How to Become an Ordained Minister in Minnesota
If you haven't yet become ordained with the Universal Life Church, that is the first step. Anyone willing can become a legal minister of the ULC, one of the world's largest religious organizations. Online ordination is fast, easy, and completely free. Once you have your minister license, you'll be eligible to officiate a wedding. To become a minister, start by clicking the button below!
Congratulations, you're ready to officiate the wedding! If you need any assistance in this important task, we encourage you to utilize the tools below. Together these exclusive resources include everything you'll need to craft the perfect wedding ceremony for any couple. Created with our ministers in mind, they offer tips and helpful information for all aspects of performing a ceremony. Fun fact: many ULC ministers have become professional officiants using these tools as a guide!
Video Guide to Performing a Wedding in Minnesota
Whew, you've finished the whole guide – good work! Feeling ready to officiate in Minnesota? Some people are visual learners, and that's great! Click below to see our step-by-step video guide for how to officiate a wedding in Minnesota. This walkthrough will explain what goes into preparing for this important role and how to learn what requirements you'll need to fulfill before and after the big day.
Officiant Requirements in Minnesota
The Minnesota state flower, the Pink Lady Slipper
In Minnesota, ministers are required to register before they are eligible to legally solemnize marriages. To do this, contact the County Clerk's office in the county where the ceremony will take place. Introduce yourself as a minister officiating a wedding, and ask them what documents they will need from you. They may ask to see a number of things, and be aware that these requirements vary from county to county. Rest assured that any materials or documents you might need are available in the Church Supplies section of our website. Select your county to view contact information for each office:
How to Get a Minnesota Marriage License
Once you've determined what you need, simply log in to your account and order the materials from our online catalog. Based on the feedback we've received from our ministers in Minnesota, we recommend getting both a Classic Wedding Kit and a Letter of Good Standing to ensure a smooth registration process. Keep in mind that the couple may also like to see your credentials. As requested by the county clerks, please place your order well in advance of the wedding to avoid complications.
How to Perform a Wedding
Licenses are issued by the County Clerk's office, and will be picked up by the couple. As a minister, it's your responsibility to understand how marriage licenses work in Minnesota and its individual counties. For example, if the couple plans to get a Benton County marriage license, you should double-check the rules specific to Benton County. In the state of Minnesota, the license is valid for six months. The previous mandatory 5 day waiting period has been eliminated. After the license is picked up, the ceremony can be legally performed. The signed marriage license must be returned to the issuing office within 5 days of the ceremony.
Finalizing the Marriage
After you perform the ceremony, you will sign the marriage license along with the couple and their two witnesses. Your title is 'minister', the ceremony type is 'religious', and the denomination is 'non-denominational'. You will not be required to provide a license number. You may also wish to give the couple a commemorative gift, like a marriage certificate to mark their special day. Last thing: make sure the signed license gets resubmitted to the marriage office before the deadline!
Minnesota Marriage Laws
Marriage laws in Minnesota are primarily directed by Chapter 517-519A of the state code. This section defines persons authorized to perform a marriage in the State of Minnesota, which includes ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church, among other individuals. We've reproduced the relevant portion below:
517.04 Solemnization Marriages may be solemnized throughout the state by a judge of a court of record, a retired judge of a court of record, a court administrator, a retired court administrator with the approval of the chief judge of the judicial district, a former court commissioner who is employed by the court system or is acting pursuant to an order of the chief judge of the commissioner's judicial district, the residential school administrators of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, a licensed or ordained minister of any religious denomination, or by any mode recognized in section 517.18. 517.05 Credentials of minister Ministers of any religious denomination, before they are authorized to solemnize a marriage, shall file a copy of their credentials of license or ordination with the court administrator of the district court of a county in this state, who shall record the same and give a certificate thereof. The place where the credentials are recorded shall be endorsed upon and recorded with each certificate of marriage granted by a minister.
View the Minnesota Statutes on the official government state website.
How Do you Legally Perform a Wedding in Minnesota?
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