Minnesota Wedding Laws
Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and there are at least that many formed centuries ago by the recession of a gigantic glacier. The 10,000-plus lakes make for a wide variety of beautiful settings for an outdoor wedding, but that is only part of what makes Minnesota a good place to get married. The people are known for their kindness, hospitality, and often progressive thinking. However, there are sometimes complicated requirements you must meet before you can get legally married in Minnesota. Here are the most important steps you need to take to be sure your marriage is valid.
How to Become a Wedding Officiant in Minnesota
- Min. Age of Minister:
- Age 18
- Residency:
- Not Required
- Document(s) Required:
- Ordination Credential
- Online Ordination Recognized:
- Yes
- Relevant Office of Registration:
- Vital Statistics Office
- Latest Document(s) Submission Date Allowed:
- Before the Ceremony
- Minister I.D. # Issued:
- No
Both the Universal Life Church and the State of Minnesota require that anyone wishing to become ordained to solemnize a wedding ceremony be at least 18 years old. Minnesota law regards a minister ordained online by ULC to be a religious actor regardless of his or her personal belief systems. Neither the declared gender nor the residence of the minister has any bearing on his or her eligibility to perform the ceremony.
Prior to the ceremony, the law in Minnesota requires that the officiant files his or her ordination credentials with the Vital Statistics Office. ULC ministers can order the Classic Wedding Package, which contains all the necessary documentation.
Minn. Stat. § 517.05 CREDENTIALS OF MINISTER.
Ministers of any religious denomination, before they are authorized to solemnize a civil marriage, shall file a copy of their credentials of license or ordination or, if their religious denomination does not issue credentials, authority from the minister's spiritual assembly, with the local registrar of a county in this state, who shall record the same and give a certificate of filing thereof. The place where the credentials are recorded shall be endorsed upon and recorded with each certificate of civil marriage granted by a minister.
Getting Married in Minnesota
- Marriage By Proxy Allowed:
- No
- Minister Required to be Present:
- Yes
- Number of Witnesses Required:
- 2
- Min. Age of Witnesses:
- 16
- Couple's Consent Required:
- Yes
- Pronouncement Required:
- Yes
A marriage in Minnesota becomes legally binding when you and your significant other make a declaration before two witnesses of at least 16 years of age and an authorized minister consenting to take one another as spouses. Otherwise, there are no rules or customs that the ceremony has to follow or form that it has to take to be official.
Minn. Stat. § 517.09 SOLEMNIZATION.
Subdivision 1.General. No particular form is required to solemnize a civil marriage, except: the parties shall declare in the presence of a person authorized to solemnize civil marriages and two attending witnesses that each takes the other as husband, wife, or spouse; or the civil marriage shall be solemnized in a manner provided by section 517.18.
Minn. Stat. § 517.10 CERTIFICATE; WITNESSES.
The person solemnizing a civil marriage shall prepare and sign a certificate. The certificate shall contain the full names of the parties before and after the civil marriage, the birth dates of the parties, and county and state of residences of the parties and the date and place of the civil marriage. The certificate shall also contain the signatures of at least two of the witnesses present at the civil marriage who shall be at least 16 years of age. The person solemnizing the civil marriage shall immediately make a record of such civil marriage, and file such certificate with the local registrar of the county in which the license was issued within five days after the ceremony. The local registrar shall record such certificate in the county civil marriage records.
How to Get a Minnesota Marriage License
- Who Picks Up License:
- The Couple
- Where License is Valid:
- Any County in Minnesota
- Marriage License Pick-Up:
- In Person Only
- Cost of License:
- $115.00
- Accepted I.D. Types:
- Photo ID
- Proof of Divorce Required (If Applicable):
- No
- Blood Test Required:
- No
Minnesota does not require premarital education by a church in order to get married. However, if you can provide evidence, in the form of a sworn statement from your instructor that bears a church seal or is notarized, that you and your spouse-to-be have completed at least 12 hours of such a course, you can pay a discounted fee of $40 rather than the $115 that is usually required.
Much of the information required for the marriage license application is pretty standard. You must provide your names, ages, Social Security numbers, sexes, and home addresses. If either you or your spouse-to-be has a history of felony conviction, you must disclose it in your application. This does not preclude you from getting married, but it can affect the time frame in which the wedding can take place.
If you and your spouse are related, you must disclose this in the application and explain how closely. If either of you is a minor, that individual must provide the names and addresses of parents or guardians on the application. If either you or your spouse has been married previously, you must include either the date and place of the previous spouse's death or information to verify the dissolution of the previous marriage through divorce. If applicable, you must include your previous married name.
While it is possible for one party to fill out the application on the other one's behalf at the local county registrar, it is better if you can both present, in person, to apply. Otherwise, the registrar cannot issue the license until having received notarized approval from the absent party.
Minn. Stat. § 517.08 APPLICATION FOR LICENSE.
Subdivision 1. [Renumbered subds 1a and 1b]
Subd. 1a.Form. Application for a civil marriage license shall be made by both of the parties upon a form provided for the purpose and shall contain the following information:
(1) the full names of the parties and the sex of each party;
(2) their post office addresses and county and state of residence;
(3) their full ages;
(4) if either party has previously been married, the party's married name, and the date, place and court in which the civil marriage was dissolved or annulled or the date and place of death of the former spouse;
(5) if either party is a minor, the name and address of the minor's parents or guardian;
(6) whether the parties are related to each other, and, if so, their relationship;
(7) the address of the parties after the civil marriage is entered into to which the local registrar shall send a certified copy of the civil marriage certificate;
(8) the full names the parties will have after the civil marriage is entered into and the parties' Social Security numbers. The Social Security numbers must be collected for the application but must not appear on the civil marriage license. If a party listed on a civil marriage application does not have a Social Security number, the party must certify on the application, or a supplement to the application, that the party does not have a Social Security number;
(9) if one or both of the parties to the civil marriage license has a felony conviction under Minnesota law or the law of another state or federal jurisdiction, the parties shall provide to the county proof of service upon the prosecuting authority and, if applicable, the attorney general, as required by section 259.13; and
(10) notice that a party who has a felony conviction under Minnesota law or the law of another state or federal jurisdiction may not use a different name after a civil marriage except as authorized by section 259.13, and that doing so is a gross misdemeanor.
Subd. 1b.Term of license; fee; premarital education. (a) The local registrar shall examine upon oath the parties applying for a license relative to the legality of the contemplated civil marriage. If one party is unable to appear in person, the party appearing may complete the absent applicant's information. The local registrar shall provide a copy of the civil marriage application to the party who is unable to appear, who must verify the accuracy of the appearing party's information in a notarized statement. The civil marriage license must not be released until the verification statement has been received by the local registrar. If the local registrar is satisfied that there is no legal impediment to it, including the restriction contained in section 259.13, the local registrar shall issue the license, containing the full names of the parties before and after the civil marriage, and county and state of residence, with the county seal attached, and make a record of the date of issuance. The license shall be valid for a period of six months. Except as provided in paragraph (b), the local registrar shall collect from the applicant a fee of $115 for administering the oath, issuing, recording, and filing all papers required, and preparing and transmitting to the state registrar of vital records the reports of civil marriage required by this section. If the license should not be used within the period of six months due to illness or other extenuating circumstances, it may be surrendered to the local registrar for cancellation, and in that case a new license shall issue upon request of the parties of the original license without fee. A local registrar who knowingly issues or signs a civil marriage license in any manner other than as provided in this section shall pay to the parties aggrieved an amount not to exceed $1,000.
(b) The civil marriage license fee for parties who have completed at least 12 hours of premarital education is $40. In order to qualify for the reduced license fee, the parties must submit at the time of applying for the civil marriage license a statement that is signed, dated, and notarized or marked with a church seal from the person who provided the premarital education on their letterhead confirming that it was received. The premarital education must be provided by a licensed or ordained minister or the minister's designee, a person authorized to solemnize civil marriages under section 517.18, or a person authorized to practice marriage and family therapy under section 148B.33. The education must include the use of a premarital inventory and the teaching of communication and conflict management skills.
Applying For a Marriage License in Minnesota
- ULC-Officiated Ceremony Type:
- Religious
- Mandatory Waiting Period:
- One Day
- License Valid For:
- 6 Months
- License Must Be Submitted:
- Within 5 Days of Ceremony
Your Minnesota marriage license expires after six months. However, if something prevents you from having the wedding during that time, such as a serious illness, you can get a new one at no additional cost if you surrender the first one to be canceled by the local registrar.
It is important to disclose any history of felony conviction when you are applying for your marriage license because it can affect how long you have to wait before your wedding can take place. A party with a felony conviction on or after August 1, 2000, who is also requesting a name change, has to wait at least 30 days after receiving the license before the wedding can take place. This is to allow time for the checks necessitated by the proposed name change. If neither you nor your spouse-to-be has a history of felony conviction, the waiting period is only 24 hours.
Minn. Stat. § 517.08 APPLICATION FOR LICENSE.
Subdivision 1. [Renumbered subds 1a and 1b]
Subd. 1b.Term of license; fee; premarital education. (a) The local registrar shall examine upon oath the parties applying for a license relative to the legality of the contemplated civil marriage. If one party is unable to appear in person, the party appearing may complete the absent applicant's information. The local registrar shall provide a copy of the civil marriage application to the party who is unable to appear, who must verify the accuracy of the appearing party's information in a notarized statement. The civil marriage license must not be released until the verification statement has been received by the local registrar. If the local registrar is satisfied that there is no legal impediment to it, including the restriction contained in section 259.13, the local registrar shall issue the license, containing the full names of the parties before and after the civil marriage, and county and state of residence, with the county seal attached, and make a record of the date of issuance. The license shall be valid for a period of six months.
Minnesota Marriage Requirements
- Min. Age of Couple:
- Age 18 or Age 16 with Guardian Consent
- Residency:
- Not Required
- Min. Distance of Kin Allowed:
- Second Cousins
- Marriage Equality:
- Yes
Minnesota first recognized the right of LGBT+ couples to marry in 2013. With the Supreme Court decision affirming marriage equality two years later, the state laws are now federally enforced. There is no requirement for either you or your intended spouse to be a resident of Minnesota or of the United States.
To be eligible for marriage in Minnesota, you and your spouse-to-be cannot be more closely related than second cousins. Generally, you must also be at least 18 years old. Nevertheless, with the consent of a legal guardian, minors 16 and 17 years old can also be allowed to get married in Minnesota.
Finalizing the Union
- Officiant's Title on Marriage License:
- Minister
- Church/Ordaining Body:
- Universal Life Church Ministries
- Address of Church:
- Minister's Home Address
The officiant has the responsibility of filing the completed marriage certificate within five days after the ceremony to the same local registrar who issued the marriage license originally. In addition to the date and place of the wedding and information about the parties, including their names, birthdates, and addresses, the certificate must include the signatures of both witnesses and the officiant's name, home address, and title. If requested, the officiant should also include the name of the ordaining body, in this case, Universal Life Church Ministries.