Getting started with Marriage Information for Connecticut
Before you plan to perform a wedding in Connecticut, 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 Connecticut.
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 Connecticut
To get ordained and become a minister to perform ceremonies in Connecticut, 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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut with Open Ministry by using the button below!
Step 2: Contact The Connecticut County Clerk
Next, contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk in Connecticut). 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 Connecticut.
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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut.
- Do you require any additional documentation for me to register as a wedding officiant in Connecticut?
Step 3: Register with the Connecticut Clerk
After you've contacted the marriage authority in Connecticut, we recommend that you visit the bookstore to get your official credentials for your records, presentation or registration.
See Connecticut State Statutes for More specific Requirements
When registering as an officiant in Connecticut, you may be asked to display proof of your ordination to the Connecticut county clerk's office before they will accept the marriage license as having been solemnized. We generally advise ministers of Connecticut to get a Complete Membership Package for Connecticut 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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut marriage license, Connecticut 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 Connecticut, be sure that the couple has picked up their Connecticut 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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut, or who have questions about the ceremony read over our Officiant Guide.
Step 5: Submit the Connecticut Marriage License
Connecticut 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 Connecticut and when the ceremony may be legally performed in Connecticut.
This information is generally written on the license and must be followed to ensure the ceremony is recorded properly by Connecticut.
Please note that the signed marriage license for Connecticut must be returned to the issuing office in Connecticut 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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut.
If you have any questions about the returning of the license, contact the Connecticut agency that issued it for more information.
Connecticut State Minister & Marriage Statutes
A person is eligible to marry if such person is:
- Not a party to another marriage, or a legal relationship that provides substantially the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as a marriage, or one of the following exceptions are met:
the person is joined in a civil union and such person marries their civil union partner; or
the person is joined in another type of legal relationship that is substantially similar to a marriage, and such person marries the partner of such other relationship.
- At least 18 years old.
- Not under the supervision or control of a conservator, or the following exception is met:
the person is under the supervision or control of a conservator and such person has received written consent to marry from their conservator.
- Not prohibited from marrying pursuant to section C.G.S. § 46b-21. C.G.S. § 46-21 prohibits persons from marrying their parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, parent's sibling, sibling's child, stepparent or stepchild.
What Do I Need To Do To Get A Marriage License?
To apply for a marriage license, you and your spouse-to-be must appear in person at the local vital records office of the town where your marriage will occur. The marriage license is issued to ensure that you and your spouse-to-be are eligible to be married.
You will need to complete the marriage license application, provide identification and make a sworn statement that the information that you provide is true. You no longer need to have a blood test to obtain a marriage license in Connecticut.
Following the ceremony, the marriage officiator will submit the license to the registrar of vital records of the town where the marriage took place. The license will be filed in the official marriage records of Connecticut. Once registered, the marriage license becomes a vital record and is referred to as a marriage certificate.
Who Is Eligible To Perform Marriages In Connecticut?
Judges and retired judges, including federal judges and judges of other states;
Family support magistrates, family support referees, state referees and justices of the peace who are appointed in Connecticut; and Ordained or licensed members of the clergy, belonging to this state or any other state, including persons who have been ordained through online ministries and who are given the authority to officiate marriages through such ministries.