ATTENTION
These pages contain general information on the most frequently asked questions regarding completing a marriage license. Marriage Laws and licenses vary across the country. So check carefully when you are completing the marriage license to make sure you have filled in all the required fields.
The most notable variation in marriage licenses is whether they have a field or fields for the witnesses to sign the marriage license. Not all states require witness signatures on the marriage license. If there are witness fields on the marriage license you are completing, make sure to have the witnesses sign the license before it is returned to its issuance office.
Officiant Title on Marriage License
You may be required to fill in your title when completing a marriage license. If you were ordained by American Marriage Ministries, you will write "Minister." You might consider yourself more of a "guru" or a "shaman," but for the purposes of this document, this is your title – this designation does not compel you to practice or officiate in any particular way, it’s just the title we use.
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Church Affiliation on Marriage License
Knowing how to fill out a marriage certificate requires understanding church affiliation. If you were ordained by AMM, then you should write our organization's name if asked for your affiliation (American Marriage Ministries).
AMM’s ordination does not imply any particular beliefs, and therefore affiliation is limited to describing a relationship between AMM and its ministers, not the nature of their belief or practice. We do this so that you can properly fill out a marriage license without needing to subscribe to a particular belief. If your ordination comes from another church, make sure to fill in that organization's full name.
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Religious Denomination on Marriage License
If you were ordained by American Marriage Ministries, and want to know how to fill out a marriage license as an officiant for documents that ask for your Religious Denomination, write "Non-Denominational," unless the marriage was celebrated in accordance with a specific denominational rite, which you should specify...Your choice of “non-denominational” still allows the ceremony to be as religious or secular as you would like.
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Ceremony Type on Marriage License
The license may ask whether the wedding was Civil or Religious. Unless otherwise specified, you should mark "Religious". That doesn't mean that you officiated a Christian or Muslim ceremony (or some other religious faith), it just has to do with your being a minister of AMM. Our organization is a legally recognized church for everyone, and as such, our practice falls within the religious sphere – in the legal sense – even if you didn't use one spiritual word. Again, we provide a church platform upon which you can build out your own ceremony that aligns with your worldview and belief.
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Witness Requirements on Marriage License
If the wedding license requires witnesses, there are certain requirements concerning who can and can't sign as a witness. These requirements may vary from state to state. In order to know how to fill out a marriage license as an officiant, you need to understand the witness requirements. If you have any concerns, please review the information provided on this website, and check with your local county clerk for clarification.
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