Getting started with Marriage Information for Idaho
Before you plan to perform a wedding in Idaho, 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 Idaho.
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 Idaho
To get ordained and become a minister to perform ceremonies in Idaho, 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 Idaho 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 Idaho with Open Ministry by using the button below!
Step 2: Contact The Idaho County Clerk
Next, contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk in Idaho). 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 Idaho.
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 Idaho 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 Idaho.
- Do you require any additional documentation for me to register as a wedding officiant in Idaho?
Step 3: Register with the Idaho Clerk
After you've contacted the marriage authority in Idaho, we recommend that you visit the bookstore to get your official credentials for your records, presentation or registration.
See Idaho State Statutes for More specific Requirements
When registering as an officiant in Idaho, you may be asked to display proof of your ordination to the Idaho county clerk's office before they will accept the marriage license as having been solemnized. We generally advise ministers of Idaho to get a Complete Membership Package for Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho marriage license, Idaho 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 Idaho, be sure that the couple has picked up their Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho, or who have questions about the ceremony read over our Officiant Guide.
Step 5: Submit the Idaho Marriage License
Idaho 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 Idaho and when the ceremony may be legally performed in Idaho.
This information is generally written on the license and must be followed to ensure the ceremony is recorded properly by Idaho.
Please note that the signed marriage license for Idaho must be returned to the issuing office in Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho.
If you have any questions about the returning of the license, contact the Idaho agency that issued it for more information.
Idaho State Minister & Marriage Statutes
32-303 BY WHOM SOLEMNIZED
Marriage may be solemnized by any of the following Idaho officials: a current or retired justice of the supreme court, a current or retired court of appeals judge, a current or retired district judge, the current or a former governor, the current lieutenant governor, a current or retired magistrate of the district court, a current mayor or by any of the following: a current federal judge, a current tribal judge of an Idaho Indian tribe or other tribal official approved by an official act of an Idaho Indian tribe or priest or minister of the gospel of any denomination. To be a retired justice of the supreme court, court of appeals judge, district judge or magistrate judge of the district court, for the purpose of solemnizing marriages, a person shall have served in one (1) of those offices and shall be receiving a retirement benefit from either the judges retirement system or the public employee retirement system for service in the Idaho judiciary.
Title 32: Domestic Relations - Chapter 3: Solemnization of Marriage