
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
Adams County
602 Adams AveHettinger, North Dakota
58639
Phone: (701) 567-2460
Fax: (701) 567-2910
Adams County website »
Barnes County
230 4th St NW #201Valley City, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 845-8506
Fax: (701) 845-8538
Barnes County website »
Benson County
311 B Ave SouthMinnewaukan, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 473-5332
Fax: (701) 473-5571
Benson County website »
Billings County
495 4th St.Medora, North Dakota
58645
Phone: (701) 623-4492
Billings County website »
Bottineau County
314 W. 5th St, Suite 12Bottineau, North Dakota
58318
Phone: (701) 228-3983
Fax: (701) 228-2336
Bottineau County website »
Bowman County
104 1st St NW, Suite 3Bowman, North Dakota
58623
Phone: (701) 523-3450
Fax: (701) 523-5443
Bowman County website »
Burke County
103 Main St.Bowbells, North Dakota
58721
Phone: (828) 764-9340
Fax: (828) 438-5463
Burke County website »
Burleigh County
221 N 5th StBismarck, North Dakota
58501
Phone: (701) 222-6749
Burleigh County website »
Cass County
211 9th Street SouthFargo, North Dakota
58103
Phone: (701) 241-5620
Fax: (701) 241-5621
Cass County website »
Cavalier County
901 3rd StreetLangdon, North Dakota
58249
Phone: (701) 256-2136
Fax: (701) 256-2566
Cavalier County website »
Dickey County
309 N. 2nd StreetEllendale, North Dakota
58436
Phone: (701) 349-3249 ext 4
Fax: (701) 349-3560
Dickey County website »
Divide County
200 North Main St, Room 13Crosby, North Dakota
58730
Phone: (701) 965-6831
Fax: (701) 965-6943
Divide County website »
Dunn County
205 Owens StreetManning, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 573-4447
Fax: (701) 573-4444
Dunn County website »
Eddy County
524 Central AveNew Rockford, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 947-2434
Eddy County website »
Foster County
1000 5th St NCarrington, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 652-2491
Fax: (701) 652-2173
Foster County website »
Golden Valley County
150 1st Avenue SEBeach, North Dakota
58621
Phone: (701) 872-3713
Fax: (701) 872-4383
Golden Valley County website »
Grand Forks County
151 S. 4th St.Grand Forks, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 780-8251
Grand Forks County website »
Grant County
2nd Ave and North MainCarson, North Dakota
58529
Phone: (701) 622-3544
Fax: (701) 622-3717
Grant County website »
Griggs County
808 Rollin Ave SWCooperstown, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 797-2771
Fax: (701) 797-3587
Griggs County website »
Hettinger County
336 Pacific AveMott, North Dakota
58646
Phone: (701) 824-2545
Hettinger County website »
Kidder County
120 East BroadwaySteele, North Dakota
58482
Phone: (701) 475-4548
Kidder County website »
LaMoure County
202 4th Ave NE, PO Box 128LaMoure, North Dakota
58458
Phone: (701) 883-6070
Fax: (701) 883-4220
LaMoure County website »
Logan County
301 BroadwayNapoleon, North Dakota
58561
Phone: (701) 754-2751
Fax: (701) 754-2270
Logan County website »
McHenry County
407 Main Street S. Room 203Towner, North Dakota
58788
Phone: (701) 537-5729
Fax: (701) 537-0555
McHenry County website »
McIntosh County
112 1st Street NEAshley, North Dakota
58413
Phone: (701) 288-5147
Fax: (701) 288-3671
McIntosh County website »
McKenzie County
201 5th St NW, Suite 524Watford City, North Dakota
58854
Phone: (701) 842-8230
McKenzie County website »
McLean County
712 5th AvenueWashburn, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 462-8541
Fax: (701) 462-3633
McLean County website »
Mercer County
1021 Arthur St.Stanton, North Dakota
58571
Phone: (701) 745-3272
Mercer County website »
Morton County
210 2nd Ave NWMandan, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 667-3305
Morton County website »
Mountrail County
Courthouse <br> 101 N. Main St.Stanley, North Dakota
58784
Phone: (701) 628-2945
Mountrail County website »
Nelson County
210 B Ave W, Suite 203Lakota, North Dakota
58344
Phone: (701) 247-2433
Fax: (701) 247-2412
Nelson County website »
Oliver County
115 W. Main StCenter, North Dakota
58530
Phone: (701) 794-8777
Fax: (701) 794-3476
Oliver County website »
Pembina County
301 Dakota Street W, Suite 10Cavalier, North Dakota
58220
Phone: (701) 265-4373
Pembina County website »
Pierce County
240 2nd Street SE, Suite 10Rugby, North Dakota
58368
Phone: (701) 776-5206 Extension: 2105
Pierce County website »
Ramsey County
524 4th Avenue NE, Unit 30Devils Lake, North Dakota
58301
Phone: (701) 662-7018
Fax: (701) 662-7093
Ramsey County website »
Ransom County
204 5th Avenue WestLisbon, North Dakota
58054
Phone: (701) 683-6120
Fax: (701) 683-5827
Ransom County website »
Renville County
165 93rd St NWMohall, North Dakota
58761
Phone: (701) 756-6398
Renville County website »
Richland County
418 2nd Ave NWahpeton, North Dakota
58075
Phone: (701) 671-1524
Fax: (701) 642-7701
Richland County website »
Rolette County
102 2nd Street NERolla, North Dakota
58367
Phone: (701) 477-3166
Rolette County website »
Sargent County
355 Main Street South, Suite 2Forman, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 724-6241
Sargent County website »
Sheridan County
215 2nd St. EastMcClusky, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 363-2207
Fax: (701) 363-2953
Sheridan County website »
Sioux County
300 2nd AveFort Yates, North Dakota
58538
Phone: (701) 854-3853
Sioux County website »
Slope County
206 South Main StAmidon, North Dakota
58620
Phone: (701) 879-6275
Slope County website »
Stark County
51 3rd Street EastDickinson, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 456-7645
Fax: (701) 456-7628
Stark County website »
Steele County
1 Washington Ave W, 2nd FloorFinley, North Dakota
58230
Phone: (701) 524-2152
Fax: (701) 524-1715
Steele County website »
Stutsman County
511 2nd Ave SE, Suite 103Jamestown, North Dakota
58401
Phone: (701) 252-9034
Stutsman County website »
Towner County
315 2nd StreetCando, North Dakota
58324
Phone: (701) 968-4340
Towner County website »
Traill County
114 West CaledoniaHillsboro, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 636-4457
Fax: (701) 636-2527
Traill County website »
Walsh County
600 Cooper AvenueGrafton, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 352-2380
Fax: (701) 352-3340
Walsh County website »
Ward County
225 Third St. SEMinot, North Dakota
58701
Phone: (701) 857-6413
Fax: (701) 857-6414
Ward County website »
Wells County
700 Railway Street N #125Fessenden, North Dakota
Phone: (701) 547-3141
Fax: (701) 547-3719
Wells County website »
Williams County
205 East BroadwayWilliston, North Dakota
58802
Phone: (701) 577-4500
Fax: (701) 577-4510
Williams County website »