Online Ordination vs California’s Deputy Commissioner For a Day Program for Weddings?

Which is best for a first-time wedding officiant in California: Becoming a Deputy Commissioner for a Day, or getting ordained online? Let’s take a look!

Asked to officiate a wedding in California? Congratulations! Performing a marriage ceremony is a big honor, and this important day will leave you and the couple you marry with happy lifelong memories. As you prepare for your new role, you’ll need to decide between two options which will authorize you to be a wedding officiant in the state: the deputy commissioner for a day program, or getting ordained online as a minister.

 

To help you decide which option is best for you as a first-time wedding officiant, we’ve answered a few common questions and compared the pros and cons for each option. 

 

Let’s take a look! 

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Let's compare your options for becoming a wedding officiant in California! We'll look at the one day wedding duputy commissioner program, and online ordination with American Marriage Ministries. (Photo by Michael Burrows/ Pexels)

 

 

Option One: California One-Day Wedding Officiant

 

1. What is California’s ‘Deputy Commissioner for a Day Program’? (One-Day Marriage Officiant in California)

 

California is one of a few states that offer a one-day marriage officiant option, which they call a ‘Deputy Commissioner for a Day.’ This special designation is available in many jurisdictions in California, and gives non-clergy individuals the legal authority to officiate a single wedding on a specified day.  

 

How to become a Deputy Commissioner of marriages in California for a day? 

 

To become a Deputy Commissioner for a day, you must be at least 18 years old, complete an online application with a specific county before your appointment, appear in person to be sworn in, and pay a fee of about $51. 

 

You’ll need to know the exact date of the wedding and some personal information about the couple getting married. You can apply up to 90 days before the wedding date (after the marriage license has been issued). 

 

Find more information here (this link is for Santa Barbara; you can expect similar instructions in your county): Deputy Marriage Commissioner for a Day 

 

SUMMARY:

• Application fee is $51 
• You must be 18 years old
• Must complete online application
• Must appear in person to be sworn in
• Must apply after couple applies for marriage license
• Only good for a single wedding on a specified day

 

 

Option Two: Getting Ordained Online to Officiate a Wedding in California 

 

2. What’s Required to Get Ordained Online in California to Officiate a Wedding? 

 

The second option is to get ordained online as a minister to officiate the wedding. Ministers who receive their ordination through a recognized internet church like American Marriage Ministries (AMM) are legally recognized in California, and have the same authority to perform marriage as traditionally-ordained clergy members. After getting ordained online, you’re authorized to officiate a wedding anywhere in California – no further registration is required!

 

Ordination with American Marriage Ministries is free, only takes a minute to complete, and is all you need to perform a legal marriage ceremony anywhere in the state. (Some ministers choose to order copies of their minister credentials if they will be performing weddings in other states however, or to display them at home.) 

 

Learn more here: What are the Wedding Officiant Registration Requirements in California?

 

SUMMARY:

• Ordination with AMM is free
• You must be at least 18 years old
• Complete the ordination application at any time
• Ministers who are ordained online can officiate weddings anywhere in California
• Ordination with AMM never expires
• Officiate as many weddings as you wish!

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The best option for you depends on factors like how many weddings you want to officiate, the overall cost, wait time to become a wedding officiant, and if you want a spiritual or secular approach to performing a wedding. We'll help you consider each of these options more carefully below. (Photo by 🇻🇳Trường Nguyễn Thanh / Pexels)

 

 

So Which is Better for YOU to Officiate a Wedding in CA? Deputy Commissioner for a Day, or Getting Ordained Online?

 

Now that you know the basics, let’s look at some pros and cons of these two options, and why one option might work better than another for you. 

 

• COST & GOALS: PROS & CONS 

 

Getting ordained online through American Marriage Ministries is free, and allows you to officiate a wedding anywhere in the state of California. On the other hand, it costs about $51 to officiate through the Deputy Commissioner for a Day Program. If money is your primary concern, online ordination is the most affordable choice. 

 

Online ordination is also the most affordable option for you if you want to perform more than one wedding. If there's a chance you’ll be asked to officiate a second wedding later on, or if you want to become a professional wedding officiant, then getting ordained online is definitely the most affordable option. (And trust us—once your friends and family see how great you are, you’ll likely be asked again, maybe every wedding season!) 

 

And while the CA deputy commissioner option is only good for a single day, online ordination with AMM never expires.

 

 

• WAIT TIME: PROS & CONS

 
Next, let’s compare the wait time for each option: You can get ordained online with AMM any time after being asked to officiate, and it only takes a few seconds to complete our online application. On the other hand, you’ll need to wait until after a firm wedding date is set to apply to the Deputy Commissioner for a Day program, up to 90 days before the wedding. You’ll also need to schedule an in-person appointment to be sworn in before the wedding. 

 

If there are still a few weeks before the wedding, either of these options works well in terms of timing. But online ordination might be the best choice for you if you want to get a head start on the process, wait until the last minute to begin, or don’t have extra time for an in-person follow up appointment.

 

• SECULAR VS SPIRITUAL: PROS & CONS 

 

For some people, the appeal of becoming a wedding officiant for a single day is that it offers a secular (nonreligious) option for individuals who don’t want to become ordained within a specific church or denomination. This is a valid reason to choose a one-day option. Ordination is a meaningful decision, and we encourage anyone considering ordination to officiate weddings to research their options carefully. 

 

However, it may be helpful to know that AMM doesn’t require you to hold any specific religious beliefs to get ordained with us. 

 

American Marriage Ministries is an inclusive, interfaith church that ordains people of all faiths and beliefs, including Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Atheists, Pagans, Muslims, Agnostics, and many others. We’re a charitable organization and proud advocates for LGBTQ+ families, interracial couples and their families, marriage equality, healthy communities, and environmental stewardship. 

 

We don’t require our ministers to hold any specific religious or spiritual beliefs, only that they agree to the 3 Tenets that guide our organization: 

 

• All people, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, have the right to marry.
• It is the right of every couple to choose who will solemnize their marriage.
• All people have the right to solemnize marriage.

See Our Minister Ordination Package!

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