New Jersey Officiant Government Registration Requirements
Learn what the marriage officiant registration requirements are in New Jersey. This page covers everything you need to know to legally officiate wedding ceremonies in New Jersey.
5 Useful Officiant Registration Facts
1.
Who can officiate weddings in New Jersey?
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Each judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, each judge of a federal district court, United States magistrate, judge of a municipal court, judge of the Superior Court, judge of a tax court, retired judge of the Superior Court or Tax Court, or judge of the Superior Court or Tax Court, the former County Court, the former County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, or the former County District Court who has resigned in good standing, surrogate of any county, county clerk and any mayor or the deputy mayor when authorized by the mayor, or chairman of any township committee or village president of this State, and every minister of every religion, are hereby authorized to solemnize marriages or civil unions between such persons as may lawfully enter into the matrimonial relation or civil union; and every religious society, institution or organization in this State may join together in marriage or civil union such persons according to the rules and customs of the society, institution or organization.
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New Jersey Permanent Statutes § 371-13
2.
Are online ordained ministers recognized in New Jersey?
Yes. All online ordained ministers, including those ordained through AMM are recognized in New Jersey.
Get Ordained Now
3.
Am I as the minister officiant required to register with the New Jersey Government?
The New Jersey Government does not license, register, or certify ministers or wedding officiants. Officiant registration is not required in New Jersey to officiate a wedding.
4.
What New Jersey office handles officiant registration?
The New Jersey Government does not have any office that licenses, registers, or certifies wedding officiants.
5.
How old do I have to be to officiate a wedding in New Jersey?
All Wedding Officiants in New Jersey must be at least 18 years old.
What are the Wedding Officiant Registration Requirements in New Jersey?
You may be surprised to hear this, but wedding officiants in New Jersey are not required to register with any government office prior to performing marriage. The New Jersey State Government has no laws requiring officiant registration or office dedicated to the registration of wedding officiants.
New Jersey does have a law (New Jersey Permanent Statutes 37:1-13) that specifies who can solemnize marriage. This includes all ministers, including online ordained ministers of American Marriage Ministries. However, there are no laws, offices, or procedures requiring officiants to register with any government office.
Simply put, once you are an online ordained minister of American Marriage Ministries you immediately have the legal ability to officiate weddings anywhere in New Jersey. If you have been asked to officiate a wedding in New Jersey, Get ordained with AMM today!
Ordination with AMM is fast, free, and simple. To learn more about getting ordained in New Jersey with AMM, check out our Get Ordained in New Jersey page.
Keep Records of Your Ministry Credentials
Though there are no officiant registration requirements in New Jersey, you must be an ordained minister to be able to legally perform marriage. Local regulations in New Jersey stipulate that wedding officiants under the designation of "Minister" be ordained by a religious organization, such as American Marriage Ministries.
While you are not required to register with any New Jersey government office as a wedding officiant, it is a good idea to keep personal records of your official Ministry Credentials. Proof of your ordination is essential in the event that the couple, government officials, or the wedding venue request to see proof of your ordination.
We recommend that you order your New Jersey Minister Ordination Package to receive your official ministry credentials. Your package includes your official Ordination Certificate and Letter of Good Standing.
Your Letter of Good Standing is signed by a church officer, dated, and notarized. Your Minister Ordination Package also includes your AMM Minister's Manual, a valuable resource for officiant training information.
Part of the proceeds from your order will go towards our charitable activities. So along with receiving your AMM ministry credentials, you are also helping to support a good cause.
Start Preparing for the Wedding Ceremony
Your next step is to learn how to officiate a wedding ceremony. If you have no experience, you are in good hands. Our New Jersey Wedding Officiant Preparation Guide covers all aspects of how to prepare for a wedding ceremony.
You will learn everything from the format for a wedding ceremony, the names of the ceremony parts, how to write a wedding ceremony, and more.
Use Our AMM Wedding Helper
If the process of planning, scripting, and performing a wedding is daunting, then you need our Wedding Helper suite of tools.
We have distilled years of experience into an easy-to-use platform with training materials, quizzes, a personalized ceremony script generator, and tips to prepare you for performing marriage, all accessible through your minister profile.
That's only the beginning. After the wedding, you can share your wedding on the AMM Wedding Wall with our nationwide network of ministers.
OFFICIANT GOVERNMENT REGISTRATION BY STATE
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Sample Wedding Ceremony Scripts
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