It may be a surprise, but Michigan does not require wedding officiants to be registered with any state agency.
Wedding officiants in Michigan are not required to be registered, and no state agency is responsible for doing so.
Who can legally perform marriage ceremonies in the state of Michigan is defined by law (Michigan Compiled Laws 551.7).
The American Marriage Ministries online ordination process is included. However, no laws, agencies, or procedures mandate officiants to be registered with any governmental body.
As soon as you become an online ordained minister with American Marriage Ministries, you can legally perform weddings anywhere in Michigan.
Get ordained with AMM immediately if you have been invited to perform a wedding ceremony in Michigan.
The process of ordination with AMM is quick, easy, and completely free. In the following section, you’ll find information about AMM’s ordination process in Michigan.
Instructions for Getting a Michigan-Ordained Minister
Getting Ordained in Michigan
Michigan ordainments are expedited at no cost and can be done in a day or less. Michigan has seen a massive influx of new pastors, with thousands signing up and receiving their credentials.
Your ordination through Open Ministry will make you legally authorized to perform marriages in Michigan.
Open Ministry will help you get ordained as a minister in Michigan at no cost to you.
Contact the County Clerk
The next step is to contact your regional marriage registry (typically your county clerk in Michigan).
Get in touch with the Michigan Secretary of State’s office and explain that you are a minister ordained through Open Ministry in California.
A physical copy of your ordination record may be necessary when dealing with most clerks and government institutions.
The following phrases may prove useful when communicating with the county clerk.
- How can I contact the county office in charge of issuing marriage licenses?
- I am a minister in good standing with a church in California, and I hope to become registered as a wedding Officiant in your county so that I may officiate weddings there.
- I can provide evidence of my ministry and ordination, such as a Letter of Good Standing or a Certificate of Ordination.
- What other paperwork do I need to become a registered wedding officiant in your county or state?
Getting Licensed to Perform the Marriage
Visit our bookstore to purchase hard copies of your official credentials after you have contacted your local marriage authorities. For more information, please see the laws of the state of Michigan.
Michigan county clerks may ask to see documentation of your ordination before they recognize your marriage license as valid.
A Letter of Good Standing is an essential part of the Complete Minister Package for Michigan, which we recommend to all ministers in the state (the life-signed and notarized physical copy of your standing with our ministry).
Couples and others you plan to marry will rest easier knowing that you have presented them with physical copies of your qualifications.
In addition, please place your order at least 4 weeks before the wedding ceremony to guarantee timely delivery of all materials and registration.
Keep in mind that local jurisdictions may have additional guidelines. There may be other minor costs, and documentation to fill out before the ceremony may go ahead.
Note that some Michigan county clerks may want wedding officiants to provide a declaration with their marriage license applications asserting certain details, such as the following:
- Specifics about the wedding’s start and end times and location
- A list of all official witnesses and their places of residence
- Where the celebrant obtained his or her religious credentials
- The minister’s contact information is listed in the program.
- You should know that the state of Michigan may want you to use the title “Minister” or “Reverend” on your marriage license.
If the County Clerk asks about your religious affiliation, you can write “Non-Denominational” if so. The application for a marriage license may be rejected if a religious affiliation is not specified.
How to Perform the Wedding
After you’ve done all that, you can legally marry somebody! Ensure the couple has picked up their marriage license from the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.
There may be a waiting period between the time a couple receives their Michigan marriage license and the time they can lawfully hold their ceremony in the state.
It must go on the license and be done this way so that the ceremony is correctly recorded.
Warning: the Michigan licensing office needs to receive the signed license by the deadline. Verify the dates on the marriage license.
If you take care of the details mentioned above, officiating a wedding in Michigan can be a truly rewarding and enjoyable event.
Please feel free to share your thoughts and concerns as a Michigan wedding officiant after you have been ordained or if you have questions about conducting a legal wedding ceremony in Michigan.
If you’re a new wedding pastor in Michigan and have questions or concerns concerning the ceremony, we highly recommend you go over our helpful tips.
Frequently Asked Question
Can anyone officiate a wedding in Michigan?
One must be a minister, a magistrate (a civil officer with authority to administer and enforce the law — Justice of the Peace), the mayor of a city in the state of Michigan, or a judge to perform a marriage ceremony in the form of Michigan legally.
Do you need a license to marry someone in Michigan?
In Michigan, you need a marriage license and to have your ceremony “solemnized” by a registered officiant before you may call yourselves husband and wife.
Can a notary marry people in Michigan?
Someone who has been a notary public in some places, like Florida, can lawfully execute a marriage, but this is not the case in Michigan.