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Last Updated: October 11th, 2023

Who Can Officiate Weddings in Washington, DC?

The Washington, DC Marriage Laws specify who can legally perform marriage in the State. The legal term for the act of conducting a wedding ceremony is called "Solemnization of Marriage". The people with the authority to perform this act are religious and government officials. For most Americans, getting ordained is the easiest way to gain the legal right to solemnize weddings.

 

According to the Washington DC Code § 46-406

 

" (a) For the purposes of this section, the term:

(1) "Religious" includes or pertains to a belief in a theological doctrine, a belief in and worship of a divine ruling power, a recognition of a supernatural power controlling man's destiny, or a devotion to some principle, strict fidelity or faithfulness, conscientiousness, pious affection, or attachment.

(2) "Society" means a voluntary association of individuals for religious purposes.

(b) For the purpose of preserving the evidence of marriages in the District of Columbia, every minister of any religious society approved or ordained according to the ceremonies of his religious society, whether his residence is in the District of Columbia or elsewhere in the United States or the territories, may be authorized by any judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to celebrate marriages in the District of Columbia. Marriages may also be performed by any judge or justice of any court of record; provided, that marriages of any religious society which does not by its own custom require the intervention of a minister for the celebration of marriages may be solemnized in the manner prescribed and practiced in any such religious society, the license in such case to be issued to, and returns to be made by, a person appointed by such religious society for that purpose. The Clerk of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia or such deputy clerks of the Court as may, in writing, be designated by the Clerk and approved by the Chief Judge, may celebrate marriages in the District of Columbia. "


 

- This is an Excerpt. Read The Full Statute on Our Washington, DC Marriage Laws -

AMM Ordination Guarantee

As an online ordained minister of American Marriage Ministries, you will be joining a network of over 1,400,530 ministers that have officiated hundreds-of-thousands of weddings all across the country. As an AMM minister, you are legally empowered under the protections of the Washington DC Code § 46-406 to officiate wedding ceremonies.

We understand that officiating a wedding is a huge honor and a serious responsibility. Our job is to guide you through this process from both the legal and ceremonial dimensions. Our mission is to empower you not just to perform marriage, but to do so with confidence and skill. You will be the latest in over 3,570 AMM ministers in Washington, DC!


BEGIN ORDINATION

13 YEARS ORDAINING AND COUNTING

American Marriage Ministries has been ordaining people just like you for over a decade. Our officiant training resources are the best, both online and in print. We make ordination easy so that you can focus on conducting an awesome wedding ceremony. And that's not just us saying it.

 


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AMM is an inclusive institution. We welcome people of all backgrounds. It is not important to us if you are black or white, religious or non-religious, rich or poor, gay or straight.

What is important is that you have a sincere desire to officiate weddings for people you care about. We support your right to officiate weddings that reflect your values, the couple's, and your community's.

 

Washington, DC Marriage Officiant License

 

As an online ordained minister you are one step closer to performing marriage in Washington, DC. In addition to our free online ordination, we provide all the officiant training materials you need to officiate weddings with confidence. Whether you will be officiating weddings in NO STATE SELECTED , AMM has everything you need to create an amazing ceremony.

Your next step is to observe any officiant registration required by the Washington, DC Government. Click on the button below to learn more.


WASHINGTON, DC OFFICIANT GOVERNMENT REGISTRATION

How To Become a Wedding Officiant in Washington, DC

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.

 

About American Marriage Ministries

We are American Marriage Ministries, an IRS Certified 501c3 Non-Profit Church with the mission to empower people of all backgrounds to officiate weddings. American Marriage Ministries was founded on July 4th of 2009 in Washington State. In that time we have ordained over 1,400,530 ministers all across the United States. To join our nationwide community of AMM ministers, you simply need to agree to our three simple tenets:

 

 

  1. All people, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, have the right to marry.
  2. It is the right of every couple to choose who will solemnize their marriage.
  3. All people have the right to solemnize marriage.

 

 

How you officiate weddings is up to you, the couple, and the members of your community. You will be one of over 3,570 AMM ministers in Washington, DC who have realized their right to perform marriage.


 

You can also help by ordering your official ministry credentials from our store. Part of the proceeds goes to our charitable activities, which supports other non-profit charities such as the Wildlife Conservation Network and the Girls Education Mentoring Services.

When you purchase a package from us, you get your official ordination certificate and you get to help support a positive cause!

To learn more about American Marriage Ministries, check out our About Us page. If you have further questions, feel free to visit our FAQ or simply contact us.

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ORDAINED BY STATE

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