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

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

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: 60 Days
  • Marriage License Return Within: By Expiration
Regional Information

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

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 Washington

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



Select a county recorder contact

3 Washington 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 Washington to get an Ordination Package. While minister registration is not required in the state of Washington, you may be asked to present proof of your ordination before your county clerk will accept any marriage you perform as having been legally solemnized; additionally, having that proof of ordination can provide a great deal of peace-of-mind for the couple you plan 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.

Side note: Seattle, Washington is the home for the nationwide headquarters of the Universal Life Church. We're so exciting to learn that you are planning to perform a wedding or get married in our backyard. We would invite you to submit photos of any event that you attend or participate in to our online wedding gallery.

4 How to get Married in Washington

Washington's Top Wedding Spot

Washington's Top Wedding Spot

Columbia Valley region boasts gorgeous wineries, like Cave B Estate, overlooking the Columbia Gorge

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 Washington marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 60 days, but there is a mandatory 3-day waiting period between when the couple picks up the marriage license in Washington and when the ceremony may legally be conducted. 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 Washington, 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 Washington 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 Have a Wedding in Washington

The Evergreen State is an ideal wedding location for a variety of reasons. The Pacific Northwest climate is mild and the state has a plethora of scenic venue options, from enchanted woodland venues to barns well-suited for rustic weddings to 6,872 feet above sea level with Mt. Rainier as your witness. The abundant outdoor and indoor venue options in Washington State will provide a memorable experience both for the couple and for the guests attending the ceremony. It is to no surprise that those getting married in Washington are split down the middle between preference for indoor or outdoor weddings, where it is important to take into account climate, as it is sunny with perfect wedding temperatures around three or four months out of the year. The average cost of a wedding in Washington State can vary. In 2019, the average cost for a wedding in Washington State was around $33,000, which is similar to the national average. The amount a wedding officiant should charge in Washington State varies based on how much experience the officiant has, the degree of difficulty or complexity of the ceremony, and whether they’ll be asked to travel. Costs can vary drastically depending on where in the state the wedding is taking place. A Seattle-based officiant, for example, might charge more than elsewhere in the state.


Washington Marriage Code

Washington Flag

Washington Marriage Code

Marriage in Washington is governed by Chapter 4 of Title 26 of the Revised Code of Washington. Ordained ministers of 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.

The following named officers and persons, active or retired, are hereby authorized to solemnize marriages, to wit: Justices of the supreme court, judges of the court of appeals, judges of the superior courts, supreme court commissioners, court of appeals commissioners, superior court commissioners, any regularly licensed or ordained minister or any priest, imam, rabbi, or similar official of any religious organization, and judges of courts of limited jurisdiction as defined in RCW 3.02.010. View the Washington Statutes on the official state site.

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Learn All About Marriage Law in Washington

See the Full Statutes

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Become Ordained

Adams County

210 West Broadway
Ritzville, Washington
99169

Phone: (509) 659-3247
Fax: (509) 659-3254
Adams County website »

Asotin County

135 Second St.
Asotin, Washington
99402

Phone: (509) 243-2084
Fax: (509) 243-2087
Asotin County website »

Benton County

620 Market St
Prosser, Washington
99350

Phone: (509) 786-5620
Benton County website »

Chelan County

350 Orondo Ave
Wenatchee, Washington

Phone: (509) 667-6810
Fax: (509) 667-6825
Chelan County website »

Clallam County

223 E. 4th St. Suite 1
Port Angeles, Washington
98362

Phone: (360) 417-2220
Clallam County website »

Clark County

1300 Franklin St, 2nd Floor
Vancouver, Washington
98660

Phone: (360) 397-2243
Fax: (360) 397-2137
Clark County website »

Columbia County

341 E. Main St.
Dayton, Washington

Phone: (509) 382-4541
Fax: (509) 382-4830
Columbia County website »

Cowlitz County

207 N. 4th Ave.
Kelso, Washington

Phone: (360) 577-3002
Fax: (360) 414-5552
Cowlitz County website »

Douglas County

213 S. Rainier Street
Waterville, Washington
98858

Phone: (509) 888-6409
Fax: (509) 745-8812
Douglas County website »

Ferry County

84 E Delaware
Republic, Washington

Phone: (509) 775-3789
Fax: (509) 775-5208
Ferry County website »

Franklin County

1016 N. 4th Ave.
Pasco, Washington
99301

Phone: (509) 545-3502
Fax: (509) 543-2995
Franklin County website »

Garfield County

789 W. Main St.
Pomeroy, Washington

Phone: (509) 843-1411
Fax: (509) 843-3941
Garfield County website »

Grant County

35 C St NW
Ephrata, Washington
98823

Phone: (509) 754-2011
Grant County website »

Grays Harbor County

100 W Broadway, Suite 2
Montesano, Washington

Phone: (360) 964-1557
Grays Harbor County website »

Island County

1 NE 7th Street, Suite 105
Coupeville, Washington
98239

Phone: (360) 240-5549​
Fax: (360) 240-5553
Island County website »

Jefferson County

1820 Jefferson Street
Port Townsend, Washington

Phone: (360) 385-9116
Fax: (360) 385-9228
Jefferson County website »

King County

500 Fourth Ave., Suite 430
Seattle, Washington
98104

Phone: (206) 477-6620
King County Marriage Laws »

Kitsap County

619 Division St, Room 202
Port Orchard, Washington
98366

Phone: (360) 337-7164
Fax: (360) 337-4645
Kitsap County website »

Kittitas County

205 W 5th, Suite 105
Ellensburg, Washington
98926

Phone: (509) 962-7504
Fax: (509) 962-7687
Kittitas County website »

Klickitat County

205 S Columbus, Room 203
Goldendale, Washington
98260

Phone: (509) 773-4001
Fax: (509) 773-4244
Klickitat County website »

Lewis County

351 N. North St
Chehalis, Washington
98532

Phone: (360) 740-1156
Lewis County website »

Lincoln County

450 Logan, 1st Floor
Davenport, Washington
99122

Phone: (509) 725-4971
Fax: (509) 725-0820
Lincoln County website »

Mason County

411 N 5th St
Shelton, Washington
98584

Phone: (360) 427-9670 ext 467
Fax: (360) 427-1753
Mason County website »

Okanogan County

149 3rd Ave N, Room 104
Okanogan, Washington
98840

Phone: (509) 422-7240
Okanogan County website »

Pacific County

300 Memorial Drive
South Bend, Washington
98586

Phone: (360) 875-9318
Fax: (360) 875-9333
Pacific County website »

Pend Oreille County

625 W 4th Street, 2nd Floor Auditors Office
Newport, Washington
99156

Phone: (509) 447-3185
Pend Oreille County website »

Pierce County

2401 S 35th St Room 200
Tacoma, Washington
98409

Phone: (253) 798-7435
Pierce County website »

San Juan County

350 Court Street 1st Floor
Friday Harbor, Washington

Phone: (360) 378-2161
Fax: (360) 378-6256
San Juan County website »

Skagit County

700 S. Second Street
Mount Vernon, Washington
98273

Phone: (360) 416-1704
Fax: (360) 416-1698
Skagit County website »

Skamania County

240 NW Vancouver Ave, Room 27
Stevenson, Washington
98648

Phone: (509) 427-3730
Fax: (509) 427-3740
Skamania County website »

Snohomish County

3000 Rockefeller Ave. M/S 204
Everett, Washington

Phone: (425) 388-3483
Fax: (425) 259-2777
Snohomish County website »

Spokane County

1116 W Broadway Avenue
Spokane, Washington

Phone: (509) 477-2271
Spokane County website »

Stevens County

215 S Oak St, Room 104
Colville, Washington
99111

Phone: (509) 684-7511
Fax: (509) 684-7568
Stevens County website »

Thurston County

3000 Pacific Avenue SE
Olympia, Washington
98501

Phone: (360) 754-3800
Thurston County website »

Wahkiakum County

64 Main St
Cathlamet, Washington
98612

Phone: (360) 795-3219
Fax: (360) 795-0824
Wahkiakum County website »

Walla Walla County

315 West Main St.
Walla Walla, Washington

Phone: (509) 524-2549
Walla Walla County website »

Whatcom County

311 Grand Avenue Suite 103
Bellingham, Washington

Phone: (360) 778-5100
Fax: (360) 778-5101
Whatcom County website »

Whitman County

400 N. Main Street
Colfax, Washington
99111

Phone: (509) 397-6270
Fax: (509) 397-6351
Whitman County website »

Yakima County

128 N 2nd Street
Yakima, Washington

Phone: (509) 574-1400
Fax: (509) 574-1341
Yakima County website »