Getting started with Marriage Information for Maine
Before you plan to perform a wedding in Maine, 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 Maine.
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 Maine
To get ordained and become a minister to perform ceremonies in Maine, 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 Maine 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 Maine with Open Ministry by using the button below!
Step 2: Contact The Maine County Clerk
Next, contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk in Maine). 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 Maine.
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 Maine 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 Maine.
- Do you require any additional documentation for me to register as a wedding officiant in Maine?
Step 3: Register with the Maine Clerk
After you've contacted the marriage authority in Maine, we recommend that you visit the bookstore to get your official credentials for your records, presentation or registration.
See Maine State Statutes for More specific Requirements
When registering as an officiant in Maine, you may be asked to display proof of your ordination to the Maine county clerk's office before they will accept the marriage license as having been solemnized. We generally advise ministers of Maine to get a Complete Membership Package for Maine 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 Maine 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 Maine marriage license, Maine 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 Maine, be sure that the couple has picked up their Maine 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 Maine 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 Maine, or who have questions about the ceremony read over our Officiant Guide.
Step 5: Submit the Maine Marriage License
Maine 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 Maine and when the ceremony may be legally performed in Maine.
This information is generally written on the license and must be followed to ensure the ceremony is recorded properly by Maine.
Please note that the signed marriage license for Maine must be returned to the issuing office in Maine 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 Maine 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 Maine.
If you have any questions about the returning of the license, contact the Maine agency that issued it for more information.
Maine State Minister & Marriage Statutes
1. Persons authorized to solemnize marriages. The following may solemnize marriages in this State:
A. If a resident of this State:
(1) A justice or judge;
(2) A lawyer admitted to the Maine Bar; or
(4) A notary public under Title 4, chapter 19; [2011, c. 111, §2 (AMD).]
B. Whether a resident or nonresident of this State and whether or not a citizen of the United States:
(1) An ordained minister of the gospel;
(2) A cleric engaged in the service of the religious body to which the cleric belongs; or
(3) A person licensed to preach by an association of ministers, religious seminary or ecclesiastical body; and [2011, c. 111, §3 (AMD).]
C. A nonresident of the State who has a temporary registration certificate issued by the Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics pursuant to subsection 1-A. [2011, c. 111,§4 (NEW).]
[ 2011, c. 111, §§2-4 (AMD) .]
1-A. Temporary registration certificate. The Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics may issue a temporary registration certificate to solemnize a marriage ceremony to an individual who is a resident of another state and who is authorized under the laws of that state to solemnize marriages.
A. An individual seeking a temporary registration certificate under this subsection must submit to the Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics:
(1) A copy of a valid commission or other indicia of authority to perform marriage ceremonies in the individual's state of residence as proof of existence of the authority;
(2) A copy of the other state's statute that grants the individual authority to solemnize marriages in that state;
(3) The names and residences of the 2 parties whose marriage the individual proposes to solemnize and the expected date of the marriage ceremony; and
(4) A $100 registration fee. [2011, c. 111, §5 (NEW).]
B. Upon finding that the individual has satisfied the requirements of paragraph A, the Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics shall issue to the individual a temporary registration certificate authorizing the individual to solemnize the marriage of the parties whose names were provided pursuant to paragraph A, subparagraph (3). The Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics may decline to issue a temporary registration certificate if complaints filed against the individual for actions in this State have been substantiated or for other good cause, even if the state in which the individual is authorized to solemnize marriages has not taken disciplinary action. [2011, c. 111, §5 (NEW).]
C. A temporary registration certificate does not authorize the individual to solemnize any marriage other than the marriage of the parties provided pursuant to paragraph A, subparagraph (3). [2011, c. 111, §5 (NEW).]
D. A temporary registration certificate under this subsection expires upon the individual's signing the marriage license or 90 days after issuance, whichever occurs first. [2011, c. 111, §5 (NEW).]
E. The Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics shall keep a permanent record of all temporary registration certificates issued under this subsection. The records must contain the name and residence of each individual to whom a temporary registration certificate is issued. [2011, c. 111, §5 (NEW).]
[ 2011, c. 111, §5 (NEW) .]
2. Enforcement. The State Registrar of Vital Statistics shall enforce this section as far as it comes within the state registrar's power and shall notify the district attorney of the county in which the penalty should be enforced of the facts that have come to the state registrar's knowledge. Upon receipt of this notice, the district attorney shall prosecute the person who violated this section.
[ 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF) .]
3. Religious exemption. This chapter does not require any member of the clergy to perform or any church, religious denomination or other religious institution to host any marriage in violation of the religious beliefs of that member of the clergy, church, religious denomination or other religious institution. The refusal to perform or host a marriage under this subsection cannot be the basis for a lawsuit or liability and does not affect the tax-exempt status of the church, religious denomination or other religious institution.
[ IB 2011, c. 1, §4 (NEW) .]
Title 19-A: Domestic Relations - Part 2: Married Persons - Chapter 23: Marriage - Subchapter 1: General Provisions
SECTION HISTORY 1995, c. 694, §B2 (NEW). 1995, c. 694, §E2 (AFF). 2001, c. 574, §6 (AMD). IB 2011, c. 1, §4 (AMD). 2011, c. 111, §§2-5 (AMD).