How to Officiate a Wedding in California

Whether you’re a Californian getting married, or an online minister who wants to officiate a wedding in California, you may have questions about the process. We’ve gathered the most important details for your peace of mind, including how to get a marriage license in California, what the requirements are for an officiant and more!

How to Officiate a Ceremony in California

In order to legally officiate a marriage in California, you must be an ordained minister. You can either complete a program at a seminary, get ordained online or become deputized as a civil celebrant. If you choose to be deputized as a civil celebrant, you can perform marriages in any location in the state, and even at other states’ courthouses if you are certified by the state.

Officiating a ceremony requires you to provide an ID number for each couple that you marry, which is listed on their marriage license. You also need to follow the instructions on how to submit your license and when you must return it. According to Bethel Nathan, an ordained minister at Ceremonies by Bethel in San Diego, there is a waiting period between when you receive your license and when the ceremony may be legally performed.

A marriage license is a document that a couple can pick up from their local county clerk, which will indicate the date, time and place of the ceremony. You should have the couple and their witnesses sign the marriage license to ensure that the ceremony is recorded correctly. The document can be picked up in person or by mail.

You can officiate a marriage in California if you are a United States citizen and are over the age of 18 years old. This requirement may be waived in some cases, such as if you are a member of the military or a law enforcement officer.

If you are not a United States citizen, you must be at least 21 years of age to be authorized to officiate a wedding in California. A legal guardian or other adult with parental consent can officiate a ceremony in certain circumstances, such as for children under the age of 18 or in case of the death of a marriage license holder.

Ordained ministers must be able to produce their official ministry credentials, such as an ordination certificate and letter of good standing. These are often referred to as “official marriage officiant” credentials.

Alternatively, some nondenominational and interfaith groups like the Universal Life Church offer online ordination as a way to become a wedding officiant. These ordination packages are easy to complete, and will send you your minister credentials immediately.

The Universal Life Church has been providing ordination services for online ministers in California since 2006. Our wedding officiant service is available to anyone who wishes to be a legal wedding officiant in the state of California, and we regularly help couples officiate their weddings in that beautiful state.

How to Obtain a Marriage License in California

The first step in getting a marriage license in California is to apply for it at the appropriate county clerk’s office. The application process typically takes less than an hour and involves both parties bringing their government photo identification and completing the necessary documents. The fee varies from county to county, but is usually around $60-$110.