must present a copy of the articles of incorporation.

If the church is not incorporated, the registrant must submit a statement as to the location of the house of worship, the reason for its founding, the number of trustees, the approximate size of its congregation, and how often it meets.

In cases where the registrant belongs to a denomination that does not have a directory and does not grant certificates of ordination or licenses to minister, the registrant must present a letter stating that he or she is the recognized spiritual leader of a congregation, and that the congregation therefore consents to the registering of that individual.

The registrant must also submit a statement as to the location of the house of worship, the reason for its founding, the number of trustees, the approximate size of its congregation, and how often it meets. North Carolina: Wedding Officiants: Any ordained minister of any faith who is authorized to perform marriages by his church may do so. North Dakota: Wedding Officiants: Ordained ministers of the gospel and priests of every church may perform marriages. Ohio: Wedding Officiants: To have legally recognized clergy status in Ohio, one must have ordination papers from a church recognized in Ohio.

Oklahoma: Wedding Officiants: Oklahoma statutes provide for clergy who are not licensed therapists to give certain kinds of counseling. Clergymen may also visit prisoners. The law also provides a right to confidential communications with a clergyman acting in his professional capacity.

In this state, the confidentiality belongs the communicant, not in the clergyman. Oregon: Wedding Officiants: Ministers of any church organized, carrying on its work, and having congregations in this state may perform marriages in this state if authorized by their church to do so. Pennsylvania: Wedding Officiants: Ministers of any regularly established church or congregation may perform marriages. South Carolina: Wedding Officiants: Ministers of the gospel who are authorized to administer oaths in this state may perform marriages.

South Dakota: Wedding Officiants: Marriages may be performed by a minister of the gospel, or priest of any denomination. Tennessee: Wedding Officiants: a 1 All regular ministers, preachers, pastors, priests, rabbis and other spiritual leaders of every religious belief, more than eighteen 18 years of age, having the care of souls, and all members of the county legislative bodies, county mayors, judges, chancellors, former chancellors and former judges of this state, former county executives or county mayors of this state, former members of quarterly county courts or county commissions, the governor, the speaker of the senate and former speakers of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and former speakers of the house of representatives, the county clerk of each county, former county clerks of this state who occupied the office of county clerk on or after July 1, , and the mayor of any municipality in the state may solemnize the rite of matrimony.

Stay calm and confident as you guide the ceremony. You were chosen with love and care because you are special to the couple—you've got this. Once your duties are complete, you'll need to sign the marriage certificate. The couple, along with two witnesses, also need to sign the marriage license. You will then need to file the marriage certificate with the county clerk, recorder, or registrar who you submit it to depends on your county.

It's the final step and seals the deal in order to make it official. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Brides. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. In this section. How Much Does an Officiant Cost? How to Lead a Wedding Ceremony.

The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Guide. Part of. By Jaimie Mackey , Jaimie Mackey. Jaimie Mackey was the Brides real weddings editor from to She also worked as a luxury wedding planning producing over high-end weddings and events over four wedding seasons in Colorado.

Brides's Editorial Guidelines. Carolyn Hsu ,. Carolyn Hsu. Carolyn Hsu has extensive experience creating content for women's lifestyle brands, having written for RealSelf, NewBeauty, and Glam. Kristi Kellogg. What Is a Wedding Officiant? Ceremony Script Planning and Ideas. Choosing Your Officiant. Wedding Vows. Music and Readings. Ceremony Decor. A small number of states may not recognize marriages performed by ministers from such groups.

Before your chosen officiant goes through becoming ordained online, check with the county clerk of the county where the wedding will take place to make sure that jurisdiction accepts online certification. The Universal Life Church reports that sometimes county clerks deny marriage licenses even when they have no legal reason to do so. Also check to see whether the ordination has a time limit; you do not want to find that your officiant is no longer able to officiate a wedding because the expiration date has passed.

If you are planning on getting married, make sure that your plans will result in a legal, binding marriage. Start with some online research into state marriage laws , and then go a step further and call the county clerk in the county where the wedding will take place.

As for the ceremony itself, to be legal, it must include a declaration of intent. Finally, get the marriage license taken care of. How soon before the wedding do you need to get it? How soon after the wedding must you file it? Again, this is something you can double-check with the county clerk. In Minnesota, licensed or ordained clergy members may officiate weddings but must register with the county. Others allowed to officiate include current and retired judges, current and retired court administrators, a former court commissioner, plus — very specifically — the residential school superintendent of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind.

In Fillmore and Olmstead counties, the Third Judicial District may appoint a court commissioner to solemnize civil marriages. Avvo Advocates write about legal issues in everyday life on the Avvo NakedLaw blog. Join us in making a change in the industry. Let's amplify the work of these amazing individuals and businesses by supporting them, sharing their work, following them on social media, and showing them love.