Last Updated: October 5th, 2023
5 Essential Facts to Know Before Officiating a Wedding in South Carolina
The facts below cover all the important aspects of what requirements you need to meet to be able to legally officiate a wedding ceremony in South Carolina.
1.
Who Can Officiate Weddings in South Carolina?
This is the relevant exerpt from the South Carolina Code of Laws § 20-1-20.
" Only ministers of the Gospel, Jewish rabbis, officers authorized to administer oaths in this State, and the chief or spiritual leader of a Native American Indian entity recognized by the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs pursuant to Section 1-31-40 are authorized to administer a marriage ceremony in this State. "
Basically, this means that as long as you are ordained through any church, you can officiate weddings.
2.
Are Online Ordinations Recognized in South Carolina?
Yes. All online ordained ministers, including those ordained through AMM are recognized in South Carolina.
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3.
Is Government Registration Required to Officiate a Wedding in South Carolina?
The South Carolina Government does not license, register, or certify ministers or wedding officiants. Officiant registration is not required in South Carolina to officiate a wedding.
4.
What Office Do I Register with Before Officiating a Wedding in South Carolina?
The South Carolina Government does not have any office that licenses, registers, or certifies wedding officiants.
5.
What is the Minimum Legal Age to Officiate a Wedding in South Carolina?
All Wedding Officiants in South Carolina must be at least 18 years old.
Preparing to Officiate a Wedding in South Carolina
As there is no officiant registration required in South Carolina, once ordained your next step is to start preparing to officiate the wedding. If you have not officiated a wedding before, or it has been a while, check out our South Carolina Officiant Ceremony Preparation page.
PREPARE FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA WEDDING CEREMONY