Oklahoma Wedding Officiants No Longer Required to Register Before Performing a Marriage Ceremony

Officiating a wedding ceremony in Oklahoma just got easier! 

 

 

As of this week, AMM Ministers and other ordained wedding officiants in Oklahoma are no longer required to file their minister credentials with the court clerk’s office before performing a wedding ceremony.

 

Instead, ministers can now certify on the marriage license that they’re authorized to solemnize marriage by writing down their denomination and the organization with which they’re ordained when signing the license. 

 

The relevant section of § 43-7 now reads: “The preacher, minister, priest, rabbi, or ecclesiastical dignitary shall certify on the marriage certificate that he or she holds credentials or authority from his or her church or synagogue authorizing him or her to solemnize marriages.” See the full statute here. 

 

 

A clerk with the marriage license office at the Oklahoma County Courthouse told AMM that ministers must be in good standing with the organization that ordained them and complete all portions of the license.

 

 

 

 

It’s important to note that ministers and licensed counselors who wish to offer premarital counseling will still need to file their credentials with the court clerk’s office using the same procedure as before. 

 

The updated law applies to resident and non-resident officiants, and is expected to make it easier for newly ordained officiants or those new to Oklahoma to officiate a wedding for the first time – especially friends and relatives who are asked to officiate during busy wedding seasons.

 

 

Other changes

 

Other important changes to Oklahoma’s marriage this month include more time to use and return the marriage license, and new provisions for name changes:

 

• Marriage licenses will be valid for 30 days
• Marriage licenses must be returned before expiration (within 30 days of being issued)
• Name changes can be made on the license, but must be derived from the current legal name of either party

 

These changes were approved by the Governor in May following the passage of HB307, and went into effect on November 1st, 2022.

 

Past coverage: 

• Oklahoma Wedding Officiants won’t need to register with the state beginning November 2022
• Oklahoma revisits minister registration (and a look at all the states that require registration to perform marriage)
   

 

 

• Read the full bill text of HB 307 here. 

 

• See all Oklahoma marriage laws here. 

 

...

 

 

Get ordained! 

 

Read: How to Become a Wedding Officiant in Oklahoma 

 

Conviértase en un Oficiante de Bodas en Oklahoma
 

 

Friends and family members can perform wedding ceremonies in Oklahoma if they’ve been ordained. Get ordained online with AMM to get started.

 

 

 

 

---

 

You might also like:

 

 

• Oklahoma Officiant Training Quiz
   
• Can you get married without a marriage license? What if you lost it? Or forgot it?
   

---