Created and reviewed for accuracy by researchers at the Universal Life Church Ministries

Alaska Outline

Congratulations! If you've found yourself at this page it is likely that you are either planning to be married or have been asked to perform a wedding ceremony in Alaska. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Alaska. The information provided below will walk you through the steps one must follow to become a minister and perform a valid wedding ceremony in the state of Alaska.

Quick Facts
  • ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
  • Minister Registration Required: No
  • Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
  • Minister's Minimum Age: 18
  •  
  • Marriage License Waiting Period: 3 Days
  • Marriage License Valid For: 90 Days
  • Marriage License Return Within: By Expiration
Regional Information

For more specific information about performing a wedding in certain parts of Alaska, choose a location below. If your area isn't listed, don't worry - just continue scrolling to review the helpful general information on this page.

1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in Alaska

If you haven't already, you should get ordained online with the Universal Life Church. Ordination is free and can be completed in just a matter of minutes. Thousands of legally valid marriages are performed by ULC ministers around the world every year. Begin the process by clicking the big blue button below!

2 Officiating a Wedding in Alaska

Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk). Let them know that you are a minister of the Universal Life Church in Seattle, and ask what they will require of you to officiate a legal marriage.

Select your Clerk or Recorder to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.



Select a or recorder contact

3 Alaska Officiant Requirements

After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. We typically advise ministers in Alaska to get an Ordination Package. Although minister registration is not required in Alaska you may be asked to display proof of your ordination to the county clerks before they will accept the marriage as having been legally solemnized. Having this proof of your ordination can also provide a great deal of peace-of-mind to any couple that you intend to marry. Additionally, please attempt to leave at least 3 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your order, to ensure that you receive all of your materials in advance.

4 How to get Married in Alaska

Alaska's Top Wedding Spot

Alaska's Top Wedding Spot

Fly via helicopter to tie the knot at the top of Mendenhall Glacier

Now that you've done all of the above, you are ready to perform the wedding! Be sure that the couple has picked up their Alaska marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 90 days, and there is a 3-day mandatory waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in Alaska and when the ceremony may be legally performed. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office before its date of expiry.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Alaska, after they've received their license to marry by getting ordained online, asking for guidance on how to perform a wedding ceremony. Once the legal matters have been taken care of, officiating a wedding (while a sometimes-daunting task) can be a great deal of fun. We would suggest that new Alaska wedding ministers concerned about the ceremony peruse one of our helpful wedding guides. The minister training section of our website should offer a helpful refresher for more experienced ministers.

5 How to Hold a Wedding in Alaska

If you are planning to perform a wedding ceremony in Alaska, you should keep in mind that several months of the year are very cold and dark. In fact, in the northern most portions of the state some towns can experience up to two months of perpetual darkness. This could potentially have a major impact on wedding planning. Depending on the location of the wedding, and if the couple is using one of the popular outdoor wedding venues in Alaska, you may need to plan for snowy weather and terrain. Plan to have a mode of transportation that can handle icy conditions at any Alaska wedding locations. And while many areas have lovely warm summer weather, there are some places that have constant snowy conditions so you will need to plan ahead. The amount a wedding officiant should charge in Alaska varies based on things such as the experience of the officiant, the difficulty or complexity of the ceremony, and distance they will be asked to travel. If you are wondering what to charge a couple for your services in Alaska, keep in mind this can also vary as widely as the climate. Couples hosting at Juneau or Anchorage wedding venues will have higher average prices for the same services that will be less expensive in rural areas. A good way to get a starting figure is to see what the going rate is for ministers who are offering similar services.


Alaska Marriage Code

Alaska Flag

Alaska Marriage Code

Marriage in Alaska is governed by Chapter 25.05 of Alaska's Statutes. Ministers who got ordained online with the Universal Life Church have successfully solemnized thousands of weddings in the state. Below, you will find that we have reproduced a relevant excerpt of this code.

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 View the Alaska Statutes on the official state site.

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Learn All About Marriage Law in Alaska

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Aleutians East Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska
99503

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Aleutians East Borough website »

Aleutians West Census Area

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska
99503

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Aleutians West Census Area website »

Bethel Census Area

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Bethel Census Area website »

Bristol Bay Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Bristol Bay Borough website »

City and Borough of Haines

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
City and Borough of Haines website »

City and Borough of Juneau

5441 Commercial Blvd. PO Box 110675
Juneau, Alaska

Phone: (907) 465-3391
Fax: (907) 465-3618
City and Borough of Juneau website »

City and Borough of Sitka

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
City and Borough of Sitka website »

City and Borough of Wrangell

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
City and Borough of Wrangell website »

City and Borough of Yakutat

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
City and Borough of Yakutat website »

Denali Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Denali Borough website »

Dillingham Census Area

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Dillingham Census Area website »

Fairbanks North Star Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Fairbanks North Star Borough website »

Hoonah-Angoon Census Area

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area website »

Kenai Peninsula Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Kenai Peninsula Borough website »

Ketchikan Gateway Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Ketchikan Gateway Borough website »

Kodiak Island Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Kodiak Island Borough website »

Kusilvak Census Area

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Kusilvak Census Area website »

Lake and Peninsula Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Lake and Peninsula Borough website »

Matanuska-Susitna Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Matanuska-Susitna Borough website »

Municipality of Anchorage

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Municipality of Anchorage website »

Municipality of Skagway Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Municipality of Skagway Borough website »

Nome Census Area

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Nome Census Area website »

North Slope Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
North Slope Borough website »

Northwest Arctic Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Northwest Arctic Borough website »

Petersburg Borough

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Petersburg Borough website »

Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area website »

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area website »

Valdez-Cordova Census Area

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Valdez-Cordova Census Area website »

Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area

3601 C Street, Suite 128
Anchorage, Alaska

Phone: (907) 269-0991
Fax: (907) 269-0994
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area website »