Wisconsin Officiant Government Registration Requirements
Learn what the marriage officiant registration requirements are in Wisconsin. This page covers everything you need to know to legally officiate wedding ceremonies in Wisconsin.
5 Useful Officiant Registration Facts
1.
Who can officiate weddings in Wisconsin?
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Marriage may be validly solemnized and contracted in this state only after a marriage license has been issued therefor, and only by the mutual declarations of the 2 parties to be joined in marriage that they take each other as husband and wife, made before an authorized officiating person and in the presence of at least 2 competent adult witnesses other than the officiating person. The following are authorized to be officiating persons:
(1) Any ordained member of the clergy of any religious denomination or society who continues to be an ordained member of the clergy.
(2) Any licentiate of a denominational body or an appointee of any bishop serving as the regular member of the clergy of any church of the denomination to which the member of the clergy belongs, if not restrained from so doing by the discipline of the church or denomination.
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Wisconsin Statutes § 765.16
2.
Are online ordained ministers recognized in Wisconsin?
Yes. All online ordained ministers, including those ordained through AMM are recognized in Wisconsin.
Get Ordained Now
3.
Am I as the minister officiant required to register with the Wisconsin Government?
The Wisconsin Government does not license, register, or certify ministers or wedding officiants. Officiant registration is not required in Wisconsin to officiate a wedding.
4.
What Wisconsin office handles officiant registration?
The Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?
All Wedding Officiants in Wisconsin must be at least 18 years old.
What are the Wedding Officiant Registration Requirements in Wisconsin?
You may be surprised to hear this, but wedding officiants in Wisconsin are not required to register with any government office prior to performing marriage. The Wisconsin State Government has no laws requiring officiant registration or office dedicated to the registration of wedding officiants.
Wisconsin does have a law (Wisconsin Statutes 765.16) 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 Wisconsin. If you have been asked to officiate a wedding in Wisconsin, Get ordained with AMM today!
Ordination with AMM is fast, free, and simple. To learn more about getting ordained in Wisconsin with AMM, check out our Get Ordained in Wisconsin page.
Keep Records of Your Ministry Credentials
Though there are no officiant registration requirements in Wisconsin, you must be an ordained minister to be able to legally perform marriage. Local regulations in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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.
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Sample Wedding Ceremony Scripts
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