Alaska Wedding Laws Getting married in Alaska is not difficult. In fact, Alaska’s straightforward wedding laws make it one of the easiest states for those who become legally ordained online to officiate weddings in. There are no residency requirements for the bride, groom or the wedding officiant and the Alaska marriage license is relatively easy to come by. The bride and the groom must be eighteen years of age and have proper identification when they apply for the Alaska marriage license. The license’s fee is $25, and Alaska mandates a three-day waiting period after the license is issued before the couple may marry. The Alaska marriage license is valid for 90 days and is only valid in that state. There are no health tests required by the state of Alaska to obtain a wedding license. A person who plans on getting married but has been divorced less than 60 days prior must submit a copy of the divorce decree to the county clerk of the county in Alaksa where they plan on getting married. A couple with a fiance under the age of 18 must submit additional documentation. Couples that fit this description should inquire with the local county clerk about additional information on supplemental documentation Wedding officiants are governed by Alaska Statute 25.05.261 (a)(2)1. The statute specifies that anyone can perform Alaska marriages - including those who get ordained online - if the individual obtains a marriage commissioner appointment from an Alaskan judge or court. The wedding officiant who performs the ceremony does not need to live in Alaska to perform weddings there; Universal Life Church ministers who get ordained online in the contiguous US can legally perform weddings in Alaska. The officiant must also be at least 18 years of age and must file the appropriate paperwork with the county clerk of the county where the wedding will be located to be deemed a marriage commissioner. The county clerk where you plan on performing the wedding will help guide potential wedding officiants through the application process. Universal Life Church ministers should note that is not difficult to obtain a marriage commissioner appointment as long as you file the correct paperwork at least one week prior to performing the wedding ceremony. Alaska has quite liberal interpretations as to who can be a wedding officiant. Marriages can be solemnized by a minister, rabbi or priest of any religious congregation or church in Alaska, or by an officer or elder of a church or congregation that does not traditionally have regular priests, ministers or rabbis. Surprisingly enough, even commissioned officers of the Salvation Army are also considered to be wedding officiants by the State of Alaska. These loose marriage laws make arguments against becoming ordained online through the Universal Life Church for the purposes of performing weddings null and void. The state of Alaska is also quite liberal in allowing creative marriage ceremonies as well as who can be designated as a wedding officiant. As per usual, getting a Universal Life Church minister to perform a beautiful Alaska wedding ceremony may be a wonderful way to bind a loving couple in matrimony without taking a toll on their checkbook.

Sec. 25.05.261. Who may solemnize. (a) Marriages may be solemnized (1) by a minister, priest, or rabbi of any church or congregation in the state, or by a commissioned officer of the Salvation Army, or by the principal officer or elder of recognized churches or congregations that traditionally do not have regular ministers, priests, or rabbis, anywhere within the state; (2) by a marriage commissioner or judicial officer of the state anywhere within the jurisdiction of the commissioner or officer; or (3) before or in any religious organization or congregation according to the established ritual or form commonly practiced in the organization or congregation. (b) This section may not be construed to waive the requirements for obtaining a marriage license. Sec. 25.05.271. Duty of officiating person before ceremony. The officiating person shall determine that the parties presenting themselves to be married are the parties named in the license. If the officiating person knows of a legal impediment to the marriage, the officiating person may not perform the ceremony.

Same Sex Wedding Law: N/A

To perform a marriage in Alaska you need to be ordained and may be required to provide proof of ordination such as an ordination credential, wallet credential, or a letter of good standing from the church.

Read the full Law on the official site »