Open Ministry - Get Ordained, Online Ordinations

Information on How to Get Ordained and Register as a Minister

How to get ordained and perform a wedding or ceremony in Texas.

Since 2010, Open Ministry has been ordaining and helping people all over the world perform weddings, ceremony and other sacerdotal duties. This page focuses on requirements and information for Texas, if you don't need the States Statues or ordination information for Texas scroll down to the bottom of the page for links to other states.

Let's get started with the information for Texas

If you are planning to or you have been asked to perform a wedding ceremony in Texas, or simply need to to the information on this page will assist you. If you still have questions we invite you to visit our FAQ or contact us for more detailed information. We are here to help and support our ministers and congregation.

Registered Ministers with Open Ministry have successfully performed thousands of marriages in Texas and around the world!

The Ordination and Officiant information is provided below in an easy five step layout which is designed help walk you through the most common steps on registering to become a minister for Texas and how perform a wedding ceremony in Texas.

Step 1 - How to Become Ordained Step 1 - How to Become Ordained

Step 2 - Contact The County Clerk Step 2 - Contact The County Clerk

Step 3 - Getting Licensed to Perform the Marriage Step 3 - Getting Licensed to Perform the Marriage

Step 4 - How to Perform the Wedding Step 4 - How to Perform the Wedding

State Statutes for Texas

Credentials for Registration in Texas

Texas

2.202 PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO CONDUCT CEREMONY

(a) The following persons are authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony:
(1) a licensed or ordained Christian minister or priest;
(2) a Jewish rabbi;
(3) a person who is an officer of a religious organization and who is authorized by the organization to conduct a marriage ceremony; and
(4) a justice of the supreme court, judge of the court of criminal appeals, justice of the courts of appeals, judge of the district, county, and probate courts, judge of the county courts at law, judge of the courts of domestic relations, judge of the juvenile courts, retired justice or judge of those courts, justice of the peace, retired justice of the peace, judge of a municipal court, or judge or magistrate of a federal court of this state.
(b) For the purposes of this section, a retired judge or justice is a former judge or justice who is vested in the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan One or the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan Two or who has an aggregate of at least 12 years of service as judge or justice of any type listed in Subsection (a)(4).
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a person commits an offense if the person knowingly conducts a marriage ceremony without authorization under this section. An offense under this subsection is a Class A misdemeanor.
(d) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly conducts a marriage ceremony of a minor whose marriage is prohibited by law or of a person who by marrying commits an offense under Section 25.01, Penal Code. An offense under this subsection is a felony of the third degree.

FAMILY CODE - TITLE 1. THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP - SUBTITLE A. MARRIAGE - CHAPTER 2. THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP - SUBCHAPTER C. CEREMONY AND RETURN OF LICENSE

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 7, Sec. 1, eff. April 17, 1997. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 268, Sec. 4.10, eff. September 1, 2005. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 134, Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.