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

Louisiana 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 Louisiana. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Louisiana. 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 Louisiana.

Quick Facts
  • ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
  • Minister Registration Required: Yes
  • Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
  • Minister's Minimum Age: 18
  •  
  • Marriage License Waiting Period: 24 Hours
  • Marriage License Valid For: 30 Days
  • Marriage License Return Within: By Expiration
Regional Information

For more specific information about performing a wedding in certain parts of Louisiana, 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 Louisiana

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 Louisiana

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 Parish Clerk of Courts to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.



Select a parish of courts contact

3 Louisiana 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 Louisiana to get an Ordination Package and add a Letter of Good Standing to her or his order. Minister registration is required in Louisiana. You will need to present the documents in the Ordination Package and your Letter of Good Standing to the Parish clerk before the marriages you perform will be accepted as having been legally solemnized. As an added bonus, having this proof of your ordination will also provide 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.

Parish courts will grant temporary licenses for wedding officiants in Louisiana, but these licenses are expensive and only last for a month. By getting ordained online with the Universal Life Church you can save money and be legally authorized to perform valid Louisiana weddings for life.

4 How to get Married in Louisiana

Louisiana's Top Wedding Spot

Louisiana's Top Wedding Spot

New Orleans' top music venues; Tipitina's, Preservation Hall and House of Blues

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 Louisiana marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 30 days, and there is a 24 hour mandatory waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in Louisiana and when the ceremony may be legally performed. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office by its date of expiry.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Louisiana, 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 Louisiana 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 Important Louisiana Wedding Information

Folks who have been to Louisiana might describe a certain magic that seems to emanate from the state. With the beautiful natural settings, the colors, the flavors, and welcoming disposition of the locals, plenty of people are hoping to take advantage of the many gorgeous wedding venues in Louisiana. If you know a happy couple looking to have a Louisiana wedding, there are some things you should take into account. The first would be the heat. Like many states, Louisiana's prime wedding season is also the warm season, spanning from late spring to early autumn. This isn't going to be your average dry heat - no, this is a thick, wet heat that you feel saturate your entire body. Be sure to discuss appropriate attire with the couple. Consider that some colors such as white tend to show perspiration less than others would. Attention to these sorts of details can really make a difference and set you apart from less-seasoned wedding officiants. The second thing to consider is the location. While there are a great many wedding chapels in Louisiana and certainly some breathtaking outdoor wedding venues, there is actually just one important distinction when it comes to ceremonies; whether it takes place in the city of New Orleans or somewhere else in the state. This has great impact of the formality of the event. Generally speaking, Louisiana weddings tend to range from semi-formal to completely relaxed and casual with about 89% of ceremonies falling into this category. New Orleans weddings are quite a different a story. They tend to range from formal to black tie affairs. Again, you would want to discuss appropriate attire with the couple. Keeping these things in mind can help you set your fee for performing the wedding. A charismatic and experienced officiant can charge a pretty penny for nuptials.


Louisiana Marriage Code

Louisiana Flag

Louisiana Marriage Code

Marriage in Louisiana is governed by Title 9 of the Louisiana Revised 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.

§202. Authority to perform marriage ceremony A marriage ceremony may be performed by: (1) A priest, minister, rabbi, clerk of the Religious Society of Friends, or any clergyman of any religious sect, who has attained the age of majority and is authorized by the authorities of his religion to perform marriages, and who is registered to perform marriages; (2) A state judge or justice of the peace. Acts 1987, No. 886, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 1988; Acts 1997, No. 73, §1; Acts 2014, No. 651, §1. View the Louisiana Statutes on the official state site.

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Acadia Parish

500 North Parkerson Ave.
Crowley, Louisiana

Phone: (337) 788-8881
Acadia Parish website »

Allen Parish

400 West 6th Avenue
Oberlin, Louisiana
70655

Phone: (337) 639-4351
Allen Parish website »

Ascension Parish

300 Houmas Street
Donaldsonville, Louisiana

Phone: (225) 473-9866
Ascension Parish website »

Assumption Parish

4809 Hwy 1
Napoleonville, Louisiana

Phone: (985) 369-6653
Fax: (985) 369-2032
Assumption Parish website »

Avoyelles Parish

301 North Main Street
Marksville, Louisiana
71351

Phone: (318) 253-7523
Avoyelles Parish website »

Beauregard Parish

201 West First Street
Deridder, Louisiana

Phone: (337) 463-8595
Beauregard Parish website »

Bienville Parish

100 Court House Drive
Arcadia, Louisiana
71001

Phone: (318) 263-2123
Fax: (318) 263-7426
Bienville Parish website »

Bossier Parish

204 Burt Blvd., Third Floor
Benton, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 965-2336
Bossier Parish website »

Caddo Parish

501 Texas St., Room 103
Shreveport, Louisiana
71101

Phone: (318) 226-6789
Caddo Parish website »

Calcasieu Parish

1000 Ryan Street
Lake Charles, Louisiana

Phone: (337) 437-3550
Calcasieu Parish website »

Caldwell Parish

201 Main Street, Suite 1
Columbia, Louisiana
71418

Phone: (318) 649-2272
Caldwell Parish website »

Cameron Parish

119 Smith Circle, Room 21
Cameron, Louisiana
70631

Phone: (337) 775-5316
Cameron Parish website »

Catahoula Parish

301 Bushley St., Room 101
Harrisonburg, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 744-5222
Catahoula Parish website »

Claiborne Parish

512 East Main St.
Homer, Louisiana
71040

Phone: (318) 927-9601
Claiborne Parish website »

Concordia Parish

4001 Carter Street, Suite 5
Vidalia, Louisiana
71373

Phone: (318) 336-4204
Concordia Parish website »

De Soto Parish

101 Texas Street
Mansfield, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 925-6655
Fax: (318) 925-6658
De Soto Parish website »

East Baton Rouge Parish

222 St. Louis Street, Room B115
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Phone: (225) 389-3950
East Baton Rouge Parish website »

East Carroll Parish

400 First St., Suite 3
Lake Providence, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 559-2399
East Carroll Parish website »

East Feliciana Parish

12305 St. Helena St.
Clinton, Louisiana
70722

Phone: (225) 683-5145
Fax: (225) 683-3556
East Feliciana Parish website »

Evangeline Parish

200 Court St., Suite 104
Ville Platte, Louisiana
70586

Phone: (337) 363-5671
Fax: (337) 363-5780
Evangeline Parish website »

Franklin Parish

6500 Main Street
Winnsboro, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 435-5133
Franklin Parish website »

Grant Parish

200 Main Street
Colfax, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 627-3246
Grant Parish website »

Iberia Parish

300 Iberia St.
New Iberia, Louisiana
70560

Phone: (337) 365-7282
Iberia Parish website »

Iberville Parish

58050 Meriam St
Plaquemine, Louisiana
70764

Phone: (225) 687-5160
Iberville Parish website »

Jackson Parish

500 East Court Avenue
Jonesboro, Louisiana
71251

Phone: (318) 259-2424
Fax: (318) 395-0386
Jackson Parish website »

Jefferson Davis Parish

300 North State Street, Room 106
Jennings, Louisiana
70546

Phone: (337) 824-1160
Fax: (337) 824-1354
Jefferson Davis Parish website »

Jefferson Parish

200 Derbigny St., Room 2100
Gretna, Louisiana

Phone: (504) 364-2900
Jefferson Parish website »

La Salle Parish

1050 Courthouse St.
Jena, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 992-2158
La Salle Parish website »

Lafayette Parish

800 So. Buchanan St.
Lafayette, Louisiana
70501

Phone: (337) 291-6400
Lafayette Parish website »

Lafourche Parish

303 West Third Street
Thibodaux, Louisiana
70301

Phone: (985) 447-4841
Fax: (985) 447-5800
Lafourche Parish website »

Lincoln Parish

100 West Texas Ave.
Ruston, Louisiana
71270

Phone: (318) 251-5130
Fax: (318) 513-6294
Lincoln Parish website »

Livingston Parish

Livingston Courthouse<br>20300 Government Blvd
Livingston, Louisiana
70754

Phone: (225) 686-2216
Livingston Parish website »

Madison Parish

100 North Cedar Street
Tallulah, Louisiana
71282

Phone: (318) 574-0655
Fax: (318) 574-3961
Madison Parish website »

Morehouse Parish

100 East Madison
Bastrop, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 281-3343
Morehouse Parish website »

Natchitoches Parish

200 Church St., Suite 104
Natchitoches, Louisiana
71458

Phone: (318) 352-8152
Natchitoches Parish website »

Orleans Parish

3929 Tulane Ave, Room 104
New Orleans, Louisiana
70118

Phone: (504) 593-5103
Orleans Parish website »

Ouachita Parish

301 South Grand Street, Suite 104
Monroe, Louisiana
71202

Phone: (318) 327-1444
Ouachita Parish website »

Plaquemines Parish

301 Main St., Suite 108
Belle Chasse, Louisiana
70037

Phone: (504) 934-6610
Fax: (504) 934-6629
Plaquemines Parish website »

Pointe Coupee Parish

201 East Main St.
New Roads, Louisiana

Phone: (225) 638-9596
Pointe Coupee Parish website »

Rapides Parish

701 Murray Street
Alexandria, Louisiana
71301

Phone: (318) 473-8153
Fax: (318) 473-4667
Rapides Parish website »

Red River Parish

615 E Carroll Street
Coushatta, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 932-6741
Fax: (318) 932-3126
Red River Parish website »

Richland Parish

708 Julia St., Suite 103
Rayville, Louisiana
71269

Phone: (318) 728-4171
Richland Parish website »

Sabine Parish

400 South Capital, Room 102
Many, Louisiana
71449

Phone: (318) 256-6223
Sabine Parish website »

St. Bernard Parish

1101 W. St. Bernard Highway
Chalmette, Louisiana
70043

Phone: (504) 271-3434
St. Bernard Parish website »

St. Charles Parish

15045 River Road
Hahnville, Louisiana
70057

Phone: (985) 783-6632
Fax: (985) 783-2005
St. Charles Parish website »

St. Helena Parish

369 Sitman St, Suite 101
Greensburg, Louisiana
70441

Phone: (225) 222-4541
Fax: (225) 222-3443
St. Helena Parish website »

St. James Parish

5800 LA Hwy 44, 2nd Floor
Convent, Louisiana
70723

Phone: (225) 562-2275
Fax: (225) 562-2383
St. James Parish website »

St. John the Baptist Parish

2393 Hwy 18
Edgard, Louisiana

Phone: (985) 497-3331
St. John the Baptist Parish website »

St. Landry Parish

118 South Court St, Suite 207
Opelousas, Louisiana
70570

Phone: (337) 942-5606
St. Landry Parish website »

St. Martin Parish

415 St. Martin St.
Martinville, Louisiana
70582

Phone: (337) 394-2210
Fax: (337) 394-7772
St. Martin Parish website »

St. Mary Parish

500 Main St. 2nd Floor
Franklin, Louisiana
70538

Phone: (337) 828-4100 ext 200
Fax: (337) 828-2509
St. Mary Parish website »

St. Tammany Parish

701 North Columbia St. Basement Level
Covington, Louisiana
70433

Phone: (985) 809-8740
St. Tammany Parish website »

Tangipahoa Parish

318 NW Railroad Ave, Suite 100
Hammond, Louisiana
70401

Phone: (985) 549-1638
Tangipahoa Parish website »

Tensas Parish

201 Hancock St.
St. Joseph, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 766-3921
Tensas Parish website »

Terrebonne Parish

7856 Main St., Room 100
Houma, Louisiana
70360

Phone: (985) 873-8376
Fax: (985) 868-5143
Terrebonne Parish website »

Union Parish

100 East Bayou, Suite 105
Farmerville, Louisiana
71241

Phone: (318) 368-3055
Fax: (318) 368-3861
Union Parish website »

Vermilion Parish

100 North State Street, Suite 101
Abbeville, Louisiana
70510

Phone: (337) 898-1992
Fax: (337) 898-4556
Vermilion Parish website »

Vernon Parish

215 S 4th St
Leesville, Louisiana
71446

Phone: (337) 238-1384
Fax: (337) 239-2830
Vernon Parish website »

Washington Parish

908 Washington St.
Franklinton, Louisiana

Phone: (985) 839-4663
Washington Parish website »

Webster Parish

410 Main St.
Minden, Louisiana
71055

Phone: (318) 371-0366
Fax: (318) 371-0226
Webster Parish website »

West Baton Rouge Parish

850 8th Street
Port Allen, Louisiana
70767

Phone: (225) 383-0378
Fax: (225) 383-3694
West Baton Rouge Parish website »

West Carroll Parish

305 East Main St., Room 101
Oak Grove, Louisiana

Phone: (318) 428-3281
West Carroll Parish website »

West Feliciana Parish

4785 Prosperity Street
St. Francisville, Louisiana

Phone: (225) 635-3794
West Feliciana Parish website »

Winn Parish

110 West Main Street, Room 103
Winnfield, Louisiana
71483

Phone: (318) 628-3515
Fax: (318) 628-3527
Winn Parish website »