
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 Washington. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Washington. 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 Washington.
- ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
- Minister Registration Required: No
- Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
- Minister's Minimum Age: 18
- Marriage License Waiting Period: 3 Days
- Marriage License Valid For: 60 Days
- Marriage License Return Within: By Expiration
1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in Washington
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 Washington
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

Washington's Top Wedding Spot
Columbia Valley region boasts gorgeous wineries, like Cave B Estate, overlooking the Columbia Gorge
3 License to Marry in Washington
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 Washington to get an Ordination Package. While minister registration is not required in the state of Washington, you may be asked to present proof of your ordination before your county clerk will accept any marriage you perform as having been legally solemnized; additionally, having that proof of ordination can provide a great deal of peace-of-mind for the couple you plan 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.
Side note: Seattle, Washington is the home for the nationwide headquarters of the Universal Life Church. We're so exciting to learn that you are planning to perform a wedding or get married in our backyard. We would invite you to submit photos of any event that you attend or participate in to our online wedding gallery.
4 How to get Married in Washington
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 Washington marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 60 days, but there is a mandatory 3-day waiting period between when the couple picks up the marriage license in Washington and when the ceremony may legally be conducted. 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 Washington, 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 Washington 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 Have a Wedding in Washington
The Evergreen State is an ideal wedding location for a variety of reasons. The Pacific Northwest climate is mild and the state has a plethora of scenic venue options, from enchanted woodland venues to barns well-suited for rustic weddings to 6,872 feet above sea level with Mt. Rainier as your witness. The abundant outdoor and indoor venue options in Washington State will provide a memorable experience both for the couple and for the guests attending the ceremony. It is to no surprise that those getting married in Washington are split down the middle between preference for indoor or outdoor weddings, where it is important to take into account climate, as it is sunny with perfect wedding temperatures around three or four months out of the year. The average cost of a wedding in Washington State can vary. In 2019, the average cost for a wedding in Washington State was around $33,000, which is similar to the national average. The amount a wedding officiant should charge in Washington State varies based on how much experience the officiant has, the degree of difficulty or complexity of the ceremony, and whether they’ll be asked to travel. Costs can vary drastically depending on where in the state the wedding is taking place. A Seattle-based officiant, for example, might charge more than elsewhere in the state.

Washington Marriage Code
Marriage in Washington is governed by Chapter 4 of Title 26 of the Revised Code of Washington. Ordained ministers of 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.The following named officers and persons, active or retired, are hereby authorized to solemnize marriages, to wit: Justices of the supreme court, judges of the court of appeals, judges of the superior courts, supreme court commissioners, court of appeals commissioners, superior court commissioners, any regularly licensed or ordained minister or any priest, imam, rabbi, or similar official of any religious organization, and judges of courts of limited jurisdiction as defined in RCW 3.02.010. View the Washington Statutes on the official state site.
To view the in-depth wedding laws for Washington state:
Washington Marriage Laws⇓ Show the rest
Adams County
210 West BroadwayRitzville, Washington
99169
Phone: (509) 659-3247
Fax: (509) 659-3254
Adams County website »
Asotin County
135 Second St.Asotin, Washington
Phone: (509) 243-2084
Fax: (509) 243-2087
Asotin County website »
Benton County
620 Market StProsser, Washington
99350
Phone: (509) 786-5620
Benton County website »
Chelan County
350 Orondo AveWenatchee, Washington
Phone: (509) 667-6810
Fax: (509) 667-6825
Chelan County website »
Clallam County
223 E. 4th St. Suite 1Port Angeles, Washington
98362
Phone: (360) 417-2220
Clallam County website »
Clark County
1300 Franklin St, 2nd FloorVancouver, Washington
98660
Phone: (360) 397-2243
Fax: (360) 397-2137
Clark County website »
Columbia County
341 E. Main St.Dayton, Washington
Phone: (509) 382-4541
Fax: (509) 382-4830
Columbia County website »
Cowlitz County
207 N. 4th Ave.Kelso, Washington
Phone: (360) 577-3002
Fax: (360) 414-5552
Cowlitz County website »
Douglas County
213 S. Rainier StreetWaterville, Washington
98858
Phone: (509) 745-8527
Fax: (509) 745-8812
Douglas County website »
Ferry County
84 E DelawareRepublic, Washington
Phone: (509) 775-3789
Fax: (509) 775-5208
Ferry County website »
Franklin County
1016 N. 4th Ave.Pasco, Washington
99301
Phone: (509) 545-3502
Fax: (509) 543-2995
Franklin County website »
Garfield County
789 W. Main St.Pomeroy, Washington
Phone: (509) 843-1411
Fax: (509) 843-3941
Garfield County website »
Grays Harbor County
100 W Broadway, Suite 2Montesano, Washington
Phone: (360) 964-1557
Grays Harbor County website »
Island County
1 NE 7th Street, Suite 105Coupeville, Washington
98239
Phone: (360) 240-5549
Fax: (360) 240-5553
Island County website »
Jefferson County
1820 Jefferson StreetPort Townsend, Washington
Phone: (360) 385-9116
Fax: (360) 385-9228
Jefferson County website »
King County
500 Fourth Ave., Suite 430Seattle, Washington
98104
Phone: (206) 477-6620
King County Marriage Laws »
Kitsap County
619 Division St, Room 202Port Orchard, Washington
98366
Phone: (360) 337-7164
Fax: (360) 337-4645
Kitsap County website »
Kittitas County
205 W 5th, Suite 105Ellensburg, Washington
98926
Phone: (509) 962-7504
Fax: (509) 962-7687
Kittitas County website »
Klickitat County
205 S Columbus, Room 203Goldendale, Washington
98260
Phone: (509) 773-4001
Fax: (509) 773-4244
Klickitat County website »
Lewis County
351 N. North StChehalis, Washington
98532
Phone: (360) 740-1156
Lewis County website »
Lincoln County
450 Logan, 1st FloorDavenport, Washington
99122
Phone: (509) 725-4971
Fax: (509) 725-0820
Lincoln County website »
Mason County
411 N 5th StShelton, Washington
98584
Phone: (360) 427-9670 ext 467
Fax: (360) 427-1753
Mason County website »
Okanogan County
149 3rd Ave N, Room 104Okanogan, Washington
98840
Phone: (509) 422-7240
Okanogan County website »
Pacific County
300 Memorial DriveSouth Bend, Washington
98586
Phone: (360) 875-9318
Fax: (360) 875-9333
Pacific County website »
Pend Oreille County
625 W 4th Street, 2nd Floor Auditors OfficeNewport, Washington
99156
Phone: (509) 447-3185
Pend Oreille County website »
Pierce County
2401 S 35th St Room 200Tacoma, Washington
98409
Phone: (253) 798-7435
Pierce County website »
San Juan County
350 Court Street 1st FloorFriday Harbor, Washington
Phone: (360) 378-2161
Fax: (360) 378-6256
San Juan County website »
Skagit County
700 S. Second StreetMount Vernon, Washington
98273
Phone: (360) 416-1704
Fax: (360) 416-1698
Skagit County website »
Skamania County
240 NW Vancouver Ave, Room 27Stevenson, Washington
98648
Phone: (509) 427-3730
Fax: (509) 427-3740
Skamania County website »
Snohomish County
3000 Rockefeller Ave. M/S 204Everett, Washington
Phone: (425) 388-3483
Fax: (425) 259-2777
Snohomish County website »
Spokane County
1116 W Broadway AvenueSpokane, Washington
Phone: (509) 477-2271
Spokane County website »
Stevens County
215 South Oak Street, Room 106Colville, Washington
99114
Phone: (509) 684-7514
Fax: (509) 684-7568
Stevens County website »
Thurston County
2000 Lakeridge Drive SW Building 1, Rm. 106Olympia, Washington
98502
Phone: (360) 786-5406
Fax: (360) 786-5223
Thurston County website »
Wahkiakum County
64 Main StCathlamet, Washington
98612
Phone: (360) 795-3219
Fax: (360) 795-0824
Wahkiakum County website »
Walla Walla County
315 West Main St.Walla Walla, Washington
Phone: (509) 524-2549
Walla Walla County website »
Whatcom County
311 Grand Avenue Suite 103Bellingham, Washington
Phone: (360) 778-5100
Fax: (360) 778-5101
Whatcom County website »
Whitman County
400 N. Main StreetColfax, Washington
99111
Phone: (509) 397-6270
Fax: (509) 397-6351
Whitman County website »
Yakima County
128 N 2nd StreetYakima, Washington
Phone: (509) 574-1400
Fax: (509) 574-1341
Yakima County website »