Oklahoma Officiant Government Registration Requirements

The Oklahoma Statutes §43-7 requires that all wedding officiants in Oklahoma are required to register with the local County Clerk's office before performing marriage.

In Oklahoma, officiant registration is done by County. All counties require registration, registration in one County only gives you permission to perform marriage in that county. If you plan on officiating another wedding in a different county, you will also have to register with their County Clerk's office.

The County Clerk's office is usually located within the County Courthouse. This is the same office that issues the marriage license to the couple.

Oklahoma consists of 77 Counties. Here is a list of all 77 County Clerk's Offices in Oklahoma.

How To Register as a Wedding Officiant in Oklahoma

Since officiant registration is handled at the county level, each county can determine its own officiant registration requirements. That being said, your registration will boil down to submitting one or all of the following:

• Your Ministry Credentials (Ordination Certificate & Letter of Good Standing)
• A County Application Form
• A Filing Fee

STEP 1ORDER YOUR MINISTRY CREDENTIALS

Your first step is to order your Oklahoma Minister Ordination Package. Included in your package is everything you need to register with any County Clerk's office in Oklahoma, including your Ordination Certificate and Notarized Letter of Good Standing. We will also provide any additional church documents upon request by the County Clerk.

STEP 2FIND OUT WHERE YOU NEED TO REGISTER

While you wait for your package, find out which of the 77 County Clerk's Offices you need to Contact. Contact them and politely ask exactly what documents you need to provide to register as a wedding officiant. You can say something like this:

"Hi, my name is [Your Name].

I am a minister of American Marriage Ministries. One of my duties is officiating wedding ceremonies and I have been asked to officiate a wedding in your county. My understanding is that as a minister I am required to register with your office prior to performing any marriages. Can you tell me what I need to do to register with your office?"

WHAT IF I AM ASKED FOR A DOCUMENT WITH A LIVE SIGNATURE?

All County Clerk's offices will ask for documentation proving your status as an ordained minister. Some will also ask that this document bear a live signature. Your Letter of Good Standing meets this requirement. Your Letter of Good Standing is signed by a church officer, dated, and notarized.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY ORDINATION CERTIFICATE AND MY LETTER OF GOOD STANDING?

Your ordination certificate certifies that you were ordained with American Marriage Ministries. Your Letter of Good Standing states that your status as a minister is currently active as of the date of its signing. In other words, you are in "Good Standing" with American Marriage Ministries. Your Letter of Good Standing is signed by a church officer and notarized. Your ordination certificate does not bear a live signature.

STEP 3SUBMIT YOUR PAPERWORK TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE

By this point you should know exactly where you need to register and what documents you need to submit. Most Clerk's prefer that you apply in person, however if that is not possible you should be able to arrange for your application to be submitted by mail.

Processing time for your application will vary by county. Our advice is: DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!

Approval of Your Officiant Application

Provided there are no complications, you should be authorized as soon as they receive your paperwork. If the Clerk's office is busy it may take them a few days to process your application.

Once successfully registered you will have the authority to perform marriage in that county in Oklahoma.