To get ordained to marry someone, you fill out a short online form with a nondenominational ministry, receive your ordination (usually free and often within minutes), and then handle the local legal steps: confirming your state recognizes online ordination, registering with a county or state office if required, running the ceremony with the legally required elements, and returning the signed marriage license by the deadline. The ordination is the easy part. The follow-through is what makes the marriage stick.
Getting Ordained Online
Visit an online ministry’s website, enter your legal name, address, and date of birth, and submit. Ordination is typically granted instantly, and the confirmation email serves as your initial proof. No theology degree, seminary training, or prior religious affiliation is required. Most organizations set a minimum age of 18.
The ordination itself is free at the major organizations. What costs money is optional physical paperwork: an ordination certificate, a wallet card, or a letter of good standing. These aren’t legally required everywhere, but some county clerks ask to see them when you register as an officiant or when the couple picks up the marriage license. A physical letter of good standing tends to smooth out bureaucratic friction, particularly in counties that don’t see online-ordained ministers often.1Universal Life Church. Official Letter of Good Standing
Two organizations handle most online ordinations: the Universal Life Church2Universal Life Church. Become Ordained and Officiate a Wedding and American Marriage Ministries.3American Marriage Ministries. Free Online Ordination To Officiate Weddings Both are free, both are recognized in most states, and both publish state-by-state guides along with credential packages for places that demand extra documentation. If you’d rather be ordained through a traditional religious body, that path is open too, but it typically involves study, mentorship, and a longer timeline.
Confirm Your State Recognizes Your Ordination
Being ordained is necessary but not always sufficient. State and county rules vary, and the consequences of getting this wrong range from an awkward re-do to a legally invalid marriage. Start checking at least a few weeks before the wedding.
States That Require Officiant Registration
Roughly a dozen states require ordained ministers to register with a government office before performing a wedding. The office varies: county clerk, secretary of state, or vital records. The process generally involves submitting proof of ordination and paying a fee. States with registration requirements include Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. New Hampshire and Vermont require registration only for non-resident officiants.
Skipping registration where it’s required may not void the marriage for the couple in every case, but you as the officiant could face fines or other penalties. Don’t count on the clerk to catch the issue. Some offices barely review officiant credentials; others scrutinize everything.
States Where Online Ordination May Not Work
A handful of states have laws or court rulings that cast doubt on whether online ordination counts as valid ministry. Virginia is the most prominent. Virginia law requires officiants to be ministers in good standing with a legitimate religious body, and courts there have interpreted that to exclude ordinations from online-only ministries with no real congregation or ongoing ministry. Pennsylvania has also seen court rulings invalidating marriages performed by internet-ordained officiants, with at least one judge concluding that state law limits officiation to ministers of a “regularly established church or congregation.”
These rulings don’t necessarily invalidate every online-ordained marriage in those states, but relying on luck is a bad plan. If you’re officiating somewhere with known skepticism toward online ordination, call the county clerk’s office directly and ask whether they’ll accept your credentials. If the answer is no, look at the alternatives below.
What the Ceremony Legally Requires
You have broad creative freedom in how you structure the ceremony, but two legal elements have to happen inside it. First, the couple makes a declaration of intent, where each person verbally confirms they want to marry the other. The classic “Do you take this person” with “I do” works, but any clear wording the couple prefers is fine. Second, you make a pronouncement declaring them legally married. The phrasing is up to you.
Beyond that, the couple needs a valid, state-issued marriage license, which gets signed during or immediately after the ceremony. Witness requirements vary. About half of all states require none. Others require one or two adult witnesses to sign. Maine specifically requires witnesses who are not the officiant. Check the rules where the ceremony will take place, and line up the witnesses in advance.
Returning the Marriage License on Time
After the ceremony, the officiant is responsible for getting the completed license back to the issuing office. Deadlines are tighter than most people expect. Return windows range from as short as 72 hours to as long as 90 days, and many states set the deadline at 10 days or fewer.
Missing the deadline doesn’t automatically void the marriage in most states, but it creates real problems. The couple may not be able to get a certified copy of the marriage certificate, which they need for everything from name changes to insurance updates. Some states fine officiants who return licenses late. Put the deadline on your calendar the same day as the wedding, and confirm the mailing address or drop-off location for the clerk’s office before you leave the ceremony.
Alternatives If Ordination Isn’t the Right Fit
Ordination isn’t the only legal path. Depending on where the wedding is happening, a few other options exist.
- Judges, magistrates, and justices of the peace can perform marriages in every state. If the couple wants a civil ceremony with no religious element, this is the cleanest route.
- Some states and cities let anyone apply for a one-day officiant designation tied to a specific couple’s license. New York offers a one-day marriage officiant license for $25 that lets any adult solemnize a ceremony anywhere in the state. Maine and Massachusetts have similar provisions. These are especially useful in states where online ordination is legally shaky.4City Clerk. One-Day Marriage Officiant License
- A small number of states, including Colorado, Pennsylvania, and California, allow self-uniting marriages, where the couple marries themselves without an officiant and witnesses sign the license instead. Kansas, Maine, and Nevada restrict self-uniting marriages to members of the Quaker faith.
Taxes on Officiant Fees
Any payment you accept for officiating is taxable income to the IRS, whether it’s called a fee, an honorarium, or a gift. Fees for performing marriages are self-employment earnings, even if you’re a church employee for other purposes. Report the income on Schedule C (Form 1040) along with related expenses like travel or credential costs, and pay self-employment tax on Schedule SE.5Internal Revenue Service. Topic no. 417, Earnings for Clergy
One-time officiants often assume a few hundred dollars is too small to report. It isn’t. If your net self-employment income from all sources reaches $400 or more for the year, Schedule SE is required. Keep records of what you received and what you spent. If you officiate regularly, credential fees, mileage, and preparation costs can add up to meaningful deductions.