If you’re getting married outside of a church, the people who can legally marry you include judges and magistrates, county clerks and their deputies, mayors and justices of the peace, notaries public in a handful of states, ordained ministers of any denomination (including friends ordained online), and humanist or secular celebrants. In about ten jurisdictions you can skip the officiant entirely and marry yourselves. Each state writes its own rules, so the final check always happens at the county clerk’s office that issues your marriage license.
Judges, Clerks, and Other Government Officials
The most straightforward secular option is a government official. Active judges at nearly every level can solemnize marriages, from state supreme court justices down to local municipal and district court judges, and federal judges and magistrates carry the same authority. Many states extend it to retired judges as well, though some require that the judge left the bench in good standing.
County clerks are another reliable choice, with a built-in convenience: the clerk’s office is often the same place you pick up your license. In many jurisdictions, the clerk or a deputy will perform a brief civil ceremony on the spot or by appointment. Depending on the state, mayors, justices of the peace, and sometimes state legislators or members of Congress representing a district within the state may also qualify. A short call to the clerk’s office where you plan to get your license confirms who’s on the local list.
Notaries Public
Six states let notaries public officiate weddings: Florida, Maine, Montana, Nevada, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Requirements differ. Maine, for example, automatically grants notaries a marriage officiant license. In the other five, the notary commission itself generally covers the authority, but it’s worth confirming with the county clerk that no additional registration step is needed.
Ordained Ministers and Online Ordination
Every state recognizes marriages performed by ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and leaders of other religious organizations, and that recognition doesn’t depend on the size or age of the denomination. A minister from a small independent congregation has the same legal standing as clergy from a centuries-old institution.
This broad definition is what makes online ordination work. Organizations like the Universal Life Church and American Marriage Ministries ordain any adult who requests it, usually for free and within minutes. Fill out a short form, receive confirmation, and in most states you’re legally authorized to perform marriages from that point forward. The notable exception is Virginia, where some counties have historically required clergy to petition for authorization and show a connection to an established congregation. Everywhere else in the U.S. and its territories, online ordination is generally accepted.
Humanist and secular celebrants are another non-religious path. The Humanist Society and similar organizations endorse celebrants who perform nontheistic ceremonies, and these celebrants are generally accorded the same legal standing as traditional clergy. Marriage laws are local enough that a celebrant recognized in one county could face questions in another, so confirming with the issuing clerk’s office beforehand eliminates doubt.
Having a Friend or Family Member Officiate
If you want someone you know personally to marry you, the fastest route is online ordination. Your friend or relative applies to one of the ordination organizations, receives credentials (sometimes within the hour), and is ready to officiate. The ordination itself is often free. The organizations sell optional extras like printed certificates and letters of good standing for a modest fee.
Ordination alone may not be enough. Some jurisdictions require officiants, including online-ordained ones, to register with a government office before performing a ceremony. Registration can mean filing ordination credentials with the county clerk or circuit court, paying a small fee, or appearing in person. Many counties require no registration at all. Check with the specific county clerk’s office issuing your marriage license, because the rules vary not just by state but by county.
One-Day Officiant Designations
A few states offer temporary officiant authorizations built for exactly this situation. Rhode Island runs a One-Day Marriage Officiant Certification program through the Secretary of State’s office: a friend or family member applies, pays a small fee, and receives authorization to perform one specific ceremony on a specific date. Some Virginia circuit courts offer a comparable one-time civil celebrant petition. These programs suit someone who wants to officiate your wedding without carrying permanent ordination credentials. Availability is limited, so check whether your state has a similar option before assuming online ordination is the only path.
Self-Uniting Marriages: No Officiant Required
In roughly ten jurisdictions, you can skip the officiant entirely. Self-uniting marriages trace back to the Quaker tradition, in which members of the Religious Society of Friends believe they need no intermediary to sanctify a marriage. The couple declares their intent to be married, and witnesses sign the license instead of an officiant.
States that currently allow some form of self-solemnization include Colorado, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. California offers a variation: couples can purchase a special non-clergy marriage license, and two witnesses sign in place of an officiant. In most of these states, witnesses are still required at the ceremony, so you don’t need an officiant but you do need at least one or two people present. Requirements vary, and some conditions aren’t obvious at first glance, so confirm the specifics with the local clerk before planning a purely self-uniting ceremony.
What About a Ship Captain?
Ship captains do not have automatic legal authority to marry anyone under U.S. law. No federal statute grants that power. The idea is deeply embedded in popular culture thanks to movies and novels, but rank alone means nothing for marriage purposes. Some countries whose flags fly on international cruise ships, including Bermuda and the Bahamas, do grant captains this authority on vessels registered under their flag. On a U.S.-flagged vessel, a captain-led ceremony is purely symbolic unless the captain also holds a separate qualifying credential, such as ordination or a notary commission in a state that allows notaries to officiate.
What Your Officiant Has to Do After the Ceremony
The vows and the kiss are the emotional high point. The legal moment is the paperwork. After the ceremony, the officiant completes their section of the marriage license: the date and location of the ceremony, their printed name, title, and signature. The couple signs, and so do any required witnesses.
About half of U.S. states require witnesses at the ceremony. States that do typically require one or two, and many set a minimum age of 18. The rest require none. The marriage license or the clerk’s office will spell out what your jurisdiction needs. Line this up before the wedding day, because an unsigned witness line creates headaches after the fact.
Once signed, the officiant must return the completed license to the county clerk’s office that issued it. Deadlines are shorter than most people expect. Some jurisdictions give the officiant as few as five days; others allow ten or thirty. Missing the deadline or submitting an incomplete license can delay official registration of the marriage, which affects everything from changing your name to filing joint tax returns, and some states impose fines on officiants who file late. Make sure your officiant knows the deadline before the ceremony, not after.
If Your Officiant Wasn’t Properly Authorized
This is the scenario that keeps couples up at night: a beautiful ceremony, a friend officiating, everyone in tears, and then a discovery that the ordination wasn’t properly registered or recognized in your jurisdiction. Most states have some form of protection for marriages performed in good faith, and many state codes specify that a defect in the officiant’s authority does not automatically invalidate the marriage if the couple reasonably believed the ceremony was legal.
That protection isn’t universal, and its strength varies. In some states, the marriage is fully valid regardless of the officiant’s credentials as long as you obtained a valid license and intended to be married. In others, a challenge could require a court proceeding to confirm the marriage’s validity. The practical fix is simple: verify your officiant’s credentials with the county clerk before the wedding. Ask whether online ordination is accepted, whether registration is required, and whether any additional documentation needs to be filed. Fifteen minutes on the phone with the clerk’s office is cheaper than a lawyer.