Created and reviewed for accuracy by researchers at the Universal Life Church Ministries
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 New Mexico. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in New Mexico. 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 New Mexico.
- ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
- Minister Registration Required: No
- Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
- Minister's Minimum Age: 18
- Marriage License Waiting Period: 0 Days
- Marriage License Valid For: Never Expires
- Marriage License Return Within: 90 Days
For more specific information about performing a wedding in certain parts of New Mexico, 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 New Mexico
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 New Mexico
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 to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.
Select a county contact
3 New Mexico 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 New Mexico to get an Ordination Package, although minister registration is not required in New Mexico you may be asked by the county clerk to display proof of your ordination before the marriage will be accepted as legally valid. 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 New Mexico
New Mexico's Top Wedding Spot
Ancient spanish mission ruins, 25 miles east of Santa Fe
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 New Mexico marriage license from the appropriate office. This license never expires, and there is no waiting period between when the couple picks up the marriage license in New Mexico and when the ceremony may legally be conducted. The signed license must be returned to the issuing office within 90 days of the wedding ceremony.
At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in New Mexico, 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico Wedding Tips
Wedding officiants planning on performing a ceremony in New Mexico should consider a couple of things before the big day. First, you'll want to make sure you have the proper attire for the weather while still meeting the couple’s dress code. While the weather changes from season to season tend to be minor and fairly predictable, fall is the most popular season to get married as it provides a nice balance between comfortable, sunny days and cool nights that won't have you needing a winter jacket. New Mexico’s unique topography and art culture makes for a variety of wedding venues for couples to choose from. Outdoor weddings can provide you a beautiful desert backdrop for the ceremony while the numerous venues in cities like Albuquerque and Las Cruces offer options for ceremonies big and small. Fees for wedding officiants in New Mexico are dependent on a number of factors, such as how much previous experience the officiant has, whether they’ll be required to travel to the ceremony destination, and how much preparation is involved on their part. The cost of a New Mexico wedding averages around $16,500 -- you might want to consider the couple’s financial commitments when negotiating your price.
New Mexico Marriage Code
New Mexico Marriage Code
Marriage in New Mexico is governed by Article 1 of Chapter 40 of the statutes of the State of New Mexico. Ministers ordained online with the Universal Life Church are permitted to solemnize marriages in New Mexico and have successfully done so thousands of times. Below, you will find that we have reproduced the relevant excerpts of this code.40-1-2. Marriages solemnized; ordained clergy or civil magistrates may solemnize. A. The civil contract of marriage is entered into when solemnized as provided in Chapter 40, Article 1 NMSA 1978. As used in Chapter 40, Article 1 NMSA 1978, "solemnize" means to join in marriage before witnesses by means of a ceremony. B. A person who is an ordained member of the clergy or who is an authorized representative of a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or pueblo may solemnize the contract of marriage without regard to sect or rites and customs the person may practice. C. Active or retired judges, justices and magistrates of any of the courts established by the constitution of New Mexico, United States constitution, laws of the state or laws of the United States are civil magistrates having authority to solemnize contracts of marriage . Civil magistrates solemnizing contracts of marriage shall charge no fee therefor. View the New Mexico Statutes on the official state site.
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