How to get Ordained in Utah to Officiate
Written and reviewed by the wedding law liaison team at the Universal Life Church.
Welcome to the marriage laws guide for the state of Utah. This page was created in hopes of providing both couples and ministers alike with all the information they need to perform a wedding. Being asked to officiate a wedding is an incredible honor, but presiding also comes with a lot of responsibility. In order to ensure that everything goes smoothly on the big day, we encourage you to review the guide below. It will explain how to become a wedding minister, how to marry someone, and how to make sure the ceremony is legal in Utah.
Here are the basic steps one must follow to officiate a wedding:
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Getting Ordained in Utah
Becoming a marriage officiant with the Universal Life Church is easier than you might think. Our online ordination process is straightforward, fast, and also entirely free. Legally licensed ministers of the ULC perform countless marriages each year. Once you have your minister license in hand, officiating a wedding is right around the corner! Click the button below to get started.
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How Do You Perform a Wedding in Utah
First, you'll need to contact the marriage licensing office of the county in which the wedding will take place. Identify yourself as a minister and inquire about what documents the officials will need to see from you. You may be asked to show several items to verify your ordination status. Please note that these requirements often vary from county to county, which is why it's best to contact officials beforehand. Any documents or materials you might require are available in the Minister Store here on our website.
Select a county to see contact information for each office:
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Utah Wedding Officiant Requirements
Once you've spoken with your county's marriage officials, simply sign in to your account on our website, and order whatever materials you need via our online catalog. Based on feedback from our ministers in Utah, we recommend picking up a Classic Wedding Set.
In general, ministers are not required to register in the state of Utah. That being said, it's not uncommon for the county clerk to ask for proof of your ordination before permitting you to perform a marriage ceremony. In addition, it gives the couple peace of mind to know that their wedding minister has all the official documents, like your ordination certificate, on hand. To avoid any sticky situations at the end, you should also make sure you order any minister supplies you may like well in advance of the ceremony.
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How to Get a Utah Marriage License
In Utah, marriage licenses are issued by the county clerk's office. Although it is the couple's job to pick up the license, the minister should have a complete understanding of the rules surrounding marriage licenses in Utah and its individual counties. Let's say the couple is planning to get a marriage license in Salt Lake County, for example. As the minister, you should double-check to be sure if there are any specific rules for getting married in Salt Lake County of which the couple might not be aware.
In Utah, marriage licenses are valid for 30 days and there is no waiting period between the time it is picked up and when the ceremony can be legally performed. Once the ceremony has been completed, the signed marriage license must be returned within 30 days.
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How Do You Officiate a Wedding?
Once all the paperwork is in order, you're ready to perform the wedding! If you need any guidance in this area, don't hesitate to utilize the tools found below. These carefully-tailored resources provide helpful tips and information on all aspects of performing a wedding ceremony. Constructed particularly with our wedding officiants in mind, they contain everything you'll need to plan the perfect wedding ceremony.
Many ULC ministers have used these resources for guidance themselves when becoming professional officiants!
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Signing the Marriage License in Utah
Now, there's just one final, but important, step. After you perform the wedding, you, the newlywed couple, and their witnesses, must all sign the marriage license. Your official title will be "Minister"; for ceremony type, put "Religious", and for denomination, write "Non-Denominational".
For the address of ministry, put your personal ministry of home address. Do not put the address of ULC's main offices. You will not be required to provide any sort of a minister license number. Lastly, remember that the signed license must be turned in to the marriage office before the deadline passes!
Utah Marriage Laws
Utah marriage laws are governed by Chapter 1 of Title 30 of the code of Utah. This section explains who is legally authorized to officiate weddings in the State of Utah. Among those with authorization are ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church. The relevant section is displayed below:
Utah Code 30-1-8. Application for license -- Contents. (1) A marriage license may be issued by the county clerk to a man and a woman only after an application has been filed in his office, requiring the following information: (a) the full names of the man and the woman, including the maiden name of the woman; (b) the Social Security numbers of the parties, unless the party has not been assigned a number; (c) the current address of each party; (d) the date and place of birth (town or city, county, state or country, if possible); (e) the names of their respective parents, including the maiden name of the mother; (f) the birthplaces of fathers and mothers (town or city, county, state or country, if possible); and (g) the distinctive race or nationality of each of the parents. (2) If the woman is a widow, her maiden name shall be shown in brackets. (3) If one or both of the parties is under 16 years of age, the clerk shall provide them with a standard petition on a form approved by the Judicial Council to be presented to the juvenile court to obtain the authorization required by Section 30-1-9. (4) (a) The Social Security numbers obtained under the authority of this section may not be recorded on the marriage license, and are not open to inspection as a part of the vital statistics files. (b) The Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics shall, upon request, supply those Social Security numbers to the Office of Recovery Services within the Department of Human Services. (c) The Office of Recovery Services may not use any Social Security numbers obtained under the authority of this section for any reason other than the administration of child support services.
View the Utah Statutes on the official government state website.
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