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

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

AR Wedding Officiant Quick Facts
  • ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
  • Minister Registration Required: Yes
  • Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
  • Minister's Minimum Age: 18
  •  
  • Marriage License Waiting Period: 0 Days
  • Marriage License Valid For: 60 Days
  • Marriage License Return Within: By Expiration
Regional Information

Local AR Wedding Guides

For more specific information about performing a wedding in certain parts of Arkansas, choose a location above. 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 Arkansas

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 Arkansas

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 a county clerk

Choose the county you'd like to contact from the dropdown menu above to see their office’s information.

3 Arkansas 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 Arkansas to get an Ordination Package and to add a Letter of Good Standing to her or his order. Minister registration is required in Arkansas and you will 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 Arkansas

Arkansas's Top Wedding Spot

Arkansas's Top Wedding Spot

Ozarks at Table Rock Lake or Beaver Lake, just outside historic Eureka Springs

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 Arkansas marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 60 days, and there is no mandatory waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in Arkansas 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 Arkansas, 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 Arkansas 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 Advice for Performing Arkansas Weddings

Being asked to perform a wedding in Arkansas is a wonderful honor. When planning to officiate there, a few things that you should consider are weather, venue, and what to charge for your services. Summer outdoor weddings in Arkansas will be hot and humid, especially in July during the peak temperatures. For example, if the couple has selected one of the wedding barns in Arkansas, or a hot springs Arkansas wedding, then you should plan to dress comfortably for heat and humidity. If you are wondering how much an officiant should charge for weddings in Arkansas, there are several factors to consider, including how experienced the officiant is, how much preparation will be involved, and if travel will be required. Obviously, the more time-consuming the event will be, the higher amount of compensation you can reasonably demand.


Arkansas Marriage Code

Arkansas Flag

Arkansas Marriage Code

Marriage in Arkansas is governed by Title 9 of Arkansas' 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.

A.C.A. § 9-11-215. Marriage ceremony. (a) When marriages are solemnized by a minister of the gospel or priest, the ceremony shall be according to the forms and customs of the church or society to which he or she belongs. When solemnized by a civil officer, the form observed shall be the one the officer deems most appropriate. View the Arkansas Statutes on the official state site.

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Learn All About Marriage Law in Arkansas

See the Full Statutes

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Arkansas County

302 South College
Stuttgart, Arkansas
72160

Phone: (870) 673-2056
Arkansas County website »

Ashley County

205 East Jefferson Street
Hamburg, Arkansas
71646

Phone: (870) 853-2020
Ashley County website »

Baxter County

1st Floor, Baxter County Courthouse 1 East 7th Street, Suite 103
Mountain Home, Arkansas
72653

Phone: (870) 425-3475
Fax: (870) 424-5105
Baxter County website »

Benton County

215 East Central, Suite 217
Bentonville, Arkansas
72712

Phone: (479) 271-1013
Benton County Marriage Laws »

Boone County

100 N Main, Suite 201
Harrison, Arkansas
72601

Phone: (870) 741-8428
Boone County website »

Bradley County

101 East Cedar
Warren, Arkansas
71671

Phone: (870) 226-3464
Bradley County website »

Calhoun County

309 West Main St
Hampton, Arkansas
71744

Phone: (870) 798-2517
Calhoun County website »

Carroll County

210 West Church Street
Berryville, Arkansas

Phone: (479) 423-2022
Carroll County website »

Chicot County

108 Main Street
Lake Village, Arkansas
71663

Phone: (870) 265-8000
Chicot County website »

Clark County

Courthouse Square, 401 Clay St
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
71923

Phone: (870) 246-4491
Clark County website »

Clay County

151 S 2nd Ave
Piggott, Arkansas

Phone: (870) 598-2813
Clay County website »

Cleburne County

301 W Main St, Room 1
Heber Springs, Arkansas
72543

Phone: (501) 362-8149
Cleburne County website »

Cleveland County

Cleveland County Courthouse <br> 20 Magnolia Street
Rison, Arkansas
71665

Phone: (870) 325-6521
Cleveland County website »

Columbia County

1 Court Square, Suite 1
Magnolia, Arkansas
71753

Phone: (870) 235-3774
Columbia County website »

Conway County

115 South Moose Street
Morrilton, Arkansas
72110

Phone: (501) 354-9621
Conway County website »

Craighead County

511 South Main Street, Room 202
Jonesboro, Arkansas
72401

Phone: (870) 933-4520
Craighead County website »

Crawford County

300 Main Street, Room 7
Van Buren, Arkansas
72956

Phone: (479) 474-1312
Crawford County website »

Crittenden County

100 Court Street
Marion, Arkansas
72364

Phone: (870) 739-4434
Crittenden County website »

Cross County

705 East Union, Room 8
Wynne, Arkansas
72396

Phone: (870) 238-5735
Cross County website »

Dallas County

206 W 3rd St
Fordyce, Arkansas
71742

Phone: (870) 352-2307
Dallas County website »

Desha County

608 Robert S Moore Ave.
Arkansas City, Arkansas
71630

Phone: (870) 877-2323
Desha County website »

Drew County

210 South Main Street
Monticello, Arkansas
71655

Phone: (870) 460-6260
Drew County website »

Faulkner County

801 Locust Street
Conway, Arkansas
72034

Phone: (501) 450-4909
Faulkner County Marriage Laws »

Franklin County

211 W. Commercial Street
Ozark, Arkansas
72949

Phone: (479) 667-3607
Franklin County website »

Fulton County

123 S. Main
Salem, Arkansas
72576

Phone: (870) 895-3310
Fulton County website »

Garland County

501 Ouachita Avenue, Room 103
Hot Springs, Arkansas
71901

Phone: (501) 622-3610
Garland County website »

Grant County

101 West Center, Room 106
Sheridan, Arkansas

Phone: (870) 942-2631
Grant County website »

Greene County

320 West Court Street
Paragould, Arkansas

Phone: (870) 239-6311
Greene County website »

Hempstead County

400 South Washington
Hope, Arkansas

Phone: (870) 777-7800
Hempstead County website »

Hot Spring County

210 Locust St.
Malvern, Arkansas
72104

Phone: (501) 332-2291
Hot Spring County website »

Howard County

421 North Main Street
Nashville, Arkansas
71852

Phone: (870) 845-7500
Howard County website »

Independence County

192 E Main St
Batesville, Arkansas
72501

Phone: (870) 793-8828
Independence County website »

Izard County

80 East Main Street
Melbourne, Arkansas

Phone: (870) 368-4316
Izard County website »

Jackson County

208 Main St
Newport, Arkansas
72112

Phone: (870) 523-7420
Fax: (870) 523-7406
Jackson County website »

Jefferson County

101 East Barraque St, Suite 101
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
71601

Phone: (870) 541-5322
Jefferson County website »

Johnson County

215 W Main St
Clarksville, Arkansas
72830

Phone: (479) 754-3967
Johnson County website »

Lafayette County

2 Courthouse Square
Lewisville, Arkansas
71845

Phone: (870) 921-4633
Lafayette County website »

Lawrence County

315 W. Main St, Room 2
Walnut Ridge, Arkansas
72476

Phone: (870) 886-1111
Lawrence County website »

Lee County

15 East Chestnut St.
Marianna, Arkansas
72360

Phone: (870) 295-7715
Fax: (870) 295-7783
Lee County website »

Lincoln County

300 S Drew Street, Room 101
Star City, Arkansas
71667

Phone: (870) 628-5114
Lincoln County website »

Little River County

351 North 2nd Street
Ashdown, Arkansas

Phone: (870) 898-7210
Little River County website »

Logan County

366 N Broadway Ave #1
Booneville, Arkansas

Phone: (479) 675-2951
Logan County website »

Lonoke County

301 N Center St, Room 202
Lonoke, Arkansas
72086

Phone: (501) 676-2316
Lonoke County website »

Madison County

201 West Main Street
Huntsville, Arkansas
72740

Phone: (479) 738-2747
Madison County website »

Marion County

300 E. Old Main St
Yellville, Arkansas
72687

Phone: (870) 449-6226
Fax: (870) 449-4979
Marion County website »

Miller County

400 Laurel Street Suite 105
Texarkana, Arkansas
71854

Phone: (870) 774-1501
Miller County website »

Mississippi County

200 W Walnut St
Blytheville, Arkansas
72315

Phone: (870) 762-2332
Mississippi County website »

Monroe County

123 Madison Street
Clarendon, Arkansas
72029

Phone: (870) 747-3632
Monroe County website »

Montgomery County

105 Highway 270 W
Mt Ida, Arkansas
71957

Phone: (870) 867-3521
Montgomery County website »

Nevada County

215 E 2nd St S, Room 102
Prescott, Arkansas
71857

Phone: (870) 887-2710
Nevada County website »

Newton County

100 E Court St
Jasper, Arkansas
72641

Phone: (870) 446-5125
Newton County website »

Ouachita County

145 Jefferson St S.W.
Camden, Arkansas
71711

Phone: (870) 837-2220
Ouachita County website »

Perry County

100 Main St
Perryville, Arkansas
72126

Phone: (501) 889-5126
Perry County website »

Phillips County

620 Cherry Street, Suite 202
Helena, Arkansas
72342

Phone: (870) 338-5505
Phillips County website »

Pike County

225 Washington St.
Murfreesboro, Arkansas
71958

Phone: (870) 285-2231
Pike County website »

Poinsett County

401 Market St.
Harrisburg, Arkansas
72432

Phone: (870) 578-4410
Poinsett County website »

Polk County

507 Church Street
Mena, Arkansas
71953

Phone: (479) 394-8123
Polk County website »

Pope County

100 West Main Street
Russellville, Arkansas
72801

Phone: (479) 968-6064
Pope County website »

Prairie County

208 Courthouse Sq
Des Arc, Arkansas
72040

Phone: (870) 256-4434
Prairie County website »

Pulaski County

401 W Markham St, Ste 100
Little Rock, Arkansas
72201

Phone: (501) 340-8500
Pulaski County Marriage Laws »

Randolph County

107 W Broadway St,
Pocahontas, Arkansas
72455

Phone: (870) 892-5522
Randolph County website »

Saline County

215 North Main Street, Suite 9
Benton, Arkansas
72015

Phone: (501) 303-5630
Saline County website »

Scott County

210 S. Main Street
Waldron, Arkansas

Phone: (479) 637-2642
Scott County website »

Searcy County

Courthouse Square
Marshall, Arkansas

Phone: (870) 448-3809
Searcy County website »

Sebastian County

35 So. 6th, Room 102
Fort Smith, Arkansas

Phone: (479) 782-5065
Sebastian County website »

Sevier County

115 N 3rd St, Room 102
De Queen, Arkansas
71832

Phone: (870) 642-2852
Sevier County website »

Sharp County

718 Ash Flat Drive
Ash Flat, Arkansas
72513

Phone: (870) 994-7361
Sharp County website »

St. Francis County

313 S. Izard, Room 2
Forrest City, Arkansas
72336

Phone: (870) 261-1725
St. Francis County website »

Stone County

107 West Main Suite 100
Mountain View, Arkansas

Phone: (870) 269-3271
Stone County website »

Union County

101 N. Washington Suite 102
El Dorado, Arkansas
71730

Phone: (870) 864-1910
Fax: (870) 864-1927
Union County website »

Van Buren County

273 Main St Room 2
Clinton, Arkansas
72031

Phone: (501) 745-4140
Van Buren County website »

Washington County

280 N. College, Suite 300
Fayetteville, Arkansas
72701

Phone: (479) 444-1711
Washington County website »

White County

300 North Spruce
Searcy, Arkansas
72143

Phone: (501) 279-6204
White County website »

Woodruff County

500 N 3rd St
Augusta, Arkansas
72006

Phone: (870) 347-2391
Woodruff County website »

Yell County

108 Union St
Dardanelle, Arkansas
72834

Phone: (479) 229-4404
Yell County website »