Wyoming Marriage Laws
Written and edited for accuracy by the Wyoming marriage law researchers at the Universal Life Church on
Known for its expansive plains and stunning desolate beauty, Wyoming can be a rather original wedding destination. Equally unique are some of the processes that govern its marriages. Having carefully sifted through the paragraphs of relevant legal code, we’ve chosen to detail, from start to finish, all the steps both couples and ministers must take to ensure any wedding ceremony performed in the state is ultimately legally binding.
Requirements for the Couple
- Min. Age of Couple:
- Age 18 or Age 16 with Guardian Consent
- Residency:
- Not Required
- Min. Distance of Kin Allowed:
- Second Cousins
- Marriage Equality:
- Yes
You need to be at least 18 years old to legally marry in Wyoming, unless you have reached age 16 and have secured either the verbal or written consent of a parent or recognized legal guardian. In fact, any minor can technically get married with the approval of a state judge, and then have that license authorized by a county clerk.
Wyoming welcomes couples from out of state and country, and currently recognizes marriage equality, which means same-sex couples can legally wed.
20-1-102. Minimum marriageable age; exception; parental consent. (a) At the time of marriage the parties shall be at least sixteen (16) years of age except as otherwise provided. (b) All marriages involving a person under sixteen (16) years of age are prohibited and voidable, unless before contracting the marriage a judge of a court of record in Wyoming approves the marriage and authorizes the county clerk to issue a license therefor. (c) When either party is a minor, no license shall be granted without the verbal consent, if present, and written consent, if absent, of the father, mother, guardian or person having the care and control of the minor. Written consent shall be proved by the testimony of at least one (1) competent witness.
Marriage License Requirements
- Min. Age of Witnesses:
- 18 Years
- Couple's Consent Required:
- Yes
- Pronouncement Required:
- Yes
Couples in Wyoming must present themselves to a state county when applying for a marriage license. That clerk will verify all relevant info to ensure that all is legally sound, before issuing and dating the marriage license in question. It costs $30 to apply.
All marriage licenses in Wyoming must then be picked up in person, where some form of official government-issued photo ID will have to be presented. Proof of prior divorce is not required, and no state – Wyoming included – will ever require blood tests to discount incestuous relationships and secure a marriage license.
20-1-103. License; required. (a) Before solemnization of any marriage in this state, a marriage license shall be obtained from a Wyoming county clerk. (b) Application for a marriage license shall be made by one (1) of the parties to the marriage before the license is issued. Upon receipt of an application, the county clerk shall ascertain by the testimony of a competent witness and the applicant, the names, the social security numbers of the parties who have valid social security numbers, residences and ages of the parties and whether there is any legal impediment to the parties entering into the marriage contract according to the laws of the state of their residence. The clerk shall enter the facts ascertained in a book kept by him for that purpose, except for the social security numbers which shall be provided to the state office of vital records and not made a part of the county public record. He may issue a license to marry and shall date the license on the date of issuance except as otherwise provided.
Marriage License Facts
- ULC-Officiated Ceremony Type:
- Religious
- Mandatory Waiting Period:
- None
- License Valid For:
- 1 Year
- License Must Be Submitted:
- Within 10 Days of Ceremony
A marriage license issued in the state of Wyoming can be solemnized both civilly and religiously to suit the desires of the couple. All ULC ministers are ordained to perform legal weddings, making any ceremony they perform a "religious" one.
Wyoming does not mandate any sort of designated waiting period required between obtaining the marriage license and performing the ceremony, which might be great for out-of-town couples with a penchant for efficiency. Those who prefer not to rush will take solace in the fact that a Wyoming marriage license is valid for an entire year.
20-1-106. Who may solemnize marriage; form of ceremony. (a) Every district or circuit court judge, district court commissioner, supreme court justice, magistrate and every licensed or ordained minister of the gospel, bishop, priest or rabbi, or other qualified person acting in accordance with the traditions or rites for the solemnization of marriage of any religion, denomination or religious society, may perform the ceremony of marriage in this state
Requirements for the Minister
- Min. Age of Minister:
- Age 18
- Residency:
- Not Required
- Document(s) Required:
- Varies by County
- Online Ordination Recognized:
- Yes
- Relevant Office of Registration:
- County Clerk
- Latest Document(s) Submission Date Allowed:
- Varies by County
- Minister I.D. # Issued:
- No
Ministers officiating weddings in Wyoming must be at least 18 years of age, which just happens to be the age we require for online ordination. Beyond that, it doesn't matter where ministers live, their identifying gender or personal belief system.
Ministers who've been ordained online who are planning to officiate should first reach out to the county clerk in the jurisdiction where the wedding will take place, as the documents required for registration will vary by county. The minister must contact the exact same office that will be issuing the marriage license to ask if they require physical ministerial documentation in order to perform the ceremony. This is something the ULC generally recommends its ministers carry with them, and for that reason we recommend the Classic Wedding Package to our ministers.
Wedding Ceremony Requirements
- Marriage By Proxy Allowed:
- No
- Minister Required to be Present:
- Yes
For a wedding to be considered legal in Wyoming, it’s crucial that the officiating minister, the couple, and two adult witnesses who will sign the certificate once the marriage is solemnized physically be present.
While the couple is free to customize the ceremony to their taste, the state will require they provide some form of official consent to marry during the ceremony. The officiating minister will then have to publicly pronounce that consent.
Final Steps
- Officiant's Title on Marriage License:
- Minister
- Church/Ordaining Body:
- Universal Life Church Ministries
- Address of Church:
- Minister's Home Address
The officiant's job doesn’t end with the pronouncement, however.
The officiating minister will be required to fill out their relevant section of the marriage license. They should mark their title as "minister", identify the relevant church as "Universal Life Church Ministries" and list their home address in the event a church address is required.
It’s also usually up to the minister to make sure the marriage license is submitted back to the issuing county clerk office in time. In Wyoming, that means within 10 days of the wedding. The failure of either the officiating minister or county clerk to do so may be punishable by a maximum $500 fine and up to a year in prison.
While the punishment for anyone posing as an authorized officiating minister is equally serious, couples falsely lured into any such deception will not be held criminally liable.
20-1-108. Offenses relating to marriage generally.If the county clerk neglects to record a marriage certificate, or if any person performs a marriage ceremony knowing that he is not legally authorized to do so or knowing of any legal impediment to the proposed marriage , he is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisonment for not exceeding one (1) year. 20-1-109. When marriage solemnized by unauthorized person valid. No marriage solemnized in any manner authorized by W.S. 20-1-106, shall be deemed or adjudged to be void, nor is the validity of the marriage in any way affected because of a lack of jurisdiction or authority of the person performing the ceremony of marriage if the marriage is consummated with a full belief on the part of the persons so married, or either of them, that the person performing the ceremony was lawfully authorized to do so.
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