How to Register and Perform a Wedding By State
If you are either planning to be married or have been asked to perform a wedding ceremony in Arizona, you've come to the right page. Ordained ministers with Open Ministry have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Arizona and around the world!
The information provided below is designed to walk you through the most common steps to become a minister and perform a wedding ceremony in Arizona.
Step 1 - How to Become Ordained
How to become an Ordained Minister in Arizona
Ordination is completely free and can be completed in less than a few hours. Thousands of ministers have registered to perform marriages in Arizona and other states each year!
If you haven't already, you should get ordained online with Open Ministry.
Get started today by clicking on the link below!
Step 2 - Contact The County Clerk
How to Register to Officiate a Marriage in Arizona
Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk) in Arizona. Let them know that you are a minister of Open Ministry in California, and ask what they will require of you to officiate a legal marriage in Arizona.
When speaking with the county clerk; it can be helpful to use the following phrases.
- What agency or department issues marriage licenses in your county and how may I contact them?
- I am an ordained minister with a church in California and I would like to register as a wedding Officiant in your county to perform and solemnize weddings.
- I have my Letter of Good Standing and/or Ordination Credential as proof of my ministry and ordination.
- What additional documentation is required for me to register as a wedding Officiant in your county?
Step 3 - Getting Licensed to Perform the Marriage
License to perform a wedding in Arizona
After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our bookstore to purchase your official credentials and any required documentation (See Arizona State Statutes for More Specific Requirements )
When registering in Arizona you may be asked to display proof of your ordination to the county clerk's before they will accept the marriage license as having been legally solemnized. We typically advise ministers of Arizona to get a Complete Minister Package for Arizona which includes your Letter of Good Standing.
Having your ordination credentials will also provide peace-of-mind to any couple that you intend to marry. Additionally, we recommend that you have at least 4 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your order, to ensure that you receive all of your materials in time to register.
It is important to note that some county clerks in Arizona may require wedding officiants to attach a statement avowing some of the elements in the marriage license upon submission, including the following:
- The time and location at which the wedding took place
- The names and places of residence of all official witnesses
- The religious organization in which the officiant is ordained
- The printed name and address of the officiant
Please note that, when filling out a marriage license, that Arizona State may request you use the title "Minister" or "Reverend". The County Clerks may also require you enter your denomination, you can use "Non-Denominational". Failing to state a denomination may result in rejection and could require a duplicate marriage license.
Arizona
25-124 Persons authorized to perform marriage ceremony; definition
A. The following are authorized to solemnize marriages between persons who are authorized to marry:
1. Duly licensed or ordained clergymen.
2. Judges of courts of record.
3. Municipal court judges.
4. Justices of the peace.
5. Justices of the United States supreme court.
6. Judges of courts of appeals, district courts and courts that are created by an act of Congress if the judges are entitled to hold office during good behavior.
7. Bankruptcy court and tax court judges.
8. United States magistrate judges.
9. Judges of the Arizona court of military appeals.
B. For the purposes of this section, "licensed or ordained clergymen" includes ministers, elders or other persons who by the customs, rules and regulations of a religious society or sect are authorized or permitted to solemnize marriages or to officiate at marriage ceremonies.
Title 25: Marital and Domestic Regulations - Chapter 1: Marriage - Article 3: Marriage License, Ceremony and Record