Getting started with Marriage Information for California
Before you plan to perform a wedding in California, it is important to understand the state's legal requirements.
To get started, check out the information provided below for getting ordained and registering as a wedding officiant in California.
If you have questions, please go to our helpful FAQ. For more information or support, please visit our contact us page.
Step 1: Become Ordained for California
To get ordained and become a minister to perform ceremonies in California, start by completing our ordination application.
Once you have completed the application for ordination you will be sent an email that confirms your ordination. Our ordinations for California are completely free, granted to you for life and can be completed in less than a day. More than half a million people just like you, have registered and received their license to perform weddings.
If you have not completed the application, you can get ordained for free and start your journey as an authorized minister in California with Open Ministry by using the button below!
Step 2: Contact The California County Clerk
Next, contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk in California). Let them know that you are an ordained minister with Open Ministry in California, and ask them what information they require of you, to officiate a marriage in California.
Clerks and governing agencies may require you to present them with a physical copy of your ordination record to register we offer packages which include bundled items at a discount.
When speaking with the California county clerk it can be helpful to use the following phrases:
- I am an ordained minister with a church ministry in California.
- I would like to register as a wedding Officiant in your county to perform and solemnize weddings.
- What agency or department issues marriage licenses in your county and how may I contact them?
- I have my Letter of Good Standing and Ordination Credential as proof of my ministry and ordination for California.
- Do you require any additional documentation for me to register as a wedding officiant in California?
Step 3: Register with the California Clerk
After you've contacted the marriage authority in California, we recommend that you visit the bookstore to get your official credentials for your records, presentation or registration.
See California State Statutes for More specific Requirements
When registering as an officiant in California, you may be asked to display proof of your ordination to the California county clerk's office before they will accept the marriage license as having been solemnized. We generally advise ministers of California to get a Complete Membership Package for California which includes a Letter of Good Standing (the live signed and notarized physical copy of your good standing with our ministry) an Ordination Credential, Minister Wallet Card and much more.
Having physical copies of your credentials provides peace of mind for couples and others that you intend to marry. Additionally, we recommend you give yourself at least 4 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your credential request to ensure that you receive all of your materials to register in time.
Please note, that any state or county can impose different requirements;
this may include other nominal fees and additional paperwork that may need to
be completed before the ceremony can take place.
It is important to note that some county clerks in California may require wedding
officiants to attach a statement which asserts 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
When filling out the California marriage license, California state or the clerk may
request you use the title "Minister" or "Reverend".
The clerk may also require you enter your denomination, you can use
"Non-Denominational" or your practicing denomination. Failing to
state a denomination may result in rejection and could require a duplicate
marriage license.
Step 4: Perform the Ceremony
Before you perform a wedding in California, be sure that the couple has picked up their California state issued marriage license from the appropriate office. Once you have completed the steps listed, you are ready to perform the wedding!
Officiating a wedding in California can be a great and wonderful experience. Work with the couple to determine the proper ceremony format and any details they wish to have. For ideas and inspiration check out our sample ceremony scripts.
We recommend that new ministers who are going to be performing a wedding in California, or who have questions about the ceremony read over our Officiant Guide.
Step 5: Submit the California Marriage License
California marriage licenses are valid for a set number of days, and there may be a waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in California and when the ceremony may be legally performed in California.
This information is generally written on the license and must be followed to ensure the ceremony is recorded properly by California.
Please note that the signed marriage license for California must be returned to the issuing office in California state, before the time limit is reached. You can check the marriage license for the exact dates.
After the ceremony, you will need to return the completed and signed marriage license to the California states issuing office. This is essential for the marriage to be legally recorded. In most cases there is an address listed on the marriage license, use that to mail it back to the governing agency so that it can be recorded by the California.
If you have any questions about the returning of the license, contact the California agency that issued it for more information.
California State Minister & Marriage Statutes
California Family Code, Section 400, states the persons authorized to solemnize marriage ceremonies in California are as follows:
- A priest, minister, or rabbi of any religious denomination.
- A judge or retired judge, commissioner of civil marriages or retired commissioner of civil marriages, commissioner or retired commissioner, or assistant commissioner of a court of record in this state.
- A judge or magistrate who has resigned from office.
- Any of the following judges or magistrates of the United States.
- A justice or retired justice of the United States Supreme Court.
- A judge or retired judge of a court of appeals, a district court, or a court created by an act of Congress the judges of which are entitled to hold office during good behavior.
- A judge or retired judge of a bankruptcy court or a tax court.
- A United States magistrate or retired magistrate.
- A legislator or constitutional officer of this state or a member of Congress who represents a district within this state, while that person holds office.
- California Family Code 400.1 allows marriage to be solemnized by a County Supervisor, City Clerk, or Mayor of a city elected in accordance with Article 3 (commencing with Section 34900) of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 4 of the Government Code, while that person holds office. The County Supervisor, City Clerk, or Mayor shall obtain and review from the County Clerk all available instructions for marriage solemnization before the County Supervisor, City Clerk, or Mayor first solemnizes a marriage.
California Family Code, Section 401, allows Deputy Commissioners to perform marriages and may do so in any California county. The Commissioner of Civil Marriages may appoint Deputy Commissioners of Civil Marriages who may solemnize marriages under the direction of the Commissioner of Civil Marriages and shall perform other duties directed by the Commissioner. For each county, the County Clerk is designated as a Commissioner of Civil Marriages.
Section 402. In addition to the persons permitted to solemnize marriages under Section 400, a county may license officials of a nonprofit religious institution, whose articles of incorporation are registered with the Secretary of State, to solemnize the marriages of persons who are affiliated with or are members of the religious institution. The licensee shall possess the degree of doctor of philosophy and must perform religious services or rites for the institution on a regular basis. The marriages shall be performed without fee to the parties.
(Enacted by Stats. 1992, Ch. 162, Sec. 10. Operative January 1, 1994.)