- ULC Ordination Recognized: Yes
- Minister Registration Required: Yes
- State Residency: Irrelevant
- Minimum Age to Officiate: 18 Years Old
- Marriage License Waiting Period: 2 Days
- Marriage License Validity Period: 60 Days
- Marriage License Return Period: See Below
- Documents Required: Letter of Good Standing, Ordination Kit
How to Become an Ordained Minister in West Virginia
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!
How to Officiate a Wedding in West Virginia
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:
Barbour County
26 North Main Street
Philippi, WV 26416
(304) 457-2232
(304) 457-5983
Barbour County website »
Berkeley County
100 West King Street
Martinsburg, WV 25401
(304) 264-1927
(304) 267-1794
Berkeley County website »
Braxton County
300 Main Street or PO Box 486
Sutton, WV
(304) 765-2833
(304) 765-2093
Braxton County website »
Cabell County
750 5th Avenue Suite 108
Huntington, WV
(304) 526-8625
(304) 526-8632
Cabell County website »
Calhoun County
300 Main St.
Grantsville, WV 26147
(304) 354-6725
(304) 354-6447
Calhoun County website »
Doddridge County
108 East Court Street, Suite 1
West Union, WV 26456
(304) 873-2631
(304) 873-1840
Doddridge County website »
Fayette County
120 Court Street
Fayetteville, WV 25840
(304) 574-4226
(304) 574-4335
Fayette County website »
Grant County
5 Highland Avenue
Petersburg, WV 26847
(304) 257-4550
(304) 257-4207
Grant County website »
Greenbrier County
912 Court Street N
Lewisburg, WV 24901
(304) 647-6602
(304) 647-6694
Greenbrier County website »
Hampshire County
19 E. Main Street
Romney, WV 26757
(304) 822-5112
(304) 822-4039
Hampshire County website »
Hancock County
106 N Court St
New Cumberland, WV
(304) 564-3311
(304) 564-5941
Hancock County website »
Hardy County
204 Washington St. Rm 111
Moorefield, WV 26836
(304) 530-0250
(304) 530-0251
Hardy County website »
Harrison County
301 W Main St
Clarksburg, WV 26301
(304) 624-8675
(304) 624-8575
Harrison County website »
Jackson County
100 Court Street North
Ripley, WV
(304) 373-2250
(304) 372-1107
Jackson County website »
Jefferson County
100 East Washington Street
Charles Town, WV 25414
(304) 728-3215
Jefferson County website »
Kanawha County
409 Virginia Street East
Charleston, WV
(304) 357-0130
(304) 357-0585
Kanawha County website »
Lincoln County
8000 Court Ave
Hamlin, WV 25523
(304) 824-7990 Ext 233
(304) 824-2444
Lincoln County website »
Logan County
300 Stratton Street
Logan, WV 25601
(304) 792-8600
(304) 792-8621
Logan County website »
Marion County
219 Adams Street or PO Box 1267
Fairmont, WV
(304) 367-5440
(304) 367-5448
Marion County website »
Marshall County
600 7th St, Room 106
Moundsville, WV 26041
(304) 845-1220
(304) 845-5891
Marshall County website »
Mason County
200 Sixth Street
Point Pleasant, WV 25550
(304) 675-1997
(304) 675-2521
Mason County website »
McDowell County
90 Wyoming Street, Suite 109
Welch, WV 24801
(304) 436-8544
(304) 436-8576
McDowell County website »
Mercer County
1501 West Main Street, Suite 121
Princeton, WV 24740
(304) 487-8455
(304) 487-9842
Mercer County website »
Monongalia County
243 High St., Courthouse Room 123
Morgantown, WV
(304) 291-7230
(304) 291-7233
Monongalia County website »
Morgan County
77 Fairfax Street, Room 102
Berkeley Springs, WV
(304) 258-8547
(304) 258-8545
Morgan County website »
Nicholas County
700 Main, First Floor
Summersville, WV 26651
(304) 872-7820
Nicholas County website »
Ohio County
1500 Chapline Street
Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-3656
(304) 234-3829
Ohio County website »
Pendleton County
100 South Main Street
Franklin, WV 26807
(304) 358-2505
(304) 358-2473
Pendleton County website »
Pleasants County
301 Court Ln, Room 101
St Marys, WV 26170
(304) 684-2202
(304) 684-7569
Pleasants County website »
Pocahontas County
900C 10th Avenue
Marlinton, WV 24954
(304) 799-4549
(304) 799-6947
Pocahontas County website »
Preston County
106 West Main St, Suite 103
Kingwood, WV 26537
(304) 329-0070
(304) 329-3192
Preston County website »
Putnam County
12093 Winfield Road, Suite 3
Winfield, WV 25213
(304) 586-0202
Putnam County website »
Randolph County
2 Randolph Avenue
Elkins, WV
(304) 636-0543
(304) 636-0544
Randolph County website »
Ritchie County
115 East Main Street, Room 201
Harrisville, WV 26326
(304) 643-2164 ext 221
(304) 643-2906
Ritchie County website »
Summers County
120 Ballengee Street, Suite 106
Hinton, WV
(304) 466-7104
(304) 466-7146
Summers County website »
Taylor County
214 West Main Street, Room 101
Grafton, WV 26354
(304) 265-1401
(304) 265-5450
Taylor County website »
Tucker County
211 First Street, Suite 205
Parsons, WV 26287
(304) 478-2414 ext 201
(304) 478-2217
Tucker County website »
Tyler County
121 Main Street
Middlebourne, WV 26149
(304) 758-2102 ext 3
(304) 758-2126
Tyler County website »
Upshur County
40 West Main Street, Room 101
Buckhannon, WV
(304) 472-1068
(304) 472-1029
Upshur County website »
Webster County
2 Court Square, Room G1
Webster Springs, WV 26288
(304) 847-2508
(304) 847-5780
Webster County website »
Wetzel County
200 Main St.
New Martinsville, WV 26155
(304) 455-8224
(304) 455-5256
Wetzel County website »
Wyoming County
506A River Road
Pineville, WV 24874
(304) 732-8000
(304) 732-9659
Wyoming County website »

What Do You Need to Perform a Wedding in West Virginia
Once you've determined what you need, simply log in to your account and order the materials from our online catalog. Ministerial registration is required in West Virginia, and the County Clerk will ask you to present proof of your ordination. To allow for a smooth registration process, ministers in West Virginia should order an Ordination Kit along with a Letter of Good Standing. Please try to place your order well in advance of the wedding to avoid complications.
How to Get a West Virginia Marriage License
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 West Virginia and its individual counties. For example, if the couple plans to get a Lewis County marriage license, you should double-check if there are any rules specific to Lewis County.
In the state of West Virginia, the license is valid for 60 days. There is a mandatory 2-day waiting period between the time the license application is submitted, and when the ceremony can be legally performed. Lastly, please note that the signed marriage license must be returned to the issuing office before the sixth day of the month after the month in which the marriage was celebrated.
How to Perform a Wedding
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!
Finalizing the Marriage
After you perform the ceremony, you will sign the marriage license along with the couple. 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, and witnesses are not required. 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!
West Virginia Marriage Laws
Marriage laws in West Virginia are primarily directed by Chapter 48 of Article 2 of the state code. This section defines persons authorized to perform a marriage in the State of West Virginia, which includes ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church, among other individuals. We've reproduced the relevant portion below:
§48-2-401. Persons authorized to perform marriages. A religious representative who has complied with the provisions of section 2-402, a family court judge, a circuit judge or a justice of the supreme court of appeals, is authorized to celebrate the rites of marriage in any county of this state. Celebration or solemnization of a marriage means the performance of the formal act or ceremony by which a man and woman contract marriage and assume the status of husband and wife. For purposes of this chapter, the term "religious representative" means a minister, priest or rabbi and includes, without being limited to, a leader or representative of a generally recognized spiritual assembly, church or religious organization which does not formally designate or recognize persons as ministers, priests or rabbis.