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 North Dakota. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in North Dakota. 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 North Dakota.
- ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
- Minister Registration Required: Sometimes
- 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: 5 Days
1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in North Dakota
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 North Dakota
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 contact
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3 License to Marry in North Dakota
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 North Dakota to get an Ordination Package. Although minister registration is not required in North Dakota we have been informed by ULC ministers in the area that county clerks will frequently ask to see proof of ordination before they will accept a marriage as having been legally solemnized. 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.
The state of North Dakota does not set forth extremely rigid guidelines for how a marriage ceremony must be performed. Rather, it simply establishes that at some point during the ceremony either the couple must acknowledge that they are freely accepting one another as husband and wife in a serious manner and this must happen in the presence of one of the authority figures established above who is authorized by the state to conduct the marriage.
4 How to get Married in North Dakota
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 North Dakota marriage license from the appropriate office. This license will expire 60 days after it is issued, and there is a no mandatory waiting period between when the couple picks up the marriage license in North Dakota and when the ceremony may legally be conducted. The signed license must be returned to the issuing office within 5 days of the ceremony.
At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in North Dakota, 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 North Dakota 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 Hold a Wedding in North Dakota
How exciting to be asked to perform a wedding ceremony in the great state of North Dakota. While the state might not be known as a major tourist destination, there are many beautiful outdoor and indoor wedding venues throughout the state -- and not just in bigger cities like Fargo. Farm weddings in North Dakota are quite popular since the state has lots of farmland to choose from. Keep in mind that it tends to be quite cold and snowy during the winter, so most weddings are performed during the warmer summer months, when average high temperatures can reach into the 80s. July and August have the best odds for sunshine, but keep in mind thunderstorms can be more common this time of year. Fees for a wedding officiant in North Dakota vary based on several factors, including the officiant's experience, amount of involvement, need to travel, and familiarity with the couple. Most officiants will charge at least $100-$150, but professional officiants in the state may charge several hundred dollars.
North Dakota Marriage Code
Marriage laws in North Dakota are primarily directed by Section 3 of Chapter 14 of North Dakota's century code, which defines the persons authorized to perform a marriage in the State of North Dakota. This includes ordained ministers of the Universal Life church, among other individuals. We've reproduced a portion of this code below.14-03-09. Who may solemnize marriages. Marriages may be solemnized at any location within the state by: 1. All judges of courts of record; 2. Municipal judges; 3. Recorders, unless the board of county commissioners designates a different official; 4. Ordained ministers of the gospel, priests, and clergy, authorized by recognized denominations; and 5. By any individual authorized by the rituals and practices of any religious persuasion. View the North Dakota Statutes on the official state site.
To view the in-depth wedding laws for North Dakota state:
North Dakota Marriage Laws⇓ Show the rest
