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 Utah, you've come to the right page. Ordained ministers with Open Ministry have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Utah 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 Utah.
Step 1 - How to Become Ordained
How to become an Ordained Minister in Utah
Ordination is completely free and can be completed in less than a few hours. Thousands of ministers have registered to perform marriages in Utah 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 Utah
Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk) in Utah. 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 Utah.
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 Utah
After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our bookstore to purchase your official credentials and any required documentation (See Utah State Statutes for More Specific Requirements )
When registering in Utah 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 Utah to get a Complete Minister Package for Utah 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 Utah 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 Utah 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.
Utah
30-1-6 Who may solemnize marriages -- Certificate
(1) Marriages may be solemnized by the following persons only:
(a) ministers, rabbis, or priests of any religious denomination who are:
(i) in regular communion with any religious society; and
(ii) 18 years of age or older;
(b) Native American spiritual advisors;
(c) the governor;
(d) the lieutenant governor;
(e) mayors of municipalities or county executives;
(f) a justice, judge, or commissioner of a court of record;
(g) a judge of a court not of record of the state;
(h) judges or magistrates of the United States;
(i) the county clerk of any county in the state, if the clerk chooses to solemnize marriages;
(j) the president of the Senate;
(k) the speaker of the House of Representatives; or
(l) a judge or magistrate who holds office in Utah when retired, under rules set by the Supreme Court.
(2) A person authorized under Subsection (1) who solemnizes a marriage shall give to the couple married a certificate of marriage that shows the:
(a) name of the county from which the license is issued; and
(b) date of the license's issuance.
(3) As used in this section:
(a) "Judge or magistrate of the United States" means:
(i) a justice of the United States Supreme Court;
(ii) a judge of a court of appeals;
(iii) a judge of a district court;
(iv) a judge of any court created by an act of Congress the judges of which are entitled to hold office during good behavior;
(v) a judge of a bankruptcy court;
(vi) a judge of a tax court; or
(vii) a United States magistrate.
(b) (i) "Native American spiritual advisor" means a person who:
(A) (I) leads, instructs, or facilitates a Native American religious ceremony or service; or
(II) provides religious counseling; and
(B) is recognized as a spiritual advisor by a federally recognized Native American tribe.
(ii) "Native American spiritual advisor" includes a sweat lodge leader, medicine person, traditional religious practitioner, or holy man or woman.
(4) Notwithstanding any other provision in law, no person authorized under Subsection (1) to solemnize a marriage may delegate or deputize another person to perform the function of solemnizing a marriage, except that only employees of the office responsible for the issuance of marriage licenses may be deputized.
Title 30: Husband and Wife - Chapter 1: Marriage
Amended by Chapter 132, 2010 General Session