As I am located in Southern California, I will be focused and sharing information on the State of California rules and laws.
5
Useful Officiant Registration Facts from American Marriage Ministries
1.
Who
can officiate weddings in California?
"
(a) Although marriage is a personal relation arising out of a civil, and not a
religious, contract, a marriage may be solemnized by a priest, minister, rabbi,
or authorized person of any religious denomination who is 18 years of age or
older. A person authorized by this subdivision shall not be required to
solemnize a marriage that is contrary to the tenets of his or her faith. Any
refusal to solemnize a marriage under this subdivision, either by an individual
or by a religious denomination, shall not affect the tax-exempt status of any
entity. "
California
Code § CA Fam Code § 400
2.
Are
online ordained ministers recognized in California?
Yes.
All online ordained ministers.
3.
Am
I as the minister officiant required to register with the California
Government?
The
California Government does not license, register, or certify ministers or
wedding officiants. Officiant registration is not required in California to
officiate a wedding.
4.
What
California office handles officiant registration?
The California Government does not have any office that licenses, registers, or certifies wedding officiants.
5.
How
old do I have to be to officiate a wedding in California?
All
Wedding Officiants in California must be at least 18 years old.
*www.theamm.org
According
to U.S. Marriage laws (www.usmarriagelaws.com)
In
California any priest, minister, or rabbi of any religious denomination, of the
age of 18 years or over may perform marriages.
Ministers must complete the marriage license
and return it to the county clerk within 4 days after the marriage.
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.
So
for most people they go the spiritual ordination route. If you are not already ordained as a spiritual
leader of a religious community, you must be become ordained in order to
legally conduct a wedding ceremony and that can be done via the internet,
getting your degree in Ministry or Theology or in your local church community. When choosing ordination via internet, I would
suggest choosing the one that fits your spiritual style, do the research and
check them out before you sign up, make sure that you are aligning yourself
with a company that is bestowing this honor on you has the same beliefs as you do.
Have
a letter of Good Standing
Some
states require a Letter of Good Standing as an official document that certifies
your Ordination within a ministry. The
Letter of Good Standing is the official documentation of your Credentials of
Ministry. Some states require this, many
do not, California does not. Check your
state laws to be sure.
Keep
a copy of your Ordination/License/Credential
The
Ordination Credential is acknowledgement of your ordination. It could be a license, certificate, or some
other form of Ministry Identification.
Some states require this to be sent in with the license but many do
not. Always check your state laws to be
sure.
Know
the State Laws of Where The Marriage Will Be Performed
Always
research the state laws of where you are performing a marriage. Each state has specific laws about who can
legally conduct a wedding ceremony.
Especially with the popularity of destination weddings, it is important
to make sure you are up to date on the state or country laws. You can always check state marriage laws,
check with local county clerk/ recorders office. Two good websites are
http://www.usmarriagelaws.com and http://www.marriage.about.com
No comments:
Post a Comment