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What are the Wedding Officiant Registration Requirements in Oklahoma?

No Officiant Registration is Required

ATTENTION!

Effective November 1, 2022 Minister's no longer will register their credentials with any county in the State of Oklahoma. The new statutory language simply requires the person performing the ceremony to certify on the marriage certificate that they have the authority to solemnize the marriage.

For more information, check out our blog post titled: "Oklahoma Wedding Officiants No Longer Required to Register Before Performing a Marriage Ceremony".

You may be surprised to hear this, but wedding officiants in Oklahoma are not required to register with any government office prior to performing marriage. The Oklahoma State Government has no laws requiring officiant registration or office dedicated to the registration of wedding officiants.

Oklahoma does have a law ( Oklahoma Statutes §43-7 ) 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 Oklahoma. If you have been asked to officiate a wedding in Oklahoma, Get ordained with AMM today!

Ordination with AMM is fast, free, and simple. To learn more about getting ordained in Oklahoma with AMM, check out our Get Ordained in Oklahoma page.

Keep Records of Your Ministry Credentials

Though there are no officiant registration requirements in Oklahoma, you must be an ordained minister to be able to legally perform marriage. Local regulations in Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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.




The content below describing the officiant registration process in Oklahoma is no longer valid as of November 1st 2022. This content will be removed in a few months but we are keeping it up for the time being as a historical reference. As of today's date there is no officiant registration required in Oklahoma.

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.

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 Oklahoma 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.


PREPARE FOR THE OKLAHOMA WEDDING CEREMONY

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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