Washington Wedding Laws - How to Become an Ordained Minister in Washington

Universal Life Church ministers from Washington have it good; becoming a wedding officiant and filing for marriage licenses in the Evergreen State generally requires little more than your word that you are a legally ordained minister. Follow the instructions below to learn how to officiate a wedding ceremony today.

How to Perform a Wedding in Washington

1. An ordination given by the Universal Life Church to an individual allows that person to perform a wedding, or many weddings if they so choose, in Washington State. This means that both we, the ULC, and the state and county in which the marriage is to be performed gives you the authority to bind a couple in holy matrimony. Please note there are no residency requirements for marriage officiants in Washington; a person can come from anywhere in the world and officiate a wedding in the state.
2. Our ministers are expected to keep their ordination information as accurate as possible in our ordination database. Make sure to let the Universal Life Church staff know when you have moved, changed your name or e-mail address, or have lost your credentials. Both the ordained minister and the ULC can avoid or mitigate potential issues with county clerks’ inquiries into your minister license if you do so.
3. County clerks in Washington frequently allow our ministers to file for marriage licenses without presenting ordination credentials and/or ministerial documentation like letters of good standing. It is of the utmost importance that you keep abreast of county clerks’ requirements before you attempt to file for marriage licenses, however, as you could be turned away if you do not have the requisite documentation. Simply contact the county clerk before you go to their office to file for a marriage license and inquire about what paperwork you need to do so.

Unsure of what to say, do, or wear during a wedding ceremony? The Universal Life Church offers a number of complementary online educational materials which will help you become an expert marriage officiant. You can also look to the official ULC social network, the Ministers Network, for tips and advice from other ordained ministers from Washington. The only requirement on this network, which has more than 20,000 members, is that you have you possess a minister license. The ULC is confident that the above resources will give you all the training you need to perform your friend or family member’s dream wedding!

Weddings in Washington State require a Washington State wedding license. In order to obtain a marriage license in Washington you must go to the local county clerk where you intend to marry and apply for a license. The first order of business is to provide the local county clerk with valid identification. Valid identification includes a current driver's license, a valid passport or a certified birth certificate. Both you and your betrothed must go to the county clerk's office together and present the county clerk with appropriate identification documents. In addition, there is a fee to obtain a Washington State marriage license of approximately $62. Most counties only accept cash. The fee will vary from county to county so it is best to confirm the exact amount of the fee with the county clerk in the county where you intend to marry. A Washington State marriage license is valid for sixty days.

If you have been previously married, you will need to have a finalized copy of the divorce decree or a copy of your previous spouse's death certificate to present to the county clerk. There is no residency requirement if you plan on obtaining a Washington State wedding license before you can hold the wedding. There is, however, a three day waiting period after the license has been issued before you can marry. No blood tests are required. If either of the engaged couple is between the ages of seventeen and eighteen, a parent will need to go with you to the county clerk's office to give consent for you to marry. If either of you is under seventeen years of age, you must obtain judicial consent to marry. Proxy marriages are not allowed in Washington State.

In order to act as a wedding officiant in weddings in Washington State, the wedding officiant must abide by Washington State statute RCW 3.02.010. This statute specifies that any regularly licensed or ordained priest or minister or any religious congregation, church or temple may perform weddings in Washington State. There is no residency requirement to perform marriages in Washington. Additionally, active or retired judges and justices of the peace may perform weddings in Washington State. Online-ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church Monastery are able to perform legally-recognized weddings in Washington. ULC and all other online ordained ministers must present appropriate ordination papers indicating he or she has been approved to perform marriages and must also present appropriate identification to the county clerk where the marriage is to be performed. Additionally, two certified copies of the marriage certificate must be forwarded to the county auditor within thirty days of the solemnization of the union.

Same Sex Wedding Law: Allows Same-Sex Marriage as of December 9, 2012.

To perform a marriage in Washington 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 »