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Marriage Authority

Note: The following information is not necessarily authoritative. It is based on research conducted by our clergy in the various jurisdictions. It may be in your interest to seek independent confirmation. Please advise the results of your own investigations so this section can be updated.

USA

  • Arkansas: You can register through the County Clerk
  • California: As far as can be determined, no registration is required, though this may vary by county. It is up to you to check with your county clerk's office. The following information was provided by the Right Reverend Shawn Blocker, Bishop of Long Beach: "I have checked with the County of Los Angeles and been informed that clergy members of UCTAA can LEGALLY perform marriage and funeral services within the County. As long as you have an ordination certificate you may perform these functions. You do not have to register with the county or file your certificate; Los Angeles County does not keep a list of ministers. A business license may be required depending on your municipality; check with your local city prior to performing these functions." Shawn also checked with the San Bernadino County Clerk with the following response: "There is no registration required in the State of California unless he / she is also a notary public requesting to perform ceremonies. As long as he / she is recognized by his / her religious organization to perform ceremonies, then that is all that is required."
  • Colorado: Priestess Tanya Hannis has determined "Colorado law states that only judges, court referees, public officials whose powers include solemnization, individuals recognized by any religious denomination or Indian nation / tribe or the parties to the marriage themselves may validate or solemnize a marriage. The state of Colorado does NOT have any licensing or registration process for ministers, priests, rabbis or other religious leaders who perform marriages." http://www.state.co..us/gov_dir/oed/industry/Marriage.html
  • Florida: Apparently no registration required. All ordained clergy are authorized to solemnize marriage.
  • Illinois: http://www.legis.state.il.us/ilcs/ch750/ch750act5articles/ch750act5sub2.htm - Sec. 209. Solemnization and Registration.) (a) A marriage may be solemnized by a judge of a court of record, by a retired judge of a court of record, unless the retired judge was removed from office by the Judicial Inquiry Board, except that a retired judge shall not receive any compensation from the State, a county or any unit of local government in return for the solemnization of a marriage and there shall be no effect upon any pension benefits conferred by the Judges Retirement System of Illinois, by a judge of the Court of Claims, by a county clerk in counties having 2,000,000 or more inhabitants, by a public official whose powers include solemnization of marriages, or in accordance with the prescriptions of any religious denomination, Indian Nation or Tribe or Native Group, provided that when such prescriptions require an officiant, the officiant be in good standing with his religious denomination, Indian Nation or Tribe or Native Group. Either the person solemnizing the marriage, or, if no individual acting alone solemnized the marriage, both parties to the marriage, shall complete the marriage certificate form and forward it to the county clerk within 10 days after such marriage is solemnized. i.e. our clergy can officiate.
  • Indiana: (courtesy of Jacob Magnusson) I have been in contact with the state of Indiana to find out their requirements to officiate a wedding. The only thing you have to do is be ordained. They do not require any registration with the state.
  • Iowa: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/cgi-bin/IACODE/Code2001SUPPLEMENT.pl - 595.10 Who may solemnize. Marriages may be solemnized by:
    1. A judge of the supreme court, court of appeals, or district court, including a district associate judge, associate juvenile judge, or a judicial magistrate, and including a senior judge as defined in section 602.9202, subsection 1.
    2. A person ordained or designated as a leader of the person's religious faith.
  • Michigan: No registration of clergy is required. Your ordination is sufficient.
  • New York: No registration of clergy is required except in New York City where registration with the city is required. Otherwise, your ordination should be sufficient.
  • North Dakota: Registration to perform marriages is no longer required. Your ordination should be sufficient to permit you to conduct legal marriages.
  • Ohio: You can register through the Office of the Secretary of State - contact the Patriarch of Ohio (contacts page) for guidance.
  • Oklahoma: You can register through the County clerk
  • Oregon: (from Charlie Williams) the clergy of UCTAA can perform marriages in Oregon per 106.120 "(d) A clergyperson of any religious congregation or organization who is authorized by the congregation or organization to solemnize marriages."
  • South Carolina: The regulations on the surface limit clerical authority to Ministers of the Gospel and rabbis. However, in practice, anyone is permitted to conduct a marriage ceremony. So our clergy have authority with no requirement to register. For further details, contact the Bishop of Anderson, SC (contacts page.)
  • Texas: We believe no registration of clergy is required. Your ordination should be sufficient. Specifically with respect to Dallas County, the Reverend Chris Kirby received the following from the office of the County Clerk: " As long as you are recognized by the church (ordained) then you can legally perform marriage ceremonies in Dallas County.
  • Virginia: You need to provide proof of your ordination to the circuit court and show that you are in communication with your church. (This eliminates those who have grabbed a free ordination from us, then abandoned our teachings)
  • Wisconsin: http://folio.legis.state.wi.us/cgi-bin/om_isapi.dll?clientID=184485&infobase=stats.nfo&jump=ch.%20765

765.16 Marriage contract, how made; officiating person. Marriage may be validly solemnized and contracted in this state only after a marriage license has been issued therefor, and only by the mutual declarations of the 2 parties to be joined in marriage that they take each other as husband and wife, made before an authorized officiating person and in the presence of at least 2 competent adult witnesses other than the officiating person. The following are authorized to be officiating persons:

765.16(1)

(1) Any ordained member of the clergy of any religious denomination or society who continues to be an ordained member of the clergy.

765.16(2) (2) Any licentiate of a denominational body or an appointee of any bishop serving as the regular member of the clergy of any church of the denomination to which the member of the clergy belongs, if not restrained from so doing by the discipline of the church or denomination.

 

Slovenia

(Information provided by Marjeta.) => Slovenia (formerly part of Yugoslavia) has a strict separation of church and state - that means that NO clergy has the authority to perform legal marriages. People who want to be married in church, first do a (usually very small and simple) civil ceremony, and then a church wedding.
updated 13 June 2013